ABSTRACT
Self-determination has generally been understood to refer to the right of peoples to ‘deter-
mine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural develop-
ment’, free of foreign rule (UN Resolution 1514 (XV), 1960). This principle was
distinctly constitutive of the international order in the twentieth century. Most strikingly,
it provided the premise for three large waves of state formation. This manifestation of the
principle was relevant primarily for a world dominated by empires. In the statist milieu of
the twenty-first century, a new trajectory is emerging whereby new manifestations of
people’s self-determination are taking place, within the framework of existing states.
This contour ought not to be interpreted as breaking with the path of the previous
century. Rather, it evolved out of the manner in which self-determination had been pre-
viously practiced. The next section of this article discusses the three waves of state for-
mation in the previous century. The discussion then turns to the twenty-first century and
contemporary self-determination manifestations and elaborates on the challenges that
have emerged from the evolution of this principle and its new trajectories. The final
section identifies several remaining challenges, focusing primarily on questions presented
by population movements.
