University of Georgia School of Law Professor Diane Marie Amann served as a panelist in a recent webinar hosted by the World Affairs Council of Atlanta entitled “Defining Statehood: Law, Legitimacy, and Global Power”. Amann was joined in conversation by fellow panelist Gëzim Visoka, Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies, and moderator Rickey Bevington, President of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta.

Below is a description of the webinar from the event’s webpage:

What Does It Mean to Be a State in the 21st Century? 

The definition of statehood remains one of the most complex and contested questions in international law and global politics. While the 1933 Montevideo Convention offers a four-part framework—population, territory, government, and capacity for international relations—real-world statehood is shaped just as much by recognition, legitimacy, and geopolitical power. 

In today’s multipolar world, where contested territories, partial recognition, and non-state actors challenge traditional norms, how do we define what it means to be a state?

A recording of the webinar can be accessed here.

Amann is Regents’ Professor of International Law and holds the Emily & Ernest Woodruff Chair in International Law at the University of Georgia School of Law. Also serving as a Faculty Co-Director of the Dean Rusk International Law Center, she is a former Associate Dean for International Programs & Strategic Initiatives. During summer and fall 2025, she is in the United Kingdom serving as a Visiting Academic at University College London Faculty of Laws.