Kin-State Engagement and Its Impact on Minority Protection in Europe
Commissioned by the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, this policy paper offers an overview of kin-state engagement in Europe, assessing its role in protecting targeted ethnic groups and outlining the most pressing challenges across Europe. With a particular focus on Southeast Europe, it offers concrete policy recommendations aimed at mitigating the potentially harmful effects of kin-state engagement. The study addresses three central questions:
- What constitutes kin-state engagement, and how are a state defined as a ‘kin-state’ and an ethnic community as a ‘kin minority group’?
- What principles, standards, and instruments govern kin-state–kin minorities relations in Europe, and how do they shape state practices?
- What has been the impact of kin-state engagement?
Researchers
Project Dates:
November 2022 – June 2023
WORKSHOP: Revisiting Kin-state Policies: Lessons and Implications
On 12–13 December 2022, the European Centre for Minority Issues, in cooperation with Eurac Research and the University of Glasgow, hosted a two-day workshop in Flensburg exploring the standards, practices, and challenges of kin-state engagement in Europe. Professor Smith and Dr Udrea shared their research expertise on the changes in the nature of kin-state engagement in Europe to scholars and practitioners.
The full programme is available here: Programme 2022.
EVIDENCE AND ENGAGEMENT EVENT: Kin-State Engagement and Its Impact on Minority Protection in Europe - Relevant Findings for Southeast Europe
On 30 August 2023, the Council of Europe Office in Serbia hosted a knowledge exchange event in Belgrade to present the research findings of this project, promote dialogue, and initiate a policy discussion with scholars, practitioners, representatives of Council of Europe member and observer states, international organisations, the media, and the general public. The event formed part of the action “Combating Discrimination and Promoting Diversity in Serbia”, implemented under the joint European Union–Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” (2023–2026).
CONFERENCE: Challenges of Monitoring in the European Multicultural Environment
The research findings were further shared with an audience of scholars and practitioners at the conference “Challenges of Monitoring in the European Multicultural Environment,” held in December 2023. The event was organised by Serbia’s Institute of Social Sciences in cooperation with the Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Dr Udrea and Professor Smith’s research on kin-state engagement contributed to a broader discussion on the threats facing multiculturalism in Europe and helped shape the debate on potential responses and policy solutions.
The full programme is available here: Conference Programme 2023