--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The concept of national sovereignty has…" description: "\"The concept of national sovereignty has been an immutable, indeed sacred, principle of international relations. It is a principle which will yield only..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b1/maurice-strong-11814_assured_the-concept-of-national-sovereignty-has_1821604.jpg" --- # The concept of national sovereignty has been an immutable… ![“The concept of national sovereignty has been an immutable, indeed sacred, principle of international relations. It is a principle which will yield only slowly and reluctantly to the new imperatives of global environmental cooperation. It is simply not feasible for sovereignty to be exercised…” quote by Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b1/maurice-strong-11814_assured_the-concept-of-national-sovereignty-has_1821604.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b1/maurice-strong-11814_assured_the-concept-of-national-sovereignty-has_1821604.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b1/maurice-strong-11814_assured_the-concept-of-national-sovereignty-has_1821604.jpg) > “The concept of national sovereignty has been an immutable, indeed sacred, principle of international relations. It is a principle which will yield only slowly and reluctantly to the new imperatives of global environmental cooperation. It is simply not feasible for sovereignty to be exercised unilaterally by individual nation states, however powerful. The global community must be assured of environmental security.” [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. National sovereignty resists rapid change, but environmental challenges demand collective action over unilateral control. **In simple terms:** Sovereignty limits solo environmental action; cooperation needed. Key Takeaway Prioritize global environmental security over isolated sovereignty. Themes environment governance cooperation sovereignty climate change Mood concerned determined urgent Type political policy environmental When to use this quote - UN climate talks - national legislation - cross‑border conservation projects - corporate sustainability initiatives Key Concepts International law collective responsibility policy integration Questions to Reflect On - How can nations balance sovereignty with global environmental duties? - What mechanisms can enforce collective environmental security? A Different Perspective Sovereignty concerns may hinder swift consensus, especially among powerful states. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assured](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assured/) [Climate change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate-change/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Concepts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concepts/) [Cooperation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooperation/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Environmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental/) [Feasible Sovereignty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feasible-sovereignty-2199660/) [Global community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/global-community/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Imperatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperatives/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [International](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/international/) [International relations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/international-relations/) [National sovereignty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-sovereignty/) [Nationality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nationality/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Relation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relation/) [Reluctant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reluctant/) [Sacred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacred/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Slowness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slowness/) [Sovereign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sovereign/) [Sovereignty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sovereignty/) [Sovereignty Exercised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sovereignty-exercised-2199659/) [Sovereignty Immutable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sovereignty-immutable-2199661/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Unilateralism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unilateralism/) [Yield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yield/) ## Related quotes > [“Favour, as a symbol of sovereignty, is exercised by weak men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/favour-as-a-symbol-of-sovereignty-is-exercised-by-weak-men/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The Americans have a very active presence and policy in every single part of the world and if we broke with them, we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/the-americans-have-a-very-active-presence-and-policy-in-every-single/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [America has to act. But, when America acts, other nations accuse us of being 'hegemonistic', of engaging in 'unilateralism', of behaving as if we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/america-has-to-act-but-when-america-acts-other-nations-accuse-us-of/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [We need a new approach to national security - a bold, progressive internationalism that stands in stark contrast to the too often belligerent and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/we-need-a-new-approach-to-national-security-a-bold-progressive/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [An idea is growing in foreign policy circles in Washington ... that there is no turning back. We are stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgie-anne-geyer/an-idea-is-growing-in-foreign-policy-circles-in-washington-that-there/) [Georgie Anne Geyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgie-anne-geyer/) > [“Unilateralism simply means that one does not allow oneself to be held hostage to the will of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/unilateralism-simply-means-that-one-does-not-allow-oneself-to-be-held/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [The costly unilateralism of the younger Bush presidency led to a decade of war in the Middle East and the derailment of American foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/the-costly-unilateralism-of-the-younger-bush-presidency-led-to-a/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [The era of using people as production tools is coming to an end. Participation is infinitely more complex to practice than conventional corporate unilateralism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricardo-semler/the-era-of-using-people-as-production-tools-is-coming-to-an-end/) [Ricardo Semler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricardo-semler/) > [Unilateralism is not internationalism, It is nationalist egotism gone mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-dalton/unilateralism-is-not-internationalism-it-is-nationalist-egotism-gone/) [Hugh Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-dalton/) > [It's dismaying to see the unilateralism that the government is doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/it-s-dismaying-to-see-the-unilateralism-that-the-government-is-doing/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [If in the 1930s nuclear weapons had been invented and the Allies had been faced by Nazi SS20s and Backfire Bombers, would it then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/if-in-the-1930s-nuclear-weapons-had-been-invented-and-the-allies-had/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [In Barack Obama's second term, with his legislative agenda dead in a Republican-controlled Congress, the president turned to executive unilateralism on an innovative scale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/in-barack-obama-s-second-term-with-his-legislative-agenda-dead-in-a/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [Though public pronouncements of Israeli officials emphasize peace and mutuality, unilateralism actually drives Israeli actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/though-public-pronouncements-of-israeli-officials-emphasize-peace-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In a global economy, the Bush doctrine of unilateralism - going it alone - has been disastrous. It's becoming increasingly clear that we're all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/in-a-global-economy-the-bush-doctrine-of-unilateralism-going-it-alone/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [The nations must be organized internationally and induced to enter into partnership, subordinating in some measure national sovereignty to worldwide institutions and obligations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-henderson/the-nations-must-be-organized-internationally-and-induced-to-enter/) [Arthur Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-henderson/) ## More by Maurice Strong > [I've always made it clear that I do not believe that global government is either necessary or feasible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/i-ve-always-made-it-clear-that-i-do-not-believe-that-global/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [I've developed a huge regard for Toyota for its environmental awareness, for its immense commitment to research and development in this field, and for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/i-ve-developed-a-huge-regard-for-toyota-for-its-environmental/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [Most of my supporters are people who actually know me. I just continue to do the best I can and I don't bother to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/most-of-my-supporters-are-people-who-actually-know-me-i-just-continue/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [We in the industrialized world make a greater difference because our ecological footprint, our impact on the condition of the environment, is 40 to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/we-in-the-industrialized-world-make-a-greater-difference-because-our/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [Developed and benefited from the unsustainable patterns of production and consumption which have produced our present dilemma. It is clear that current lifestyles and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/developed-and-benefited-from-the-unsustainable-patterns-of-production/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [Also, it is interesting that developing countries, with China and India perhaps in the lead, where the future of the global environment will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/also-it-is-interesting-that-developing-countries-with-china-and-india/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [Anyone who is seriously interested in me would usually do a little more homework and realise that the extreme criticisms are almost exclusively ideologically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/anyone-who-is-seriously-interested-in-me-would-usually-do-a-little/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [I learn something from criticism because when it comes from sources you respect you always examine it and learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/i-learn-something-from-criticism-because-when-it-comes-from-sources/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [We're either going to save Ihe world or no one will be saved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/we-re-either-going-to-save-ihe-world-or-no-one-will-be-saved/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [Nothing less than the fate of the planet is at stake... No place on the planet can remain an island of affluence in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/nothing-less-than-the-fate-of-the-planet-is-at-stake-no-place-on-the/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [One of the things that Ive always thought I would like to do is to develop an environmental index. Then people can measure their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/one-of-the-things-that-ive-always-thought-i-would-like-to-do-is-to/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [What if a small group of world leaders were to conclude that the principal risk to the Earth comes from the actions of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/what-if-a-small-group-of-world-leaders-were-to-conclude-that-the/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [I believe we are going to move into a situation where the more effective conferences will be smaller, more specialized, more focused, with occasional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/i-believe-we-are-going-to-move-into-a-situation-where-the-more/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [I am retired from all my official roles, but I am still very active. I have close relationships at the U.N. I don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/i-am-retired-from-all-my-official-roles-but-i-am-still-very-active-i/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [Inertia is a powerful force in human and political affairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/inertia-is-a-powerful-force-in-human-and-political-affairs/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) [Explore all 57 Maurice Strong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) ## More Assured quotes > [Plenty of white space and generous line spacing,and don't make the type size too miserly. Then you will be assured of a product fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giambattista-bodoni/plenty-of-white-space-and-generous-line-spacing-and-don-t-make-the/) [Giambattista Bodoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giambattista-bodoni/) > [The planet's survival has become so uncertain that any effort, any thought that presupposes an assured future amounts to a mad gamble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/the-planet-s-survival-has-become-so-uncertain-that-any-effort-any/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [Wherever I am, I see the yoke on women in some form or another. On some it sits easy for they are but beasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-may-alcott/wherever-i-am-i-see-the-yoke-on-women-in-some-form-or-another-on-some/) [Abby May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-may-alcott/) > [“I remembered what Dad said once, that some people have all of life's answers worked out the day they're born and there's no use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/i-remembered-what-dad-said-once-that-some-people-have-all-of-life-s/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [The slave and those whose present life is miserable and who can find no consolation in the heavens are assured that at least the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-slave-and-those-whose-present-life-is-miserable-and-who-can-find/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I was acquainted once with a gallant soldier who assured me that his only measure of courage was this: upon the first fire, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/i-was-acquainted-once-with-a-gallant-soldier-who-assured-me-that-his/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [The Cold War philosophy of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), which prevented the former Soviet Union and the United States from using the nuclear weapons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-lewis/the-cold-war-philosophy-of-mutual-assured-destruction-mad-which/) [Bernard Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-lewis/) > [If God has laid your sins upon the Son of His love, you may rest assured that He will never lay them a second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavius-winslow/if-god-has-laid-your-sins-upon-the-son-of-his-love-you-may-rest/) [Octavius Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavius-winslow/) > [In Canada, I've had success raising money. I think I was fortunate enough. But today, I would have to write a very, very bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-falardeau/in-canada-i-ve-had-success-raising-money-i-think-i-was-fortunate/) [Philippe Falardeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-falardeau/) > [Rest assured that our work is not over because our work has never been only hunting Nazi war criminals. The Simon Wiesenthal Center is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-hier/rest-assured-that-our-work-is-not-over-because-our-work-has-never/) [Marvin Hier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-hier/) > [God grant that by my persevering labours I may bring a little stone to the frail and ill-assured edifice of our knowledge of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-pasteur/god-grant-that-by-my-persevering-labours-i-may-bring-a-little-stone/) [Louis Pasteur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-pasteur/) > [Those persons who are burning to display heroism may rest assured that the course of social evolution will offer them every opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/havelock-ellis/those-persons-who-are-burning-to-display-heroism-may-rest-assured/) [Havelock Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/havelock-ellis/) > [The Author of nature has not given laws to the universe, which, like the institutions of men, carry in themselves the elements of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-playfair/the-author-of-nature-has-not-given-laws-to-the-universe-which-like/) [John Playfair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-playfair/) > [I believe we have these capabilities. It doesn't mean that we will use them. Our future is not assured here. It's not clear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/i-believe-we-have-these-capabilities-it-doesn-t-mean-that-we-will-use/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [I have never been a fan of bond funds. Unlike a direct investment in an individual bond that you can hold to maturity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-have-never-been-a-fan-of-bond-funds-unlike-a-direct-investment-in/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) [Browse all 409 Assured quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assured/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The concept of national sovereignty has been an immutable, indeed sacred, principle of international relations. It is a principle which will yield only slowly and reluctantly to the new imperatives of global environmental cooperation. It is simply not feasible for sovereignty to be exercised unilaterally by individual nation states, however powerful. The global community must be assured of environmental security.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maurice Strong" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/the-concept-of-national-sovereignty-has-been-an-immutable-indeed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assured" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/the-concept-of-national-sovereignty-has-been-an-immutable-indeed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b1/maurice-strong-11814_assured_the-concept-of-national-sovereignty-has_1821604.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b1/maurice-strong-11814_assured_the-concept-of-national-sovereignty-has_1821604.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b1/maurice-strong-11814_assured_the-concept-of-national-sovereignty-has_1821604.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The concept of national sovereignty has been an immutable, indeed sacred, principle of international…” — Maurice Strong", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Maurice Strong", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The concept of national sovereignty has...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/the-concept-of-national-sovereignty-has-been-an-immutable-indeed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/the-concept-of-national-sovereignty-has-been-an-immutable-indeed/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```