Territorial self-governance can take many forms, from federation, to federacy, to devolution, to decentralisation. Provided the conditions are right, it can contribute to conflict prevention and settlement. Ukraine exhibits many characteristics in which the application of territorial self-governance could serve as a viable approach to managing the country’s diversity. However, many of these conditions are not met. The presentation will look at when reform efforts towards decentralization can work, and what government capacity is needed to ensure credible reform outcomes. Moreover, looking at the re-integration of the self-declared people’s republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine, the speakers will assess under what conditions secessionist territories can be successfully reintegrated, and which challenges such a reintegration process faces. Finally, the presentation will discuss the role of domestic and international actors, particularly regional organisations and neighbouring (kin) states, and their contribution to successful conflict settlement, decentralization reforms, and reintegration.Questions that will be discussed include:
How important is government capacity in reform efforts towards decentralization? Which mechanisms exist to eintegrate secess-ionist territories, and which obstacles are often encountered? What role do domestic and international actors play in using self-governance mechanisms as tools of conflict settlement?