State Sovereignty and International Protection of Human Rights: The Way Forward

Abstract

The concepts of human rights and national sovereignty in the 21stcentury social-political system appear to be antithetical to each other. The co-existence of the two has not been easy particularly in a sovereign State that blatantly violates the rights of her people. In that situation, the two principles have confronted rather than partnered in the sense that any promotion of universal Human Rights by the international community is seen as a restraint on State sovereignty leaving the individual whose rights are violated to suffer. In this regard, this article will discuss the differences between the two concepts, the impact of State sovereignty on the protection of human rights in both Nigeria and United Kingdom, and fashion out a substantial degree of symbiotic relationship that will be of benefit not only to nation-state but also to individual.
Keywords: Human Rights; State Sovereignty; International law; Domestic Law