ABSTRACT
There appears to be no doubt but that international relations is in the midst of a turbulent realignment. While the changes wrought by the collapse of the Soviet block catalysed the wholesale disruption of the previous international system, the present era, dominated as it is by the shadow of 9/11, is characterised by a series of evolving dramas the outcome of which remains difficult to predict. Central tenets of international relations are undergoing significant evolutions and new conceptualisations of the integral features of the international environment are competing for primacy. This is especially true with respect to the definition of sovereignty that, in both legal and normative terms, is contested and evolving. The dominant conception of this key concept that emerges, if indeed one does emerge, will surely shape international relations for a long time to come. Prediction is notoriously difficult, and necessarily contentious, but it is perhaps no exaggeration to suggest that the present metamorphosis of sovereignty will be seen as a juncture as significant to the evolutionary trajectory of the concept as the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 and the UN Charter in 1945.
