Uti possidetis
As you possess.
Uti possidetis is a principle of international law whereby newly independent states inherit the administrative boundaries of their predecessors as their international frontiers.
Uti possidetis, Latin for “as you possess”, is a principle of international law that safeguards the territorial integrity of newly independent states. It provides that the boundaries of former colonial or administrative units are automatically converted into international frontiers, thereby averting chaos and conflict at the moment of independence or state formation.
The principle is of particular relevance in processes of decolonisation and in the dissolution of federations or states. It precludes the reopening of internal boundaries and promotes stability in regions marked by complex ethnic or historical relations.
In practice, uti possidetis is frequently invoked by international courts and tribunals in the adjudication of boundary disputes. Law firms advise clients on its application in claims relating to territorial sovereignty or the recognition of states.
“The Court based its judgment on the principle of uti possidetis and thereby affirmed the existing colonial boundary as the definitive state frontier.”
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