Kosovo: Sovereign, Unrecognized or Failed State?

Abstract

Did Kosovo have right to secede? What was the cause of conflict in Kosovo? How important is Kosovo for international community? This thesis addresses these issues as it seeks, above all, to answer the question - Is Kosovo a sovereign, unrecognized, or failed state? To do so, the chapter I explores critically the definitions of sovereign, unrecognized, and failed states. The chapter I argues that Kosovo does not have full control over the territory it claims, but with help of the international offices this problem has been overcome. On the other hand, the main obstacle to international recognition and full sovereignty is Serbia (parent state), claiming that Kosovo is part of its territory. Therefore, the theories of secession are analyzed in-depth in order to answer whether Kosovo can obtain the missing part of sovereignty without a parent state. The main argument for Kosovo's secession is extensive violence in 1990's, therefore chapter II scrutinizes the history of political violence in Kosovo, showing that Kosovo's secession has its roots in creation of Greater Albania and alleged violation of human rights can be only the trigger but not the cause of the secession. Chapter III assesses the debate of Serbia's sovereignty/integrity versus Kosovo's right to self-determination. This chapter at first...