Transformation of Sovereignty in the 21st Century (geo)Politics

Post-Cold War world witnessed the erosion of the bipolar system that was followed by the crumbling of the state structure as defined by the absolute control of territory by a state. Hasty process of decolonization from 1950s and 60s in the context of the end of the support for weak regimes from the Cold War rivals brought into the international community states that do not possess effective means to govern, control their territory, and provide basic functions. Inability of, in Cooper´s words, pre-modern states to provide basic goods including security and to possess positive sovereignty is, however, only one part of the transformation. Integration processes – most importantly the European Union – led to another shift in the sovereign states system, shift towards larger stability by pooling national sovereignty to the transnational and supra-national level. Systemic changes on the state level are only part of the story. Changes in understanding of sovereignty are also manifested by the presence of the unrecognized states in the system (despite the fact that their existence is not profoundly post-Cold War phenomenon) and the importance of the territorial non-state actors in places like Syria, Nigeria, or Colombia to name few. Understanding all of these processes shaping the 21st century international politics and geopolitics is essential for the proper analysis of the events that shape the contemporary international community. Section will shed light on the issues connected to the above mentioned processes. Namely it will present alternative views on the understanding of sovereignty in the 21st century and present the role of geopolitical anomalies in the context of the systemic shift. Presented contributions will thus offer viewpoints on the current situation from the theoretical and practical perspective as they comment on discussion about theory of sovereignty as well as the manifestations of this shift in the international political practice.