Nation states play a significant role in the promotion and enforcement of world order. The nation states, through their compliance with international law and multilateralism retains a significant impact in the enforcement and maintenance the idealistic notion of world order, defined as the sole existence of global peace and stability and an absence of conflict. However, state sovereignty and a lack of political will can ultimately impede on the effect enforcement of world order. Nonetheless, as highlighted by the international humanitarian intervention in March 2011, nation states play a vital role in achieving world order.

Whilst nation states have a responsibility to protect, state sovereignty ultimately hinders the achievement of world order. State sovereignty relies to the ultimate law making process of a state over its territory and population, including independence from external interference, as exemplified domestically in Section 51 of the Australian Constitution article 2(7) of the charter of the United Nations 1945, stipulates that nothing in the present charter shall authorise the interference of any matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state . Due t the non mandatory nature of multilateral compliance, states can ultimately impede the influence of international law and use state sovereignty as a barrier to their conduct as exemplified in the conflicts of Sudan, Kosovo, Libya and East Timor. However the nationally acclaimed benchmark "Responsibility to Protect 2005" originating from the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignties Report, The R2P 2001, places the onus on nation states to ensure the protection of their citizens from instances of mass atrocity. The United Nations, enshrining of their doctrine under paragraph 138 and 139 of the charter of the United Nations 1945, bridges the limitations of state sovereignty with international law. Unfortunately, nation states may still abstain from participation with international law due to a lack of political will. Despite nation states obligation to uphold the enforceable doctrine of the R2P the hindrances of state sovereignty and a lack of political will prohibit the achievement of world order.

Nation states have the ability of participate in multilateral treaties in order to achieve world order. Compromising of the majority of international law, treaties are binding agreements voluntarily entered into by states. The compliance and ordering of nation states are enforceable monitored, as exemplified in Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations, declaring tha 'every treaty shall be registered with the Secretariat' in order to guarantee member nations pro activity to attaining world order. Multilateral treaties such as the Geneva Convention 1949, of which Australia ratified under the 1957 Convention, together with The Hague Conventions 1907, form the basis of international law in order to guarantee national states adherence to the rules regarding the conduct of hostilities. Other significant treaties such as ANZUS Treaty between USA New Zealand and Australia and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty 1968, advocate the importance of multilateralism and the global cooperation of nation states to achieve world order. However use to the non mandatory nature of