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The Principle of Non-interference and its Application in Practices of Contemporary International Law

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Abstract

The principle of non-interference is that sovereign states shall not intervene in each other’s internal affairs. It is the general principle of contemporary international law that the non-interference in each other’s internal affairs is based on the respect for states’ sovereignty and territorial integration, which governs the relations between states in regard to their rights and obligations. It has been established as the general principle of international law or customary law in compliance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Nevertheless, its application depends on the determination of the matter in question within the domestic jurisdiction and of the applicable international laws accordingly. It was and is still controversial in practices of international law to make such determination. This article focuses on the analysis of the principle of non-interference and its relation with the determination of domestic affairs, the relation between the principle of non-interference and the R2P, as well as the recent institutional development of global protection for human rights such as the HRC related to domestic affairs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for International Law, Law School of Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Zhang Naigen

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  1. Zhang Naigen
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Correspondence to Zhang Naigen.

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Naigen, Z. The Principle of Non-interference and its Application in Practices of Contemporary International Law. Fudan J. Hum. Soc. Sci. 9, 449–464 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40647-016-0126-y

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