An open-access book by DCU Conflict Institute member Dr Gëzim Visoka has been published, looking at the derecognition of states. This is where states withdraw the recognition of other contested and partially recognised states. The Derecognition of States offers a global and comparative outlook on this unexplored diplomatic practice. It assesses the complex processes, justifications, and consequences of state derecognition. 

The case studies include five aspiring states facing withdrawal of recognition: Taiwan, Western Sahara, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Kosovo. 

Dr Visoka argues that state derecognition is a highly controversial and unstable practice that has less to do with whether the conditions of statehood have been met, and more with the self-interest of the former base state and derecognising state. 

The derecognition of states is not a rule, and is in fact an exception in international diplomacy. He argues that it is driven by political expediency and is incompatible with original rationales for granting recognition. Yet, the derecognition of states is far more important than previously understood in shaping the dynamics of secession and state creation, and in influencing regional peace, geopolitical rivalries, and the international order. 

It is published by the University of Michigan Press (October 2024):
Open Access  ISBN 978-0-472-90469-3 
Hardcover  ISBN 978-0-472-07709-0 | $80.00 U.S.
Paper  ISBN 978-0-472-05709-2 | $34.95 U.S.

Advance praise

“In the current international disorder, the game of recognizing, not recognizing, or derecognizing other states has too often become a matter of political expediency or, even worse, a way of shaking up international institutions and norms. Gëzim Visoka’s The Derecognition of States shows us how the seemingly marginal practice of derecognizing states has a geopolitical domino effect that unsettles international law and any pretence of international order. The book is a must read for anyone trying to understand how that order can be turned inside-out by the very rules meant to preserve it.”
—Rebecca Bryant, Utrecht University
 

“Gaining recognition and joining the sovereignty club is vital for aspiring nations. But whereas most research has examined the dynamics of admission, the reverse process of derecognition has been neglected. With this marvellous book, Visoka explains how states are gradually removed from the club. A must-read for scholars and practitioners!”
—Ryan Griffiths, Syracuse University
 

“The Derecognition of States provides careful comparative case studies of four contentions featuring claims to have derecognized a state focused on Taiwan, the Sahrawi Democratic Republic (Western Sahara), Kosovo, and the twin examples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. They reveal a common process of contention marked by unashamed inconsistency and rampant opportunism illuminating the significance of international law rules by showing what happens in their absence.”
—MJ Peterson, University of Massachusetts Amherst
 

“Gёzim Visoka breaks new ground in recognition studies by offering the first book-length study of state derecognition. It is bound to be of interest to scholars and students of international relations, diplomacy, and international law.”
—Mikulas Fabry, Georgia Institute of Technology