ABSTRACT
Sovereignty referendums have been pivotal elements of international law and politics since the early nineteenth century. Sovereignty referendums have been characterized as significant components in the history of the modern nation state. Three reasons are suggested as to why there are so many sovereignty referendums in contemporary national and international politics. The first reason is the fact of territorial conflict between two or more states in international politics and law. Second, the emergence of supra-national organizations in different regions of the world is another factor that contributes to the rise of sovereignty referendums. Third is the rise of secessionist movements challenging the nation states. This phenomenon has increased the number of sovereignty referendums in various ways. There are the de facto referendums used by secessionist actors as strategic weapons – either as a means of public mobilization, or as proof of legitimacy in the eyes of the international community. Transfer of sovereignty referendums may be either supra-national or sub-national.
