Self-determination is a principle in international relations that refers to the right of a people to determine their own political status, pursue their economic, social, and cultural development, and freely choose the form of governance without external interference. Rooted in the idea of sovereignty and democracy, self-determination emerged as a central doctrine during the twentieth century, particularly following the First World War and the establishment of the League of Nations. Later, it was firmly entrenched in the United Nations Charter of 1945 and became a guiding principle in decolonization, leading to the dismantling of European empires and the emergence of new independent states in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. At its core, self-determination balances between the ideals of freedom and equality of peoples and the realities of state sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international stability. The origins of self-determination as a political concept can be traced to Enlightenment thinkers, nationalist movements in nineteenth-century Europe, and the principle of popular sovereignty. However, it was U.S. President Woodrow Wilson who popularized the term in international discourse through his Fourteen Points in 1918, framing it as a right of nations to determine their destiny. Although Wilson’s interpretation was primarily Eurocentric, the principle soon gained global resonance, especially among colonized peoples. The post-World War II period gave self-determination a concrete international legal status. Article 1(2) of the UN Charter emphasized respect for equal rights and the principle of self-determination of peoples, while the 1960 UN Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples further clarified it as an inalienable