The Paradox of Sovereignty: International Involvement in Civil Service Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Published in: International peacekeeping (London, England) Vol. 10; no. 3; pp. 102 - 120
• Main Author: Zaum, Dominik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01.10.2003
• Subjects: Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bosnia Herzegovina; Civil Service; International community; International organizations; International Relations; International relations theory; Legitimation; Policy making; Reform; Sovereignty; State building
• ISSN: 1353-3312; 1743-906X
• DOI: 10.1080/13533310308559338

This article explores the normative framework within which international administrations engage in post-conflict statebuilding. By looking at the aims and justifications for the involvement of the international community in the reform of the civil service in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), it shows how this intervention is shaped by a liberal conception of state sovereignty that emphasizes legitimate state authority. The international administration tries to establish legitimate state authority by pushing for certain reforms. The article concludes that international involvement can be characterized as a'paradoxof sovereignty': the international administration compromises aspects of Bosnia's sovereignty to enable BiH to fulfil its obligations as a sovereign. The tensions this creates have important implications for liberal thinking about the subject of international relations, and for the policymaking of international administrations.