Harmon Doctrine
{{Short description|Doctrine}}
The Harmon Doctrine, or the doctrine of absolute territorial sovereignty, holds that a country has absolute sovereignty over the territory and resources within its borders.{{Cite web |title=Harmon doctrine |url=https://www.unescwa.org/harmon-doctrine |access-date=2020-12-12 |website=United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia}}
Background
The doctrine is named after U.S. Attorney General Judson Harmon, who made a comment during the Chamizal dispute, a dispute between USA and Mexico over the Rio Grande in 1895, in reference to international watercourses{{Cite web |title=Part 2. Article 5. (5.1.1) Theories of allocation |url=https://www.unwatercoursesconvention.org/the-convention/part-ii-general-principles/article-5-equitable-and-reasonable-utilisation-and-participation/5-1-1-theories-of-allocation/ |access-date=2020-12-12 |website=UN Watercourses Convention}} —
{{Quote|text=The fact that the Rio Grande lacks sufficient water to permit its use by the inhabitants of both countries does not entitle Mexico to impose restrictions on the USA [...] The fundamental principle of international law is the absolute sovereignty of every nation, as against all others, within its own territory. All exceptions […] to the full and complete power of a nation within its own territories must be traced up to the consent of the nation itself. They can flow from no other legitimate source. [...] [T]he rules, principles, and precedents of international law impose no liability or obligation upon the United States.|author=|title=|source=}}
References
Further reading
- [https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/documents/2017/WAT/10Oct_16-17_WS_on_Water_Allocation/Session_1_LegalPrinciples_-_Rieu-Clarke_final.pdf What does international law say about water allocation?] United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
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