Public Law Studies Quarterly

The Rise and Fall of the Right to Self-Determination in Light of Great ‎Power Interests

Document Type : Article

Authors

Gholamreza Sadeghpoor Ajibisheh 1
Fatemeh Keyhanlou 2
Zainab Esmati 3

1 PhD. Student, Department of Public International Law, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, ‎Karaj, Iran‎

2 Assistant Prof., Department of International Law, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, ‎Iran‎

3 Assistant Prof., Department of Public Law, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran‎

https://doi.org/10.22059/jplsq.2023.345960.3139
Abstract
Contrary to secession in the colonial domain, which is considered legitimate in contemporary international law, separation in the non-colonial sphere is a controversial issue and is a matter of dispute between governments and international lawyers. There is general agreement that in case of severe human rights violations, it is possible for a people to enjoy the right to remedial secession and in this case, international law does not support th territorial sovereignty of states. Nevertheless, great powers have always played a key role in the application of this principle by claimant movements. This article, with a descriptive-analytical method, seeks to examine the legal situation and the possibility of evaluating the right to self-determination in the context of contemporary international law on the one hand and examinine its application in light of great powers’ practices, on the other hand. The findings of this article show that the human rights situation in a state should be considered so as to determine whether non-colonial independence is suitable or the right to self-determination in the framework of "remedial secession" should be ensured. 

Keywords

contemporary ‎international law
right to ‎self-determination
‎territorial integrity
human ‎rights
great powers.‎
Subjects

  1. English

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    1. C) Reports
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    References in Persian:

    • Articles
    1. Akhavan Kharrazian, M. (2007). Development of the Principle of the Right of Self-Determination within the UN context. International Law Review, (24), 95-142. doi: 10.22066/cilamag.2007.17788 (In Persian).
    2. Habibi, H., & Navari, A. (2015). Evaluating the Existence of the Remedial Right to Secession as a Rule of Customary International Law. International Law Review, (31), 97-124. doi:10.22066/cilamag.2015.15772 (In Persian).
    3. Haddadi, M., & Karimi, S. (2016). Violating Human Rights and separatism: critical approach to theory remedial secession in international law. Public Law Studies Quarterly, (45), 715-736. doi: 10.22059/jplsq.2016.56446 (In Persian).
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    8. Zamani, S. G., & Navari, A. (2015). The Right to Remedial Secession in the light of National and Regional Judicial Decisions. Public Law Researsh, (16), 9-37 (In Persian).

     

Public Law Studies Quarterly
Volume 54, Issue 4
Winter 2025
Autumn 2024
Pages 2801-2826

  • Receive Date 19 July 2022
  • Revise Date 27 September 2022
  • Accept Date 30 January 2023

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