Navigating a world without norms, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• Israel recognized Somaliland as an independent state, signaling a shift away from the "rules-based international order" (RBIO).
• Ukraine is facing pressure to cede territory for peace with Russia.
• China is threatening to take over Taiwan by force.
• The RBIO, which defined the post-Cold War era, is losing its influence.
• Somaliland's strategic location at the mouth of the Red Sea is key to Israel's decision.

Detailed Insights:

• The recognition of Somaliland highlights the declining influence of global norms in protecting a state's territorial integrity.
• Somaliland has functioned as a de facto state for three decades, but its non-recognition symbolized a compromise between political reality and legal principle within the RBIO.
• The situation reveals a broader crisis of sovereignty, where borders are contested through economic coercion, infrastructural entanglement, and digital subversion.
• For India, the unraveling of the RBIO underscores the need to strengthen internal political coherence and credible deterrence.
• India must also assert regional leadership to prevent external powers from exploiting conflicts in the Subcontinent.
• The selective application of norms is evident in various global scenarios, including China's actions in the South China Sea and Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Rules-Based International Order (RBIO): A framework of shared norms, institutions, and laws intended to govern relations between states.
• Territorial Sovereignty: The principle that a state has the exclusive right to govern its territory without external interference.
• De facto State: An entity that controls territory and population but lacks international legal recognition as a sovereign state.