 The absolute conception of sovereignty also cannot be reconciled with the UN Charter, which recognizes the principle of “sovereign equality” in Article 2—the same provision where other cornerstones for the post-war order, such as the peaceful settlement of disputes and the prohibition on the use of force, are laid. As a matter of positive international law in force today, states are not fully sovereign—i.e., they are not the final arbiters—on matters pertaining to the use of force. In particular, they are not free to develop a set of rules governing the use of force that contravenes the prohibition in the UN Charter, nor do they have any legal means of escaping such rules by withdrawing their consent. The same can be said of other fundamental principles and rules, such as self-determination and human rights.