Equality of states
The concept of equality of states is part of mandatory international law . State equality means that all states, regardless of size, population, economic power, etc. are legally the same. The equality of states is reflected in the principle of "one state, one vote" in the UN General Assembly, according to which each state is entitled to one vote. Furthermore, the principle of par in parem non habet imperium ( state immunity ) flows from the principle of equality of states . The consequence of equality of states is that every state is entitled to the same basic rights. This means in particular that the international law prohibition of violence ( general prohibition of violence ) and the prohibition of intervention apply in favor of each state . In diplomatic relations, all states are to be treated equally, whereby the equality of states is broken here by the principle of reciprocity.
The equality of states as a legal concept must not be confused or associated with the factual economic and military inequality of states. Rather, these factual inequalities are linked to their own problems of international law, such as the question of the right to development .
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- Detlef Liebs, Hannes Lehmann: Latin legal rules and legal proverbs . CHBeck 2007, ISBN 3406562949 , p. 168 ( limited online version (Google Books) )
- Georg Dahm, Jost Delbrück, Rüdiger Wolfrum: International Law . Walter de Gruyter 1989, ISBN 9783110058093 , p. 452 (§71) ( restricted online version (Google Books) )