Nation states play a significant role in the promotion and enforcement of World Order. The nation states, through compliance with international law and multilateralism retain a significant impact in the enforcement and maintenance of the idealistic notion of World Order, defined as the sole existence of global peace and stability and an absence of conflict. However, state sovereignty and a lack of political will can ultimately impede on the effective enforcement of World Order. Nonetheless, as highlighted by the international humanitarian intervention in March 2011, nation states play a pivotal role in achieving world order.
Whilst nation states have a responsibility to protect, state sovereignty ultimately hinders the achievement of world order. State sovereignty relies to the ultimate law-making process of a state over its territory and population, including independence from external interference, as exemplified domestically in Section 51 of the Australian Constitution. Article 2(7) of the Charter of the United Nations (UN) (1945), stipulates that ‘nothing in the present Charter shall authorize the interference of any state’. Due to the non-mandatory nature of multilateral compliance, states can ultimately impede the influence of international law and use state sovereignty as a barrier to their conduct, as shown in the conflicts of Sudan, Kosovo, Libya and East Timor. However, the nationally acclaimed benchmark ‘Responsibility to Protect (R2P) (2005)’, originating from the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty’s Report, places the onus on nation states to ensure the protection of their citizens from instances of mass atrocity. The UN, enshrining of their doctrine under paragraph 138 and 139 of the Charter of the UN, bridges the limitations of state sovereignty with international law. Unfortunately, nation states may still abstain from participation with international law