On 17 March, the Global Governance Programme hosted a workshop organised by visiting fellow Michael Sanfey which brought together international experts to look at sovereignty from a range of different perspectives, thereby enhancing our understanding of this foundational idea.
Sovereignty is one of the most important concepts in international relations but its precise meaning is not immutable. Some scholars have argued that sovereignty is effectively ‘over’. Others dismiss what they see as the chimera of sovereignty and taking back control, preferring an idea of pooled sovereignty - as exemplified by the EU. However, there are also those traditionalists who emphasise the ongoing practical importance of sovereignty - e.g. in the context of a properly functioning military force.
The keynote speech at this workshop titled ‘The meaning of sovereignty in a transnational world’ was given by Ivan Krastev from the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia and Institute of Human Sciences in Vienna.
View the event's photo gallery here.
Watch Michael Sanfey in a recent Schuman Short defining 'Sovereignty'