Twelfth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

The Cold War concluded with an end of history triumphalism that established the superiority of liberal values in defining political systems. It led to the emergence of an international order that was characterised by liberalism, multilateralism, and open markets under the leadership of the United States and its allies. The dilution of the conventional understanding of the concept of sovereignty and the rise of supranational organisations were prominent in this liberal vision of an increasingly globalised world. Globalisation, however, has witnessed a backlash in the last few years in the form of right wing populism, protectionism and nativism-notions that are linked to deepening sovereignty. A part of this paper seeks to examine the concept of sovereignty within the Liberal International order and how its meaning has evolved with time. The second part deals with the problem of knowledge and how the discourse surrounding sovereignty shaped the reality of the Cold War and post Cold War periods. In doing so the paper aims to explain the rise of nationalism in its present form by exploring the link between the notions of state sovereignty and nationalism. To what extent is the current wave of nationalism a result of threatened state sovereignty? How have discussions on sovereignty impacted developments within the liberal international order? More specifically, is the decline of institutions such as the EU in the current milieu related to the shrinking debate and deliberation on the concept of sovereignty in diplomacy and scholarship? These are some of the questions examined.