ABSTRACT
The chapter provides the reader with a comprehensive literature review and conceptualisation that presents and further develops the state of theoretical reflection on the nature of de facto statehood. It argues that de facto states and the protracted conflicts around them are a source of international and local instability that poses a dilemma of action for the international community to which it has not yet successfully responded. Engagement without recognition seems to be a promising approach for conflict resolution in de facto states. Thus, the chapter summarises the literature on engagement without recognition and further conceptualises the policy and the contextual conditions in which it is implemented. This conceptualisation will allow to explore international engagement on the ground in detail, identify patterns and processes of engagement without recognition, and delineate structures and conditions that influence its effectiveness. Reflecting on the state of research, the chapter further defines the central puzzle and leading research questions, which aim to generate added empirical and conceptional value.
