Engaging with rogue states as serious international players undermines the international consensus which states rely upon for a healthy and peaceful global community. It would therefore be wrong to take them seriously.

Rogue States’ Lack of Influence - Rogue states such as North Korea and Afghanistan exist outside the global systems of trade, diplomacy and wealth exchange. This means they generally lack the soft or hard power to challenge established states or threaten the harmony of intergovernmental organisations (IGOs). The global community’s attention and resources are therefore better directed towards states that lie within international frameworks where the results will be more productive. By strengthening the bonds between rational states, the global community can best protect itself from the unpredictable, but nonetheless minor, threat posed by fringe states. 

Taking them seriously legitimises their behaviour and sends a dangerous message to other leaders who do not want to follow international law

Rewards Bad Behaviour - By definition, rogue states cannot be relied upon to follow standard or reasonable codes of conduct. Entering negotiations with them is therefore dangerous as they are unlikely to honour the terms of an agreement. Taking them seriously instead legitimises their behaviour and sends a dangerous message to other leaders who do not want to follow international law. By taking one rogue state seriously, the global community opens itself up to more and more threats from unaccountable outsider states seeking to take advantage of them.

Poor Use of Resources - There is no shortage of issues that the global community faces: extreme poverty, climate change and health crises to name a few. These issues require international cooperation, innovation and resources to be devoted to them for solutions to be found. Engaging with rogue states is an unnecessary and unproductive distraction from these more pressing issues. By focusing on solving the issues faced by those within the international community, rogue states are left increasingly isolated, and global problems are solved more effectively.

However… Rogue states may have dangerous governments or support terrorism but they should nevertheless be taken seriously as ostracisation can lead to irreparable harm.

Consistency in Application - The concept of a rogue state is American and was coined at the end of the Cold War. These states have effectively been blacklisted by the US and generally face condemnation and sanctioning. However, the term is usually only applied to smaller, less powerful states like Cuba and Venezuela as opposed to larger, more powerful states like Russia and China that arguably share the characteristics of rogue states but crucially, are more of a threat to US interests. Therefore, rogue states should be taken seriously too because treating them differently to their more powerful counterparts risks antagonising them.

Ostracising rogue states does little to harm the regime but can instead deter compliance with international law

Makes Cooperation More Likely - Ostracising rogue states does little to harm the regime but can instead deter compliance with international law. Punitive sanctions can lead to further breaches of international law and reduced interest in cooperation rather than stopping the regime. This is evident in Venezuela and Iran where US ostracisation has led to increased anti-American rhetoric and strengthened authoritarian regimes. Iran, for example, has continued to bolster its nuclear stockpiles in the face of US sanctions, increasing international tensions.

3) Reduces Humanitarian Harm - Sanctions intended to curb the behaviour of rogue states typically harm the general population rather than the government. In North Korea, sanctions exacerbated food shortages and health crises, leaving many unemployed. The general population has no say over governance or international policies and may even oppose the actions of their government but they are punished for the actions of leaders who care little about their wellbeing. Not taking them seriously thus does more harm than good.