The Right to Self-Determination in International Law

Abstract The right to self-determination is the right of peoples to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social, and cultural development. Self-determination appears in Article 1 of the UN Charter and in Article 1 common to the the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Self-determination is a right to independence: the international aspect of the right addresses the freedom of peoples from outside interference to exercise self-government and pursue their development. Self-determination is a fundamental human right: the domestic aspect of the right is concerned with the relation between a people and its government. Self-determination is recognized as an inalienable right giving rise to obligations in which the international community shares a common legal interest. Today, self-determination serves as an organizing principle for the international community of States. This book provides scholars and practitioners with a comprehensive resource on the right to self-determination in international law. The book is organized in three parts, respectively addressing the sources, content, and practice of the right to self-determination in international law.