States are one of the most important actors of international law. They create and codify international law via treaties and other agreements, are the main participants in international organizations, and also help enforce international law rules.  At the core of the states is the concept of sovereignty, which basically means “authority” or “control” to govern, and rule. 

One important question is: how does sovereignty emerge? where does it come from? A related question is: how do states gain statehood? what are the requirements of being a state? and, who decides whether these requirements are met? In this unit, we will discuss these and other related issues. 

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