Politics of Power and Erosion of Rules-Based Order

Category: International Relations / Global Governance / UN System / International Law

Core Concept

A rules-based international order broadly refers to international relations governed by established principles, treaties, institutions and international law rather than unilateral use of power.

Key Principles

  • Sovereign equality of states

  • Territorial integrity

  • Political independence

  • Prohibition on use of force

  • Peaceful settlement of disputes

  • Multilateral cooperation.

Venezuela Context — January 2026

  • The U.S. military action in Venezuela on 3 January 2026 triggered international debate over sovereignty and the UN Charter.

  • The UN Secretary-General stated that international law and the UN Charter must be respected and expressed concern that the military action had not respected those rules.

  • The UN General Assembly President referred specifically to Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of states.

UN Charter — Important for UPSC

Article 2(4):

  • Prohibits threat or use of force against:

    • Territorial integrity

    • Political independence of any state.

Article 51:

  • Recognises the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs.

Mains Angle

  • Tension between:

    • State sovereignty vs humanitarian/security concerns

    • Unilateralism vs multilateralism

    • Power politics vs international law

    • National interests vs collective security.

Prelims Pointer: Article 2(4) = prohibition on use/threat of force; Article 51 = self-defence.