Sovereignty

Sovereignty has an internal and an external dimension. Internally, it denotes supreme public authority within a territory; externally, it denotes independence and equality among states. Modern sovereignty is not unlimited: states may bind themselves by treaties, customary law, human rights obligations, and membership in international organisations. Switzerland’s sovereignty is exercised through federal institutions, cantons within their constitutional competences, and democratic processes. In international law, sovereignty supports territorial integrity, non-intervention, jurisdiction, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states.