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A conference organized by International Affairs and the BBC's The World Tonight
Attendance at this conference is reserved for Academic Institutional Members of Chatham House.
Self- Determination and Territorial Integrity: Awkward bed-fellows
The proliferation of conflicts and secessionist movements between and within states, most recently emphasized by events in Georgia, has given rise to important questions which the international community urgently needs to address.
Self-determination has played a crucial role in shaping international politics over the centuries. Yet it is also one of the most enduring and intractable issues in international law and politics, closely linked to the status of minorities and at the heart of the debate about nationalism and sovereignty.
This conference will bring together international policy-makers, academic experts and those with first hand experience in Georgia, Abkhazia, Tibet and Xinjiang to discuss these critical issues, including:
- What is sovereignty and what constitutes a state?
- How does self-determination fit or contravene the concept of sovereignty and a state's authority to govern its own affairs?
- What, exactly, constitutes a 'people'? And to what extent does the notion of a 'people' justify calls for unification or succession?
- Who decides who get self-determination? The role of the international community.
- Contrary to expectations, globalization may have encouraged nationalist feelings. How might this further develop and what impact might this have on international relations?
Academic Institutional Membership
For further information about how to become an Academic Institutional Membership please contact:
Stephanie Walker, Membership Relations Manager
Tel: +44 (0)20 7957 5721
Email Stephanie Walker
Chatham House Rule
To enable as open a debate as possible, this conference will be held under the Chatham House Rule.