Punching Above Their Diplomatic Weight: De Facto States' Civil Society Organisations in International Affairs

How do domestic civil society organisations (CSOs) in Kosovo, Taiwan and Palestine engage internationally, circumventing obstacles caused by absence of universal recognition and United Nations (UN) membership? We address this question by comparatively analysing the activities of these "lightweights" and integrating two streams of research on CSOs and de facto states. Conceptually, the article engages with the actorness of domestic CSOs, by highlighting a range of methods utilised to facilitate de facto states' international interactions and mobilise international support. We focus on specific issue areas and types of activities, highlighting various forms of CSO engagement with different audiences and the themes they seek to convey - such as state recognition, sovereignty and self-determination - through their outreach efforts. It appears that CSOs create a united front with de facto states' foreign policy institutions and make some efforts to affect international affairs by drifting across (non)recognition settings.