Sovereignty under Pressure: Multilevel Crisis Governance from Lockerbie to Libya (2011)

Abstract

This study examines how multilevel crisis governance under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter reshapes state sovereignty and affects liberty, human rights, and the legitimacy of international governance. Using a structured comparative design and process-tracing methodology, it analyzes the Lockerbie crisis (1988–2003) and the 2011 intervention in Libya. The findings show that United Nations Security Council sanctions and institutional interventions constrain sovereign decision-making through institutional layering, resulting not in the loss but in the fragmentation and reconfiguration of sovereignty. The study argues that this transformation may strengthen human rights protection while simultaneously raising concerns about democratic accountability and the concentration of international authority. It contributes to debates on sovereignty by conceptualizing it as an evolving and negotiated principle within contemporary multilevel governance. UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities