State Sovereignty
State Sovereignty : A concept that signifies the legal identity of states in international law and provides order, stability and predictability in international relations since sovereign states are regarded as equal, regardless of comparative size or wealth. Sovereignty is not a grant to states of unlimited power to do all that is not expressly forbidden by international law; rather, it entails the totality of international rights and duties recognized by international law. The principle of sovereign equality of states is enshrined in Article 2.1 of the UN Charter and means that a sovereign state is empowered to exercise exclusive and total jurisdiction within its territorial borders without intervention from other states (principle of non-intervention). Membership of the United Nations is viewed as the final symbol of independent sovereign statehood and the seal of acceptance into the community of nations. Membership also entails responsibilities to the citizens internally and to the international community through the UN. 191 States are Members of the United Nations as of March 2003. (OCHA)
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