The Lund Recommendations and Non-Territorial Arrangements: Progressive De-territorialization of Minority Politics

Abstract

Non-territorial arrangements (NTA) are overlooked both as conflict prevention tools and as a minority participation concept. As a conflict prevention tool, governments are provided with limited NTA options for consideration. This means that the aim of NTA as a means to de-territorialize minority politics is overlooked. As a concept, the academic literature provides a narrow scope of NTA, thus limiting the reach of the concept. This is problematic because a progressive conceptualization of NTA could not only broaden the scope of participation but also the scope of protection of minorities. The infrequent use of NTA as a minority accommodation model in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) member states over the first ten years of the Lund Recommendations underpins these arguments. This article provides an overview of NTA codification in the OSCE member states after 1999 as a backdrop to a short discussion of the shortcomings in the Lund Recommendations in regard to NT A. In addition to providing some suggestions as to how a progressive view of NTA would look, the article also offers three recommendations to the High Commissioner· on National Minorities office as to an improved application of the Lund Recommendations in the area of NTA.