This book takes a practical approach to discussing what role the UN plays in cases of self-determination and, importantly, it also ventures beyond this area’s usual discussions of the inherent conflict between self-determination and sovereignty. The chapters address the pursuit of the right to self-determination through a variety of case studies, such as post-statehood in South Sudan and East Timor; Indigenous peoples; hybrid self-determination in post-intrastate conflict; the balancing of the human rights approach in Cyprus; remedial right to secede in the cases of failed states; Palestinian and Sahrawi resistance; geopolitics in Jammu and Kashmir; and the forgotten story of micro-states. Overall, this collection shows that the solutions may be found in moving the paradigm beyond the state-centrism of the system and the UN itself.
The United Nations: Friend or Foe of Self-Determination?
Edited by: Jakob R. Avgustin
Contributors: Ed Brown, Cristiana Carletti, Moara Assis Crivelente, Sheryl Lightfoot, David B. MacDonald, Tobias Nowak, Archie W. Simpson, Kerstin Tomiak, Charis van den Berg and Stephen P. Westcott.
Table of contents
INTRODUCTION – Jakob R. Avgustin
SELF-DETERMINATION AS A PROCESS: THE UNITED NATIONS IN SOUTH SUDAN
– Kerstin Tomiak
THE UNITED NATIONS AND SELF-DETERMINATION IN THE CASE OF EAST TIMOR
– Jakob R. Avgustin
THE UNITED NATIONS AS BOTH FOE AND FRIEND TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND SELF-DETERMINATION
– Sheryl Lightfoot and David B. MacDonald
SUSTAINING PEACE AND INTERNAL SELF-DETERMINATION IN THE UN PERSPECTIVE
– Cristiana Carletti
ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO SELF-DETERMINATION APPLIED TO THE CYPRUS CONFLICT
– Charis van den Berg and Tobias Nowak
THE UNITED NATIONS, SELF-DETERMINATION, STATE FAILURE AND SECESSION
– Ed Brown
SELF-DETERMINATION AS RESISTANCE: SAHRAWI AND PALESTINIAN STRUGGLE FOR THE UN
– Moara Assis Crivelente
SELF-DETERMINATION AND STATE SOVEREIGNTY: THE CASE OF UN INVOLVEMENT IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR
– Stephen P. Westcott
REVISITING THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE MICRO-STATE PROBLEM
– Archie W. Simpson