This architecture—often described as the “liberal international order”—has been supported by a network of economic, financial and security institutions shaped primarily by Western powers. Today, however, this equilibrium is increasingly contested.

The rise of emerging economies, renewed strategic rivalries between major powers, and recent geopolitical shocks suggest the gradual emergence of a more fragmented and potentially multipolar system.

To understand this transition, three foundational concepts remain essential: sovereignty, intervention, and hegemony.

1- Sovereignty: The Foundational Principle

Sovereignty lies at the core of the modern international system. It refers to the capacity of a state to exercise supreme authority over its territory, population and institutions, free from external control. The principle originates from the treaties of the Peace of Westphalia, which established the foundations of the modern state system in Europe. It remains a cornerstone of international law and of the institutional order represented by the United Nations, whose Charter enshrines the sovereign equality of states.

Sovereignty operates on two levels:

  • Internal sovereignty, referring to a state’s authority over its domestic political and legal order;
  • External sovereignty, ensuring independence from external interference.

In theory, sovereignty applies equally to all states. In practice, power dynamics frequently reshape its limits.

2- Intervention: Challenging Sovereignty

Intervention refers to the involvement of external actors in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. Such involvement may take several forms:

  • political, through influence on institutions or electoral processes;
  • economic, via sanctions, financial pressure or trade restrictions;
  • military, through direct or indirect involvement in conflicts.

Since the 1990s, some states have promoted the concept of humanitarian intervention, arguing that external action may be justified to protect civilian populations or fundamental rights. This doctrine was notably advocated by Bernard Kouchner. Operations justified under this framework include the Kosovo War.

Yet this approach remains controversial. For many countries—particularly across the Global South—intervention is often perceived less as a humanitarian necessity and more as a strategic instrument capable of reshaping domestic political balances.

3- Hegemony: Structuring Global Power

While sovereignty establishes the rule and intervention its exception, hegemony describes the broader structure of power that shapes the international system.A hegemonic power possesses the capacity to influence—or even define—the institutions, norms and economic mechanisms governing global relations. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union during the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, the United States emerged as the dominant global power.

This hegemony rested on several pillars:

  • unmatched military projection capabilities;
  • a global alliance network structured around the North Atlantic Treaty Organization;
  • the central role of the U.S. dollar in the international financial system;
  • significant cultural, technological and institutional influence.

For more than three decades, this configuration shaped the architecture of global governance.

4- The Strategic Turning Point of 2022

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022—the Russian invasion of Ukraine—marked a major inflection point. This conflict exposed several structural shifts:

  • the return of large-scale geopolitical rivalries;
  • the fragmentation of global economic and energy networks;
  • growing diplomatic divergence between Western powers and a significant portion of the Global South.

One of the most striking aspects of this crisis has been the absence of automatic alignment by many emerging powers with Western policy positions.

5- Toward a Multipolar System

Within this evolving context, several countries are seeking to reinforce their strategic autonomy and rebalance global governance structures. The China, India, Brazil, and Russia play a central role in this transformation, particularly through cooperation within the BRICS framework.

Their strategic priorities generally include:

  • reaffirming state sovereignty;
  • limiting external interference in domestic affairs;
  • diversifying international financial and institutional structures.

Rather than replacing one hegemon with another, the emerging objective appears to be the establishment of a balance among several centers of power.

6- An Uncertain Transition

The international system now appears to be moving toward what many analysts describe as unstable multipolarity. Three trajectories remain plausible:

  • the persistence of a weakened Western-led order;
  • the consolidation of a multipolar balance between major powers;
  • a fragmentation of the international system into competing geopolitical blocs.

The global order is never static. It evolves through a constant interaction between legal principles and power realities.

  • Sovereignty defines the rule.
  • Intervention challenges it.
  • Hegemony structures it.

Understanding these dynamics is essential to analyzing the transformation of the international system in the twenty-first century.