A number of polities have declared independence and sought diplomatic recognition from the international community as de jure sovereign states, but have not been universally recognised as such. These entities often have de facto control of their territory. A number of such entities have existed in the past.
There are two traditional theories used to indicate how a de jure sovereign state comes into being. The declarative theory defines a state as a person in international law if it meets the following criteria:
- a defined territory
- a permanent population
- a government, and
- a capacity to enter into relations with other states.
According to the declarative theory, an entity's statehood is independent of its recognition by other states. By contrast, the constitutive theory defines a state as a person of international law only if it is recognised as such by other states that are already a member of the international community.[1][2]
Quasi-states often reference either or both doctrines in order to legitimise their claims to statehood. There are, for example, entities which meet the declarative criteria (with de facto partial or complete control over their claimed territory, a government and a permanent population), but whose statehood is not recognised by any other states. Non-recognition is often a result of conflicts with other countries that claim those entities as integral parts of their territory. In other cases, two or more partially recognised states may claim the same territorial area, with each of them de facto in control of a portion of it (as have been the cases of the Republic of China (ROC; commonly called 'Taiwan') and the People's Republic of China (PRC), and North and South Korea). Entities that are recognised by only a minority of the world's states usually reference the declarative doctrine to legitimise their claims.
In many situations, international non-recognition is influenced by the presence of a foreign military force in the territory of the contested entity, making the description of the country's de facto status problematic. The international community can judge this military presence too intrusive, reducing the entity to a puppet state where effective sovereignty is retained by the foreign power. Historical cases in this sense can be seen in Japanese-led Manchukuo or the German-created Slovak Republic and Independent State of Croatia before and during World War II. In the 1996 case Loizidou v. Turkey, the European Court of Human Rights judged Turkey for having exercised authority in the territory of Northern Cyprus.
There are also entities which do not have control over any territory or do not unequivocally meet the declarative criteria for statehood but have been recognised to exist de jure as sovereign entities by at least one other state. Historically this has happened in the case of the Holy See (1870–1929), Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (during Soviet annexation), and more recently the State of Palestine at the time of its declaration of independence in 1988. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is currently in this position. See list of governments in exile for unrecognised governments without control over the territory claimed.
Criteria for inclusion
The criteria for inclusion mean that a polity must claim sovereignty, lack recognition from at least one UN member state, and either:
- satisfy the declarative theory of statehood, or
- be recognised as a state by at least one UN member state.
Background
![](https://web.archive.org/web/20220725030706im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Somaliland_UCID_elections_rally.jpg/220px-Somaliland_UCID_elections_rally.jpg)
There are 193 United Nations (UN) member states, while both the Holy See and Palestine have observer state status in the United Nations.[3] However, some countries fulfill the declarative criteria, are recognised by the large majority of other states and are members of the United Nations, but are still included in the list here because one or more other states do not recognise their statehood, due to territorial claims or other conflicts.
Some states maintain informal (officially non-diplomatic) relations with states that do not officially recognise them. The Republic of China (ROC; commonly called 'Taiwan') is one such state, as it maintains unofficial relations with many other states through its Economic and Cultural Offices, which allow regular consular services. This allows the ROC to have economic relations even with states that do not formally recognise it. A total of 56 states, including Germany,[4] Italy,[5] the United States,[6] and the United Kingdom,[7] maintain some form of unofficial mission in Taiwan. Kosovo,[8] Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh),[9] Northern Cyprus,[10] Abkhazia,[11] Transnistria,[11] the Sahrawi Republic,[12] Somaliland,[13] and Palestine[14] also host informal diplomatic missions, and/or maintain special delegations or other informal missions abroad.
Present geopolitical entities by level of recognition
UN member states not recognised by at least one UN member state
Name | Declared | Status | Other claimants | Further information | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
1948 | Israel, founded in 1948, is not recognised by 28 UN members. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which enjoys majority international recognition as sole representative of the Palestinian people, recognised Israel in 1993. In January 2018 and October 2018,[15] the Palestinian Central Council voted to suspend recognition of Israel, but this position has yet to be acted upon by Palestinian President Abbas.[16][17] | The ![]() The ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) International recognition |
[18][19][20][21] [22] |
![]() |
1948 | South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea), independent since 1948, is not recognised by one UN member, North Korea. | ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) | [23][24] |
![]() |
1948 | North Korea (officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea), independent since 1948, is not recognised by 7 UN members states: Botswana, Estonia, France, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and United States; one UN observer: Vatican City; as well as one non-UN member: Taiwan. Argentina, Canada, and Costa Rica have proposed recognising North Korea in their parliaments but later cancelled their proposals due to South Korean diplomatic pressure.[25][26][27][28][29][30] | ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) | [27][28][29][31][32][30] |
![]() |
1949 | The People's Republic of China (PRC), proclaimed in 1949, is the more widely recognised of the two claimant governments of China, the other being the Republic of China (ROC, also known as Taiwan). The United Nations recognised the ROC as the sole representative of China until 1971, when it decided to give this recognition to the PRC instead (see United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758). The PRC and the ROC do not recognise each other's statehood, and each enforces its own version of the One-China policy meaning that no state can recognise both of them at the same time.[a] The states that recognise the ROC (13 UN members and the Holy See as of 9 December 2021) regard it as the sole legitimate government of China and therefore do not recognise the PRC. Bhutan is the only UN member state that has never explicitly recognised either the PRC or the ROC. | The ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) PRC's diplomatic relations dates of establishment |
[33] |
![]() |
1960 | The Republic of Cyprus, independent since 1960, is not recognised by one UN member (Turkey) and one non-UN member (Northern Cyprus), due to the ongoing civil dispute over the island. Turkey does not accept the Republic's rule over the whole island and refers to it as the "Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus". | ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) | [34][35][36][37] |
![]() |
1991 | Armenia, independent since 1991, is not recognised by one UN member, Pakistan, which has a position of supporting Azerbaijan since the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. | None | Foreign relations, missions (of, to) | [38][39] |
UN observer states not recognised by at least one UN member state
Name | Declared | Status | Other claimants | Further information | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
1988 | Israel gained control of the Palestinian territories as a result of the Six-Day War in 1967, but has never formally annexed them. The State of Palestine (commonly known as Palestine) was declared in 1988 by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which is recognised by a majority of UN member states and the UN itself as the sole representative of the Palestinian people. Since the end of the first Palestinian Intifada against Israel the Israeli government has gradually moved its armed forces and settlers out of certain parts of Palestine's claimed territory, while still maintaining varying degrees of control over most of it.[40] The Palestinian National Authority (PNA), which performs limited internal government functions over certain areas of Palestine, was established in 1994. The 2007 split between the Fatah and Hamas political parties resulted in competing governments claiming to represent the PNA and Palestine, with Fatah exercising authority exclusively over the West Bank and enjoying majority recognition from UN member states, and a separate Hamas leadership exercising authority exclusively over the Gaza area (except for a short period from 2014 to 2016).[b] Palestine is currently officially recognised as a state by 138 UN member states, the Holy See,[41] and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.[42] The remaining UN member states, including Israel, do not recognise the State of Palestine. The United Nations designates the claimed Palestinian territories as 'occupied' by Israel,[43] and accorded Palestine non-member observer state status in 2012[44] (see United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/19). Palestine also has membership in the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and UNESCO.[45] | ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) International recognition, Israeli–Palestinian peace process, Proposals for a Palestinian state |
[55][56][57][58][59] |
States that are neither UN members nor UN observers
States recognised by at least one UN member state | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Declared | Status | Other claimants | Further information | References |
![]() |
1912[c] | The Republic of China (ROC), constitutionally formed in 1912, and located primarily in Taiwan since 1949 (resulting in 'Taiwan' being frequently used to refer to the state), enjoyed majority recognition as the sole government of China until roughly the late 1950s/1960s, when a majority of UN member states started to gradually switch recognition to the People's Republic of China (PRC). The United Nations itself recognised the ROC as the sole representative of China until 1971, when it decided to give this recognition to the PRC instead (see United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758). The ROC and PRC do not recognise each other's statehood, and each enforces its own version of the One-China policy meaning that no state can recognise both of them at the same time.[a] The ROC is currently recognised by 13 UN members and the Holy See. Almost all the remaining UN member states, as well as the Cook Islands and Niue, recognise the PRC instead of the ROC and either accept the PRC's territorial claim over Taiwan, take a non-committal position on Taiwan's status, or sidestep the Taiwan issue entirely. A significant number of PRC-recognising UN member states, as well as the Republic of Somaliland, nonetheless conduct officially non-diplomatic relations with the ROC, designating it as either 'Taipei' or 'Taiwan'. Bhutan is the only UN member state that has never explicitly recognised the ROC or the PRC. Since the early 1990s, the ROC has sought separate United Nations membership under a variety of names, including 'Taiwan'.[62] | The ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) Political status |
[63] |
![]() |
1976 | Morocco invaded and annexed most of Western Sahara, forcing Spain to withdraw from the territory in 1975.[64] In 1976, the Polisario Front declared the independence of Western Sahara as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The SADR is largely a government in exile located in Algeria, which claims the entire territory of Western Sahara, but controls only a small fraction of it. The SADR is recognised by 41 UN member states and South Ossetia. 43 other UN member states have recognised the SADR but subsequently retracted or suspended recognition, pending the outcome of a referendum on self-determination.[65][66] The remaining UN member states, including Morocco, have never recognised the SADR. The SADR is a member of the African Union. United Nations General Assembly Resolution 34/37 recognised the right of the Western Sahara people to self-determination and recognised also the Polisario Front as the representative of the Western Sahara people.[67] Western Sahara is listed on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. Other than Morocco and the United States,[68] no state officially recognises Morocco's annexation of Western Sahara, but some states support the Moroccan autonomy plan. The Arab League supports Morocco's claim over the entire territory of Western Sahara.[69] | ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) International recognition; Political status |
[70] |
![]() |
1983 | Northern Cyprus declared its independence in 1983 with its official name being the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC). It is recognised by one UN member, Turkey. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Economic Cooperation Organization have granted Northern Cyprus observer status under the name "Turkish Cypriot State". United Nations Security Council Resolution 541 defines the declaration of independence of Northern Cyprus as legally invalid.[71] The International Court of Justice stated in its advisory opinion on Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2010 that "the Security Council in an exceptional character attached illegality to the DOI of TRNC because it was, or would have been connected with the unlawful use of force" and "general international law contains no applicable prohibition of declarations of independence".[72] | The TRNC is generally recognised as part of the sovereign territory of ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) Cyprus dispute |
< |
![]() |
1992 | South Ossetia declared its independence in 1992.[73] It is currently recognised by 5 UN member states (Russia, Syria, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru), and six non-UN member states (Abkhazia, Artsakh, Transnistria, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic).[74][75] One additional UN member state (Tuvalu) had recognised South Ossetia, but subsequently withdrew its recognition.[76][77][78] | Both Abkhazia and South Ossetia are generally recognised as part of the sovereign territory of ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) International recognition |
[79][80][81] |
![]() |
1999 | Abkhazia declared its independence in 1999.[82] It is currently recognised by 5 UN member states (Russia, Syria, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru[83][84][85][86][87][88]), and five non-UN member states (South Ossetia, Artsakh, Transnistria, Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic).[74][89][78] Two additional UN member states (Tuvalu and Vanuatu) had recognised Abkhazia, but subsequently withdrew their recognition.[76][77] | Foreign relations, missions (of, to) International recognition |
[79][80][81][90][91] | |
![]() |
2008 | Kosovo declared its independence in 2008. It is currently recognised by 97 UN members, the Republic of China, the Cook Islands and Niue. 15 other UN members have recognised Kosovo and subsequently withdrawn recognition. The United Nations, as stipulated in Security Council Resolution 1244, has administered the territory since 1999 through the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, with cooperation from the European Union since 2008. Kosovo is a member of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, Venice Commission, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the International Olympic Committee, among others. | ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) International recognition; Political status |
[92][93] |
![]() |
2014 | The Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) declared its independence following the Revolution of Dignity, leading to the War in Donbas. The DPR is recognised by three UN members: Russia, Syria, and North Korea; and by three non-UN members: Abkhazia, the Luhansk People's Republic and South Ossetia. | Both Donetsk and Luhansk are generally recognised as part of the sovereign territory of ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) International recognition; Political status |
[94][95] |
![]() |
The Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) declared its independence following the Revolution of Dignity, leading to the War in Donbas. The LPR is recognised by three UN members: Russia, Syria, and North Korea; and by three non-UN members: Abkhazia, the Donetsk People's Republic and South Ossetia. | Foreign relations, missions (of, to) International recognition; Political status | |||
States recognised only by other non-UN member states | |||||
Name | Declared | Status | Other claimants | Further information | References |
![]() |
1990 | Transnistria (officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic) declared its independence in 1990. It is recognised by three non-UN members: Abkhazia, Artsakh and South Ossetia. | Transnistria is generally recognised as part of the sovereign territory of ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) International recognition, Political status |
[96][97] |
![]() |
1991 | Artsakh (formerly known as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) declared its independence in 1991 (roughly at the same time as Azerbaijan itself when the Soviet Union fell). It is recognised by three non-UN members: Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria.[75] | Artsakh is generally recognised as part of the sovereign territory of ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) International recognition, Political status |
[96][98] |
States not recognised by any other state | |||||
![]() |
1991 | Somaliland declared its independence in 1991. It claims to be the successor to the State of Somaliland, a short lived sovereign state that existed from 26 June 1960 (when the British Somaliland Protectorate gained full independence from the United Kingdom) to 1 July 1960 (when the State of Somaliland united with Somalia to form the Somali Republic). It is not officially recognised by any state, though it maintains unofficial relations with several UN member states and the Republic of China. | Somaliland is generally recognised as part of the sovereign territory of ![]() |
Foreign relations, missions (of, to) | [96][99] |
Excluded entities
- The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a sovereign non-state entity and is not included, as it claims neither statehood nor territory.[100][101][102][103][104] It has established full diplomatic relations with 107 sovereign states as a sovereign subject of international law,[105] and also maintains full diplomatic relations with the European Union, the Holy See, and the State of Palestine. Additionally, it participates in the United Nations as an observer entity. Although it is not recognised as a subject of international law by France,[106] the order maintains official, but not diplomatic, relations with France and also with four other states: Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Canada.[107][108]
- Uncontacted peoples who either live in societies that cannot be defined as states or whose statuses as such are not definitively known.
- Some subnational entities and regions function as de facto independent states, with the central government exercising little or no control over their territory. These entities, however, do not explicitly claim to be independent states and are therefore not included. Examples include Galmudug and Puntland in Somalia, Gaza in Palestine, the Kurdistan Region in Iraq, Rojava in Syria, the Wa State in Myanmar, and the areas under control of the Houthi movement in Yemen.
- Entities considered to be micronations are not included.[d] Even though micronations generally claim to be sovereign and independent, it is often debatable whether a micronation truly controls its claimed territory.[e] For this reason, micronations are usually not considered of geopolitical relevance. For a list of micronations, see list of micronations.
- Those areas undergoing current civil wars and other situations with problems over government succession, regardless of temporary alignment with the inclusion criteria (e.g. by receiving recognition as state or legitimate government), where the conflict is still in its active phase, the situation is too rapidly changing and no relatively stable quasi-states have emerged yet.
- Rebel groups that have declared independence and exert some control over territory, but that reliable sources do not describe as meeting the threshold of a sovereign state under international law. Examples include Ambazonia and the Southern Movement; see list of rebel groups that control territory for a more complete list of such groups.
- Those of the current irredentist movements and governments in exile that do not satisfy the inclusion criteria by simultaneously not satisfying the declarative theory and not having been recognised as state or legitimate government by any other state.
- Some states can be slow to establish relations with new UN member states and thus do not explicitly recognise them, despite having no dispute and sometimes favorable relations. These are excluded from the list. Examples include Croatia[109] and Montenegro.[110]
See also
- Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations
- Decolonization
- Diplomatic recognition
- Exclusive mandate
- Frozen conflict
- Gallery of sovereign state flags
- Government in exile
- Irredentism
- List of civil wars
- List of current heads of state of states with limited recognition
- List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies
- List of micronations
- List of modern proto-states
- List of rebel groups that control territory
- List of sovereign states
- List of territorial disputes
- Nation state
- Rump state
- Self-determination
- Separatism
- Sovereignty
- Territorial dispute
- Territorial integrity
- Unilateral declaration of independence
- Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
Notes
- ^ a b Both the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China officially claim to represent the whole of China, stating China is de jure a single sovereign entity encompassing both the area controlled by the PRC and the area controlled by the ROC. Neither the PRC nor the ROC officially recognise each other's claim to statehood, and they compete for diplomatic recognition as the only legitimate representative of China among other states. Historically, both the PRC and the ROC have broken off diplomatic relations with any state engaging in diplomatic relations or claiming to recognise the other, though the ROC has in some instances accepted dual recognition since it transitioned to democracy in the 1990s. However, as of 2021 no state officially recognises both the ROC and the PRC.[60][61]
- ^ a b Israel allows the PNA to execute some functions in the Palestinian territories, depending on special area classification. Israel maintains minimal interference (retaining control of borders: air,[47] sea beyond internal waters,[47][48] land[49]) in the Gaza strip (its interior and Egypt portion of the land border are under Hamas control), maximum in "Area C" and varying degrees of interference elsewhere.[50][51][52][53][54] See also Israeli-occupied territories.
[40][50][51][52][53][54] - ^ Date of constitutional formation
- ^ Micronations are not included even if they are recognised by another micronation.
- ^ It is far from certain that micronations, which are generally of minuscule size, have sovereign control over their claimed territories, contrasted with the mere disregard and indifference toward micronations' assertions by the states from which they allege to have seceded. By not deeming such declarations (and other acts of the micronation) important enough to react in any way, these states generally consider micronations to be private property and their claims as unofficial private announcements of individuals, who remain subject to the laws of the states in which their properties are located.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Thomas D. Grant, The recognition of states: law and practice in debate and evolution (Westport, Connecticut: Praeger, 1999), chapter 1.
- ^ Lauterpacht, Hersch (2012). Recognition in International Law. Cambridge University Press. p. 64. ISBN 9781107609433. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
- ^ "Non-member State". Un.org. Archived from the original on 9 February 2007. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ "Germany – Countries A to Z". Auswaertiges-amt.de. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ "Ambasciate Consolati e Uffici di promozione". Esteri.it. Retrieved 29 April 2011.[dead link]
- ^ U.S. Department of State Websites of U.S. Embassies, Consulates, and Diplomatic Missions Retrieved 3 February 2011
- ^ "Find an Embassy". Fco.gov.uk. 14 March 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ "Foreign Missions in Kosovo". Government of Kosovo, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Permanent Representations". Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Representative Offices Abroad". Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Public Information Office. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ a b "Abkhazia in the system of international relations". Government of Abkhazia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ^ "Pagina nueva 1". Archived from the original on 10 August 2011.
- ^ "Contacts and addresses of the Somaliland Representative Offices around the world". Government of Somaliland. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ^ "Embassies, Missions, General and Special Delegations of Palestine abroad". WebGaza.net. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ Top Palestinian body calls for revoking recognition of Israel, nixing agreements
- ^ "PA's Mahmoud Abbas declares suspension of all deals with Israel". Al Jazeera. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
- ^ "PLO suspends recognition of Israel". Middle East Monitor. 30 October 2018.
- ^ Government of Israel (14 May 1948). "Declaration of Israel's Independence 1948". Yale University. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
- ^ United States Congress (5 June 2008). "H. RES. 1249" (PDF).
- ^ "'Reply' Online Book Chapter 1". Mythsandfacts.org. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ "Khartoum Resolution". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
- ^ Government of Israel. "Israel's Diplomatic Missions Abroad: Status of relations". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
- ^ US Library of Congress (7 October 2000). "World War II and Korea". Country Studies. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
- ^ Sterngold, James (3 September 1994). "China, Backing North Korea, Quits Armistice Commission". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 February 2008.
- ^ See South Korea–Taiwan relations.
- ^ Seung-Ho Joo, Tae-Hwan Kwak – Korea in the 21st Century
- ^ a b "Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea". Retrieved 27 October 2008.
- ^ a b Commission de la défense nationale et des forces armées (30 March 2010). "Audition de M. Jack Lang, envoyé spécial du Président de la République pour la Corée du Nord" (in French). Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ^ a b Goodman, David (2015). Handbook of the Politics of China. ISBN 9781782544371. Retrieved 29 September 2017. "Seoul recognized Taiwan as the sole legitimate government of China"
- ^ a b Wertz, Oh & Kim 2016, pp. 1–2.
- ^ "Declaration of Independence". TIME. 19 August 1966. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 29 February 2008.
- ^ Scofield, David (4 January 2005). "Seoul's double-talk on reunification". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 4 January 2005. Retrieved 29 February 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Constitution of the People's Republic of China". International Human Rights Treaties and Documents Database. Archived from the original on 16 January 2000. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
- ^ European Parliament Directorate-General External Policies Policy Department "Turkey and the problem of the recognition of Cyprus" 20 January 2005 Retrieved 3 February 2011
- ^ CIA World Factbook (28 February 2008). "Cyprus". Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
- ^ "Cyprus exists without Turkey's recognition: president". Xinhua Online. XINHUA. 1 October 2005. Archived from the original on 13 March 2006. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
- ^ European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs "The influence of Turkish military forces on political agenda-setting in Turkey, analysed on the basis of the Cyprus question" 18 February 2008 Retrieved 3 February 2011
- ^ Pakistan Worldview – Report 21 – Visit to Azerbaijan Senate of Pakistan — Senate foreign relations committee, 2008
- ^ Nilufer Bakhtiyar: "For Azerbaijan Pakistan does not recognise Armenia as a country" 13 September 2006 [14:03] – Today.Az
- ^ a b Staff writers (20 February 2008). "Palestinians 'may declare state'". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 January 2011.:"Saeb Erekat, disagreed arguing that the Palestine Liberation Organisation had already declared independence in 1988. "Now we need real independence, not a declaration. We need real independence by ending the occupation. We are not Kosovo. We are under Israeli occupation and for independence we need to acquire independence".
- ^ Bannoura, Saed (28 August 2011). "124 Out Of 193 Countries Recognize Palestinian Independence". IMEMC News. International Middle East Media Center. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
- ^ Shelley, Toby (1988). "Spotlight on Morocco". West Africa. London: West Africa Publishing Company Ltd (3712–3723: 5–31 December): 2282. "... the SADR was one of the first countries to recognise the state of Palestine."
- ^ Heaney, Christopher. "Committee on Exercise of Inalienable Rights of Palestinian People – GA Resolution (A/RES/73/18)".
- ^ "Palestinians win upgraded UN status by wide margin". BBC News. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
- ^ United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. "Arab States: Palestine". United Nations. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- ^ "Disputed Territories- Forgotten Facts About the West Bank and Gaza Strip". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 1 February 2003. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Israel's control of the airspace and the territorial waters of the Gaza Strip". btselem.org.
- ^ "Map of Gaza fishing limits, "security zones"". dissidentvoice.org. December 2009. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ Israel's Disengagement Plan: Renewing the Peace Process: "Israel will guard the perimeter of the Gaza Strip, continue to control Gaza air space, and continue to patrol the sea off the Gaza coast. ... Israel will continue to maintain its essential military presence to prevent arms smuggling along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt (Philadelphi Route), until the security situation and cooperation with Egypt permit an alternative security arrangement."
- ^ a b Dore Gold (26 August 2005). "Legal Acrobatics: The Palestinian Claim that Gaza is Still "Occupied" Even After Israel Withdraws". Jerusalem Issue Brief. Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ a b Bell, Abraham (28 January 2008). "International Law and Gaza: The Assault on Israel's Right to Self-Defense". Jerusalem Issue Brief. Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ a b "Address by Foreign Minister Livni to the 8th Herzliya Conference" (Press release). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel. 22 January 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ a b Zak M. Salih (17 November 2005). "Panelists Disagree Over Gaza's Occupation Status". University of Virginia School of Law. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ a b "Israel: 'Disengagement' Will Not End Gaza Occupation". Human Rights Watch. 28 October 2004. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ "International Recognition of the State of Palestine". Official website of the Palestinian National Authority. November 1988. Archived from the original on 10 October 2003.. The PNA has publicly acknowledged recognition from 94 states, including the former Yugoslavia.
- ^ "Costa Rica Recognizes 'Palestine'" Archived 15 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Journal of Turkish Weekly 26 February 2008 Retrieved 7 February 2011
- ^ "South African Representative Office to the Palestinian National Authority". Sarep.org. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ "Embassies of Palestine". Webgaza.net. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ "Embassy of the State of Palestine in Bratislava". Palestine.sk. Archived from the original on 9 August 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ "Routledge Handbook of State Recognition". Routledge & CRC Press.
- ^ "Taiwan cuts ties with Costa Rica over recognition for China". The New York Times. 7 June 2007. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ Winkler, Sigrid (20 June 2012). "Taiwan's UN Dilemma: To Be or Not To Be".
- ^ Global Investment and Business Center, Inc. Staff Taiwan Foreign Policy and National Security Yearbook 2011 Second Edition International Business Publications, USA ISBN 0-7397-3660-4 Online version available at Google Books
- ^ Zunes, Stephen; Mundy, Jacob (4 August 2010). Western Sahara: War, Nationalism, and Conflict Irresolution. Syracuse University Press. pp. 5–6. ISBN 978-0-8156-3219-1. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- ^ "Here the states which recognize the SADR. It is a non-official list, with dates of recognition and cancellation". ARSO. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
- ^ "About Western Sahara". Australia Western Sahara Association. November 2006. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
- ^ Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly at its 34th session, United Nations.
- ^ "Proclamation on Recognizing The Sovereignty Of The Kingdom Of Morocco Over The Western Sahara". whitehouse.gov. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021 – via National Archives.
- ^ "Morocco king rejects independence for Western Sahara". Arab News. 7 November 2017.
- ^ "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic". 27 February 1976. Archived from the original on 2 May 2008. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
- ^ "Security Council resolution 541 (1983) on Cyprus". Un.int. Archived from the original on 28 August 2003. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ "Accordance with International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in Respect of Kosovo, Paragraph 81" (PDF). International Court of Justice. 22 July 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ "A reply of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia to IA "Res" Question Concerning the Act of Adoption of RSO State Independence on 29 of May 1992". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia. 29 May 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- ^ a b "South Ossetia opens embassy in Abkhazia". The Tiraspol Times. Archived from the original on 22 April 2008.
- ^ a b (in Russian) Вице-спикер парламента Абхазии: Выборы в НКР соответствуют всем международным стандартам: "Абхазия, Южная Осетия, НКР и Приднестровье уже давно признали независимость друг друга и очень тесно сотрудничают между собой", – сказал вице-спикер парламента Абхазии. ... "...Абхазия признала независимость Нагорно-Карабахской Республики..." – сказал он." English language translation from Microsoft Translator
- ^ a b "Tuvalu takes back recognition of independence of Abkhazia and so-called South Ossetia". 31 March 2014. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia – Ministry's Statements". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ a b "Luhansk Recognizes Abkhazia". Civil Georgia. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Russia recognises Georgian rebels". 26 August 2008 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ a b "Venezuela's Chavez draws closer to Moscow". Reuters. 10 September 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
- ^ a b "Syria formally recognizes Abkhazia and South Ossetia". Eurasianet. 29 May 2018. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
- ^ "Regions and territories: Abkhazia". BBC news. 8 February 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
- ^ Government of Vanuatu (17 June 2011). "Vanuatu's recognition to the Republic of Abkhazia". Archived from the original on 24 June 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- ^ Vanuatu's initial recognition was invalidated after the Kilman government was annulled by the Supreme Court. Kilman was subsequently re-elected and its recognition was re-confirmed by its Foreign Minister in July 2011: Natapei withdraws recognition of Abkhazia, Vanuatu Daily Post, 19 June 2011
- ^ "Vanuatu official denies Abkhazia recognition". Solomon Star. 6 June 2011. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011.
- ^ "Transparency International Vanuatu press release on recognition of Abkhazia". TI Georgia.
- ^ "Vanuatu annuls recognition of Abkhazia – report". Radio New Zealand International. 19 June 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ^ "Georgia Says Vanuatu Has Withdrawn Recognition of Abkhazia". Bloomberg L.P. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ Government of Tuvalu (20 September 2011). "On the establishment of diplomatic relations between Republic of Abkhazia and Tuvalu". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- ^ Clogg, Rachel (2001). "Abkhazia: Ten Years On" (PDF). Conciliation Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2008.
- ^ John Pike. "Georgia mocks Nauru's recognition of Abkhazia". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ "Kosovo MPs proclaim independence". BBC News. 17 February 2008. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
- ^ "Kosovo" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ "Ukraine: Putin to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states". the Guardian. 21 February 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ "North Korea recognizes Donetsk People's Republic — DPR leader". TASS. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- ^ a b c Ker-Lindsay, James (2012). The Foreign Policy of Counter Secession: Preventing the Recognition of Contested States. Oxford University Press. p. 53. ISBN 9780199698394.
...there are three other territories that have unilaterally declared independence and are generally regarded as having met the Montevideo criteria for statehood but have not been recognized by any states: Transnistria, Nagorny Karabakh, and Somaliland.
- ^ "Abkhazia: Ten Years On". BBC 2. 2001. Archived from the original on 21 December 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
- ^ BBC Country Profiles: Regions and territories: Nagorno-Karabakh. Retrieved 14 September 2009.
- ^ BBC Country Profiles: Regions and territories: Somaliland. Retrieved 14 September 2009.
- ^ "La Orden de Malta y su Naturaleza Jurídica". Venezuela Analitica. 1 May 1999. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015. English language translation "The Order of Malta, within the limits that are compatible with its actual position as a subject deprived of territory, is in the international community, a sovereign entity on par with the States, and the Prince Grand Master is comparable, from the point of view of international law, to the Heads of State."
- ^ Permanent Observer Mission of the Order of Malta to the United Nations in New York "The admission of Order of Malta to the United Nations also further solidified its legally recognized sovereignty ..."
- ^ Shaw, Malcolm Nathan International Law Fifth Edition Cambridge University Press 2003 ISBN 0-521-82473-7 p. 218 Searchable text, available via Amazon.com, "The Italian Court of Cassation in 1935 recognised the international personality of the Order, noting that 'the modern theory of the subjects of international law recognises a number of collective units whose composition is independent of the nationality of their constituent members and whose scope transcends by virtue of their universal character the territorial confines of any single state.' (Nanni v. Pace and the Sovereign Order of Malta 8 AD, p. 2. See also …)"
- ^ "Reconócese a la Soberana Orden Militar de Malta como Entidad Internacionál Independiente". Boletín Oficiál de la República Argentina, Año LIX, Número 16.92. Buenos Aires. 19 June 1951. p. 1. "The Senate and Chamber of Deputies of Argentina, in Congress assembled, enact as LAW: Article 1 – The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is hereby recognized as an international independent entity."
- ^ "La Orden de Malta y su Naturaleza Jurídica". Venezuela Analitica. 1 May 1999. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015. English language translation "[T]he clear territorial separation of sovereign areas that exists between the Italian State and the State of Vatican City does not exist between the Order of Malta and the Italian State, but neither can it be said that the treatment given to the headquarters of the Order (Aventine, Via Condotti) is, simply, that reserved for the headquarters of diplomatic missions accredited to the Italian State. In fact, the headquarters of the Order have diplomatic extraterritoriality (authoritarian acts of any kind – executive, acts of inspection, judicial – cannot take place inside), but in addition, the Italian State recognizes the exercise, in the headquarters, of the prerogatives of sovereignty. This means that Italian sovereignty and Maltese sovereignty coexist without overlapping, because the Order exercises sovereign functions in a wider area than occurs in the diplomatic missions of the States for, although [those diplomatic missions] enjoy extraterritoriality, the guarantees deriving from the privilege of immunity are constrained to a purely administrative area; the Order, instead, makes use of extraterritoriality to meet the very acts of sovereign self-determination that are the same as the States (legislative, judicial, administrative, financial acts)."
- ^ The Sovereign Military Order of Malta maintains embassies around the world and receives accreditations from foreign ambassadors.
- ^ "The Sovereignty of the Order of Malta". heraldica.org.
- ^ Ordine di Malta. "Bilateral relations". orderofmalta.org. Archived from the original on 7 August 2010.
- ^ "Schengen States Visa Working Party – Table of travel documents". Council of the European Union. 27 June 2010. Archived from the original (Online PDF) on 20 November 2010.
- ^ "Date of Recognition and Establishment od Diplomatic Relations". mvep.gov.hr. Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ "Dates of Recognition and Establishment of Diplomatic Relations". mip.gov.me. Montenegran Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
Further reading
- Adrian Florea, "De Facto States: Survival and Disappearance (1945–2011)." International Studies Quarterly, Volume 61, Issue 2, June 2017, Pages 337–351
- Florea, Adrian (6 May 2020). "Rebel governance in de facto states". European Journal of International Relations. SAGE Publishing. 26 (4): 1004–1031. doi:10.1177/1354066120919481. S2CID 53365477.
- Geldenhuys, Deon (2009). Contested States in World Politics. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-23418-5.
- Ker-Lindsay, James (2012). The Foreign Policy of Counter Secession: Preventing the Recognition of Contested States (1st ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199698394.
- Nationalities Papers. Special Issue on the Emergence and Resilience of Parastates.