Nonintervensi

Nonintervensi, or non-intervention, refers to the principle or policy of refraining from involvement in the internal or external affairs of another state, especially through political or military means. In international law, it is closely tied to state sovereignty and territorial integrity. The United Nations Charter codifies this norm in Article 2(7), which prohibits the UN and member states from intervening in matters within the domestic jurisdiction of any state, while allowing action in cases of self-defense (Article 51) or under a UN Security Council mandate.

The core idea is that states should govern themselves without external coercion. In practice, non-intervention has shaped diplomacy, alliance behavior, and regional norms. Variants exist in regional contexts; for example, some organizations emphasize non-interference in internal politics among member states, reflecting shared norms of sovereignty and non-intervention.

Exceptions and debates: humanitarian crises and genocide have sparked intense debate over humanitarian intervention and the more recent Responsibility to Protect (R2P) framework, which argues that when a state fails to protect its population, the international community may act; this remains controversial and not universally accepted as a legitimizing basis for intervention. Additionally, a state may deploy military force in self-defense or under a UN Security Council mandate, which technically circumvents the non-intervention norm.

Historical context: the principle has roots in the Westphalian system of 1648, reinforcing sovereign equality and non-interference. In contemporary practice, non-intervention coexists with selective interventions, sanctions, and diplomatic pressure, leading to an ongoing tension between sovereignty and human rights considerations.