Reconciling State Sovereignty and Protections for the Internally Displaced

TL;DRAbstract

Questions about state sovereignty arise in any discussion of how best to protect internally displaced persons (IDPs). IDPs those driven from their homes in fear like refugees, but who unlike the latter have not crossed the international boundary into another state. They are among the most vulnerable populations, desperately in need of protection and assistance. Sovereignty does not prevent effective action to meet these needs, but governments invoking rights sometimes do.States retain a set of exclusive sovereign prerogatives but these not absolute, and balanced by corresponding responsibilities. These include responsibilities to other states, and the responsibilities of the state towards its own citizens. In particular, each state has the responsibility to provide both internal and external security to its citizens. When a state cannot provide for the security of its citizens international humanitarian assistance becomes essential.

Chat with Paper

AI Agents for this Paper