"The world of twenty-first century is very different indeed. Now we see all sort of bodies engaging with states. ... We even have major corporations that have high level relationships with states, such as Google and Amazon"

"The one thing everyone can agree on is that the term covers entities that have a certain state like quality but aren't yet members of the United Nations. ...

For a start, although a defined territory, settled population, government and the ability to enter into international relations are absolute requirements of statehood, some seem to believe that these can, or should, be treated in a slightly different way when it comes to de facto states."

"Self-determination is one of the most misunderstood, if not misused, terms in international politics. In this video, I'm going to look at the meaning of self-determination and explain why it doesn't mean that every group that wants independence should have it. "

"Joining the United Nations is seem as a crucial goal for any territory seeking independence. But does it really matter? In this video, I'm going to look at UN membership and show that the question so far more interesting and complex, and a little straight forward, to answer that might first appear." 

"One of the most important questions in modern international relations center on the relationship between the self-determination of peoples and the territorial integrity of the states."

"We often think of international relations in term of friends and enemies, allies and adversaries -- which states work together and have close ties, and which are seen as rivals, competitors, or even threats to each other. Of course, the world is not quite so simple. 

Allies differ and even the closest partners occasionally have serious disputes. Likewise, states with hostile relationships may go through periods of detente, or rapprochement, when relations warm. 

But, overall, we nevertheless tend to see the world in terms of blocs..."

"While we tend to think of international relations in terms of sovereign states pursuing their own individual agendas, the growth of international organizations since 1945 has shown that states often choose to come together for one reason or another. 

In some cases, this could be because they share a particular political, economic, or security outlook. At other times, it may be centered on building stronger regional cooperation. 

Sometimes, it may be focused on religious affinity, or some sort of historical relationship.

However, there have also been examples where groups of states that share particular ethno-national links come together.."