Accommodation of National Minorities Involved in Territorial Conflicts

The PA-X Spotlight Series addresses questions regarding comparative peace processes, asked by those seeking to influence peace and transition processes. Each Spotlight provides brief comparative material regarding a key issue, sometimes with reference to the specific context from which the question originated, and sometimes framed more generally.

This Spotlight asks: How do peace agreements and constitutions provide for minority accommodation for an ethno-national group who constitute local majorities in a sub-national territory of a country? It addresses in particular, the context of self-determination or similar territorial dispute, and also touches on non-recognition and hostile relations between the state in which the national minority are located, and a neighbouring state in which they have ‘kin-groups’ with cross-border connections.