ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the interpretation of the character of self-determination that is to be conceptualised into a complex and multi-faceted norm of international law. It explores what it means that self-determination gives a people the right freely to decide about their political status and to determine their economic, social and cultural development. The chapter provides an in-depth overview of the law concerning a precisely defined layer of self-determination. It provides an interpretation of the scope and content of self-determination as it applies to the people of independent states, along with an interpretation of the norm's character. It was established that the norm is not merely a principle or a right, it is a complex norm constituted by a bundle of rights and obligations. The chapter argues that the 'classic' distinction between internal and external self-determination, based on the potential conflict between self-determination and territorial integrity, sits uneasy with the layer of self-determination.
