ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to locate some of the discussions in the context of more general debates about the nature of sovereignty and the current challenges that it faces. It draws on some of the thinking behind and within a major Australian-Canadian project on "Re-conceiving Sovereignty" involving the Institute for Ethics, Governance, and Law at the United Nations University and The Centre for International Governance Innovation. The chapter considers one particular challenge arising from health issues, the training, movement, and regulation of health professionals. Sovereignty is a central concept in national histories, international relations, international law, political theory, and political philosophy. Most historical accounts focused on the histories of 'independent' sovereign states, not recognizing that the very conception of state sovereignty was not a vehicle to overthrow empires but a product of their disintegration. The relationship between the distribution of power, in particular, unipolarity, and sovereignty demands attention.
