The Principle of Self-Determination: A Delicate Balance between Unilateral Secession and Territorial Integrity of States

Abstract

Are people allowed to unilaterally secede from their mother state? Was it proper for countries like Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Kosovo to break away from their mother countries? On the face of it, unilateral secessions impair the territorial integrity of states which is a core principle in international law. Unilateral secessions allow people or peoples to determine their political status. However, states have been hesitant to recognise states which have been formed as a result of unilateral secessions since they will be viewed by the international community as supporting separatism. International law is silent on the issue of unilateral secessions despite the fact that unilateral secessions have been considered an ‘evil’ to the territorial boundaries of a state. I seek to address the delicate balance between unilateral secession and the principle of territorial integrity of states. I argue that unilateral secessions need to be regulated by international law.