State Sovereignty and Humanitarian Assistance: Navigating the Tension in International Armed Conflicts
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Abstract
This paper critically examines the intersection of state sovereignty and the provision of humanitarian assistance in the context of international armed conflicts, addressing a pressing and increasingly relevant issue in global legal discourse. While state sovereignty remains a cornerstone of international law, its application during armed conflict, especially regarding external humanitarian aid, raises complex questions of responsibility and intervention. Using a blend of primary and secondary legal sources, the study explores how sovereignty intersects with the state's obligations to protect and meet the needs of its citizens during conflict, in line with the theory of "responsible sovereignty." The research highlights the nuanced tension between a state's right to control its territory and its duty to ensure the welfare of its population, even in the midst of war. Despite the fundamental principle of sovereignty, states are bound by international norms to allow humanitarian assistance when their capacity to respond to crisis situations is overwhelmed, thereby preventing further human suffering. The study challenges the traditional view that external aid constitutes an infringement on sovereignty, instead arguing that the refusal of humanitarian assistance in times of need may violate international legal and moral obligations. This paper offers a novel perspective on sovereignty, proposing that in an era of global interconnectedness and humanitarian crises, responsible sovereignty should prioritize the protection of human life over rigid territorial control. The findings contribute to ongoing debates in international law, urging a rethinking of the state's role in conflict zones and the responsibility to allow external humanitarian aid in the face of dire need.
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Puspoayu, Elisabeth Septin, Setyo Widagdo, Adi Kusumaningrum, and Rika Kurniaty. 2024. “State Sovereignty and Humanitarian Assistance: Navigating the Tension in International Armed Conflicts”. International Law Discourse in Southeast Asia 3 (2). https://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/ildisea/article/view/79010.
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References
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Boer Mauna. Hukum Internasional (Pengertian, Peran Dan Fungsi Dalam Era Dinamika Global). 1st ed. Bandung: PT. Alumni, 2001.
Bogatyreva, O. “Humanitarian Diplomacy: Modern Concepts and Approaches.” Herald of the Russian Academy of Sciences 92, no. 1 (2022): S1349–66. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1019331622200047.
Bordoloi, Anahita. “How Important Is Neutrality in Providing Humanitarian Assistance?” E-International Relations, 2020, 1–7.
Centre, The Diakonia International Humanitarian Law. “ENFORCEMENT OF IHL (Accountability for Violations of International Humanitarian Law).” International Humanitarian Law Centre, 2022. https://www.diakonia.se/ihl/resources/international-humanitarian-law/enforcement-ihl/.
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Eliza, Emi, Heryandi Heryandi, and Ahmad Syofyan. “Intervensi Kemanusiaan (Humanitarian Intervention) Menurut Hukum Internasional Dan Implementasinya Dalam Konflik Bersenjata.” FIAT JUSTISIA:Jurnal Ilmu Hukum 8, no. 4 (2015): 629–41. https://doi.org/10.25041/fiatjustisia.v8no4.316.
Elkahlout, Ghassan, Sansom Milton, Taha Yaseen, and Elham Raweh. “Localisation of Humanitarian Action in War-Torn Countries: The Experience of Local NGOs in Yemen.” International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 75, no. February (2022): 102921. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.102921.
Fransiska ayulistya santoso. “Penolakan Pemberian Bantuan Kemanusiaan Dari PBB Oleh Myanmar Dalam Presfektif Hukum Hak Asasi Manusia Internasional.” Jurnal Arena Hukum 13, no. 3 (2020): 593.
Gal, Tom. “Territorial Control by Armed Groups and the Regulation of Access to Humanitarian Assistance.” Israel Law Review 50, no. 1 (2017): 25–47. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021223716000285.
heike spieker. “The Right to Give and Receive Humanitarian Assistance.” In International Law and Humanitarian Assistance, edited by H.-J. Heintze and A. Zwitter, 1–141. Dublin: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16455-2.
Henckaerts, Jean Marie, and Louise Doswald-Beck. International Committee of the Red Cross: Customary International Humanitarian Law. International Committee of the Red Cross: Customary International Humanitarian Law. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. Cambridge: cambrige university press, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511804700.
John Odle. “Targeted Killings in Yemen and Somalia: Can the United States Target Low-Level Terrorists.” Emory International Law Review 27, no. 1 (2013). http://law.emory.edu/eilr/content/volume-27/issue-1/comments/targeted-killings.html.
Kalshoven, Frits. “Impartiality and Neutrality in Humanitarian Law and Practice.” International Review of the Red Cross 29, no. 273 (1989): 516–35. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0020860400074866.
katie hunt. “Rohingya Crisis: How We Got Here.” CNN, 2017. https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/12/asia/rohingya-crisis-timeline/index.html.
Khasanah, nur barokah uswatun, and marc johan astawin. “Mechanism for Addressing Space Debris from the Prespective of International Law.” International Law Discourse in Southeast Asia 3, no. 1 (2024): 107–34. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.15294/ildisea.v3i1.78885.
Kuijt, Emilie Ellen. “Humanitarian Assistance and State Sovereignty in International Law : Towards a Comprehensive Framework Issue.” Leiden University. leiden University, 2020.
Kumajaya, Kumajaya, and Rachmat Setiawan. “Venezuelan Government Disclaimer toward Humanitarian Assistance of International Communities.” Jurnal Hubungan Internasional 8, no. 2 (2019). https://doi.org/10.18196/hi.82156.
Makarychev, Andrey. “Russian War, Estonian Exceptions: Sovereignty, Governmentality, Biopolitics.” New Perspectives 32, no. 3 (2024): 290–306. https://doi.org/10.1177/2336825X241240929.
Mangku, Dewa Gede Sudika. “PEMENUHAN HAK ASASI MANUSIA KEPADA ETNIS ROHINGYA DI MYANMAR.” Perspektif Hukum 21, no. 1 Mei (2021): 1–15.
Nada, Lely Frilia Melisa Dwi, and Agustina Merdekawati. “Kedaulatan Atas Wilayah.” In Hukum Internasional, edited by Fajri Matahati Muhammadin, 1st ed., 186–261. yogyakarta: CV Buku Belaka Maju Jaya, 2023.
Nguyen, Vy. “The Rohingya Crisis in Myanmar: Rethinking International Engagement Toward Better Humanitarian Protection,” 2018. https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/68393.
OCHA. “Myanmar: Humanitarian Response Plan 2024 - Quarter One Dashboard (Jan - Mar 2024),” 2024. https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/myanmar/myanmar-humanitarian-response-plan-2024-quarter-one-dashboard-jan-mar-2024.
Plattner, Denise. “ICRC Neutrality and Neutrality in Humanitarian Assistance.” International Review of the Red Cross 36, no. 311 (1996): 161–80. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0020860400084072.
Riyanto, Sigit. “Kedaulatan Negara Dalam Kerangka Hukum Internasional Kontemporer.” Yustisia Jurnal Hukum 1, no. 3 (2012): 5–14. https://doi.org/10.20961/yustisia.v1i3.10074.
“Rohingya Crisis: UN Warns 80,000 Children ‘Wasting’ from Hunger in Myanmar,” n.d. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/17/rohingya-crisis-un-warns-80000-children-wasting-from-hunger-in-myanmar.
Spieker, Heike, and Et.al. International Law and Humanitarian Assistance A Crosscut Through Legal Issues Pertaining to Humanitarianism. Edited by Hans-Joachim Heintze and Andrej Zwitter. Springer. 1st ed. Dublin: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16455-2.
Human Rights Watch. “Syria: Defying Security Council on Aid Access Rejects Desperately Needed Cross-Border Routes,” 2014. https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/03/28/syria-defying-security-council-aid-access.
Tammi, Iida Maria. “Fighting with Words: Humanitarian Security and the Changing Role of Law in Contemporary Armed Conflict.” Disasters 47, no. 4 (2023): 870–90. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12580.
Thintowi, Jawahir, and Pranoto Iskandar. Hukum Internasional Kontemporer. Bandung: Refika Aditama, 2006.
Thomsen, Matias. “The Obligation Not to Arbitrarily Refuse International Disaster Relief: A Question of Sovereignty.” Melbourne Journal of International Law. 16, no. 484 (2015): 1–38. https://heinonline.org/HOL/License.
UNICEF. “Myanmar Country Office Humanitarian Situation.” myanmar, 2024.
watson institute international & Public affair. “AFGHAN CIVILIANS.” watson institute international & Public affair Brown University, 2023. https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/costs/human/civilians/afghan.
Zaum, Dominik. The Sovereignty Paradox: The Norms and Politics of International Statebuilding. 1st ed. Oxford: oxford university press, 2007.