Principles on Collision Course?

Sovereignty and self-determination are central features of international relations and international law. In the literature, the concepts are often depicted as conflicting and incompatible, pitting state sovereignty against the right of peoples to self-determination. In addition, the meaning, application and continued relevance of both concepts continue to form the subject of much debate. In practice, however, they remain important, often fiercely protected and frequently placed centre stage in conflicts concerning territorial integrity or political status. A basic argument in this paper is that our understanding of the concepts and their interrelationships can be enriched by looking past conventional and often rigid theoretical and legal conceptualisations and instead place more emphasis on the ways in which. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]