Sovereignty: The State, the Individual, and the International Legal System in the Twenty First Century

In its origins, the concept of sovereignty dealt with the relationship between the individual and the "sovereign." Its application to the role of the state in international law developed as a secondary matter, bringing with it discussions of relationships between "sovereign" states. However, international law has moved beyond contemporary notions of sovereignty. Concerns about "giving up sovereignty" through participation in multilateral organizations are often misplaced. In this century the most important developments in international law will not be in state-state relationships but rather in the status and rights of the person in international law.

The ultimate propriety of new international norms will in many cases be determined by the manner in which they deal with relationships between individuals and the state which is the relationship addressed by the original concept of sovereignty.