The Foreign Policy of Counter Secession: Preventing the Recognition of Contested StatesHow do states prevent the recognition of territories that have unilaterally declared independence? At a time when the issue of secession is becoming increasingly significant on the world stage, this is the first book to consider this crucial question. Analysing the efforts of the governments of Serbia, Georgia, and Cyprus to prevent the international recognition of Kosovo, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and northern Cyprus the work draws on in depth interviews with a number of leading policy makers to explain how each of the countries has designed, developed, and implemented its counter secession strategies. After explaining how the principle of the territorial integrity of states has tended to take precedence over the right of self-determination, it examines the range of ways countries facing a separatist threat can prevent recognition by other states and considers the increasingly important role played by international and regional organisations, especially the United Nations, in the recognition process. Additionally, it shows how forms of legitimisation or acknowledgement are also central elements of any counter-recognition process, and why steps to prevent secessionist entities from participating in major sporting and cultural bodies are given so much attention. Finally, it questions the effects of these counter recognition efforts on attempts to solve these territorial conflicts. Drawing on history, politics, and international law this book is the first and only comprehensive account of this increasingly important field of foreign policy. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
1 Secession and Recognition in International Politics | 24 |
2 Current Cases of Contested Secession | 39 |
3 Reasons for Contesting Secession and Preventing Recognition | 60 |
4 Planning and Implementing a CounterRecognition Strategy | 77 |
5 Preventing State Recognition | 109 |
Other editions - View all
The Foreign Policy of Counter Secession: Preventing the Recognition of ... James Ker-Lindsay No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
Abkhazia and South accept act of secession Albanian appears April Assembly August Balkan Belgrade breakaway territory conflict contested counter-recognition efforts countries Court of Justice Cypriot government December declaration of independence declared independence European Union example facto February Federation Foreign Affairs foreign minister Georgia Georgian diplomat Georgian government Greek Cypriots important International Court International Crisis Group International Law island issue legitimization lobbying London membership Ministry Moscow Nagorny Karabakh Nicosia Northern Cyprus November October Ossetia and Abkhazia political position President prevent recognition Pristina Recognition in International recognize South Ossetia recognize the TRNC recognized Kosovo regional Republic of Cyprus resolution reunification role Russia secession secessionist territories Security Council self-determination Senior Cypriot official Senior Georgian official September 2011 Serbia Serbian official Serbs Somaliland South Ossetia sovereignty Soviet statehood status Tbilisi territorial integrity tion Transnistria TRNC Turkey Turkish Cypriot unilateral declaration United Nations University Press World