The prospect of international intervention legitimacy: case study of 2011 libyan armed conflict

20. A Legal Meaning

According to the legal point of view, the principle of sovereign equality postulates that any difference in treatment must be made between States because of their wealth, the size of the territory, the importance of the population, military power or economic power. Vested with a legal personality, each State has the same rights and the same obligations as recognized by international law. Like in domestic law where legal equality means equality before the national norms, in international law, any State has the obligation to respect the rules of international law specifically the principles of international law widely disseminated and unanimously accepted in the constituent instruments of international organizations on universal or regional levels.

Consequently, the African Parliamentary Union in its resolution N^o. 08-31-R125 has clearly stated in article 1: "that by virtue of the principle of sovereign equality among all members of the Organization of the United Nations any abuse of the principles of international law is not only a violation of the sovereignty of a country, Member State of the African Union but also, as added in article 2 "^256(*), it is mandatory to respect the principles of international law with a view of the preservation of the sovereignty of countries.

* ²⁵⁶ African Parliamentary resolution No. 08-31-R125. Available on http//:www.au.org, accessed on 1/9/2014.