The international legal norm that prohibits forcible annexations of territory is foundational to modern international law. It lies at the core of three projects that have been central to the enterprise: (1) to settle title to territory as the basis for establishing state authority; (2) to regulate the use of force across settled borders; and (3) to provide for people within settled borders collectively to determine their own fates. Prohibiting forcible annexations is integral to each of these projects independently, and by tying them together, has had a transformative effect on the legal system as a whole. However, its significance is widely overlooked or misunderstood. Analysts have also largely failed to appreciate that it is now caught up in a broader contest over the future world order and at risk of erosion.

禁止强行吞并领土的国际法律规范是现代国际法的基础。它是企业核心的三个项目的核心：（1） 确定领土所有权作为建立国家权力的基础;（2） 规范跨越定居边界的武力使用;（3） 为定居边界内的人们集体决定自己的命运。禁止强行吞并是这些项目中独立不可或缺的一部分，并且将它们捆绑在一起，对整个法律体系产生了变革性影响。然而，它的重要性被广泛忽视或误解。分析人士在很大程度上也未能认识到，它现在正卷入一场关于未来世界秩序的更广泛竞争，并面临被侵蚀的风险。