From Sovereignty to Responsibility: The Changing Nature of Nation-State System

Nation-state system originated in the seventeenth century in Europe in a particular politico-religious environment. In that particular context, sovereignty primarily meant political independence from the central authority of the Holy Roman Empire. However, with the passage of time it was taken to mean absolute authority of the state over its territory and subjects. In the second half of the twentieth century, developments in various branches of international law, most particularly in human rights law, have transformed sovereignty into ‘responsibility to protect’, thereby changing the very nature of the modern nation-state system