In the following essay I will discuss aspects of international relations related to humanitarian intervention and how they influence a nation's responsibilities in the international arena. I will draw parallels with historical examples of intervention and with recent world events. I will examine the classical realist notion of non-intervention and sovereignty and another more recent line of thought, more adapted to the modern system. What I hope to bring forward in this article is a clearer understanding of the situation and responsibilities of actors in current international relations regarding humanitarian rights and intervention. Today the world is more connected than ever in human history. Nations form economic empires. The commercial lines are intertwined. Influence and interests span the globe. Power is global. With this brave new world comes new responsibilities. State sovereignty can no longer impose rigid and impenetrable borders between states and impose exclusive responsibility on their citizens. But national sovereignty in classical international law is still untouchable. With the philosophical roots of international relations established with the Treaty of Westphalia of 1648 (Plant 1995: 190) According to it all sovereign rulers have absolute authority within their nations and no state has the right to intervene in the internal affairs of other states sovereigns.This idea has been the cornerstone of modern international relations since 1945 and the founding of the United Nations. The United Nations Charter clearly prohibits the use of force in international relations to threaten “the territorial integrity or political independence of any state” (United Nations 1945: Chapter 1 Article 2.4). This idea is so concrete in... half of the document ......tract=462523 [Accessed 15 March 2011]Plant, R. 1995 'Rights Rules and world Order' pp 190-218 in Desai, M and Redfern, P. (ed.) Global Governance: Ethics and Economics of World Order, London: Continuum Publishing Slater, J and Nardin, T. 1986 'Non-intervention and human rights'. The Journal of Politics, 48(1):86-96Stacy, H. 2007 'Humanitarian intervention and relational sovereignty', pp 89-104 in Lee, Steven P. (ed.) Intervention, Terrorism, and Torture: Contemporary Challenges to Just Theory of War, New York: SpringerThomas, C. 1994 “Human Rights and Intervention: A Reason for Caution.” Irish Studies in International Affairs, 5:15-28. United Nations, 2011. United Nations Charter 194,. [Online]Available at;[Accessed March 9, 2011].Walzer, M. 1977 Just and Unjust Wars, New York: Basic Books