Glossary of Terms
This glossary provides concise explanations of key terms used throughout the Geneva Charter of Sovereignty. These definitions support clarity, consistency, and accurate interpretation of the concepts that shape the Charter’s purpose and practical value.
Index
Sovereign Equality
The principle that all states possess equal dignity, equal agency, and equal standing in shaping international life. No state has privileged authority or interpretive advantage over the decisions or identity of others. Sovereign equality protects the ability of each state to express its interests without coercion and without externally imposed dependency.
Non Coercion
The idea that states should not use economic, technological, informational, or political pressure to restrict the legitimate choices of others. Coercion undermines sovereign agency and distorts peaceful international conduct. The Charter encourages restraint and transparency in situations where influence may become pressure.
Proportionality
The expectation that responses to external pressures or emerging risks should remain measured, calibrated, and responsible. Proportional behaviour helps prevent escalation, reduces misunderstanding, and promotes stability during periods of uncertainty or systemic stress.
Interdependence
The interconnected nature of modern economic, technological, digital, and informational systems. Actions taken in one jurisdiction may produce immediate effects in others. Interdependence creates opportunities for cooperation but also increases vulnerability and the risk of misinterpretation. Understanding these dynamics is central to the Charter’s purpose.
Digital Sovereignty
A state’s ability to exercise authority over digital infrastructure, data flows, cyber conditions, and information systems that affect national security, economic stability, and societal integrity. Digital sovereignty includes both the protection of domestic systems and recognition of how global technologies shape interdependence.
Normative Frameworks
Shared principles, expectations, and interpretive baselines that guide responsible behaviour among states. A normative framework does not impose obligations. Instead, it provides clarity and predictability by articulating how core concepts, such as sovereignty or restraint, should be understood in a modern context. The Geneva Charter itself is a neutral normative framework.
Interpretive Clarity
A shared understanding of how states perceive actions, pressures, risks, and intentions. Many disputes arise from differing interpretations rather than deliberate conflict. Interpretive clarity strengthens predictability, reduces miscalculation, and supports responsible decision making.
Fragmentation
The growing divergence in technological, economic, regulatory, and geopolitical systems that shape international life. Fragmentation increases uncertainty and the risk of misunderstanding. The Charter addresses fragmentation by offering a neutral reference that helps states interpret complex global interactions with greater stability and foresight.
Institutional Integrity
The ability of sovereign institutions to operate with independence, clarity, and resilience. External pressure that undermines institutional integrity weakens national agency and contributes to instability. Protecting institutional integrity is essential for sustaining public trust and predictable international conduct.
Coercive Pressure
Intentional or unintentional actions that limit a state’s sovereign freedom of choice. This may include economic leverage, supply chain dependencies, technological constraints, information manipulation, or regulatory dominance. The Charter encourages transparency and responsibility to reduce the risk of coercive dynamics.
Predictability
Stable, consistent, and understandable patterns of behaviour in international conduct. Predictability reduces friction, prevents miscalculation, and strengthens sovereignty by allowing states to act with confidence in periods of uncertainty or rapid change.
Transparency of Impact
Awareness and communication of how a state’s decisions may affect others, intentionally or unintentionally. Transparency helps prevent misunderstanding, reduces escalation risks, and supports equitable relationships in conditions of interdependence.