Surviving Without Recognition

Abstract

Some attempts at territorial secession get stuck in the limbo between reintegration and independence: the secessionists control the territory and population, but are denied international recognition. Such unrecognized entities are commonly referred to as “de facto states.” Being denied access to the rights and privileges that accompany recognized statehood, de facto states are often dismissed as temporary and transitional. However, some such entities have demonstrated remarkable longevity, surviving for several decades. How do de facto states manage to survive? Lacking external legitimacy in the form of international recognition, the leaders of such de facto states will generally prioritize developing internal legitimacy as a compensatory measure to prop up de facto statehood. Internal legitimacy can be further divided into output legitimacy, or the capacity to provide physical and economic security and fulfill core state functions; and input legitimacy, which is based on a sense of identification, identity, and community. Only by successfully consolidating their internal legitimacy may de facto states hope to survive in the hostile environment attendant on the continued lack of international recognition.