ABSTRACT
This chapter examines what, if anything, international society can or should do about the existence of de facto states. The de facto state’s inherent lack of juridical acceptance is well-suited to serve two important purposes: international norms are maintained as secession is not seen to be rewarded; and the existence of a de facto state in no way precludes any future settlement arrangements. In the short-to-medium term future, the safest prediction is probably for an approximate continuation of status quo in terms of the numbers of de facto states present in the international system. The final factor influencing the number of de facto states is the reaction to these entities from other members of international society. Other things being equal, one would expect these entities to have a better chance of survival if international society chose to ignore them or to come to some sort of working accommodation with them than if it chose to try actively to undermine them.
