Human Rights and Territorial Claims: Transition from Unlawful Regimes in International Law

The doctrinal debate on the relationship between territorial status on the one hand, and rights and obligations on the other, relies heavily on evidence from international practice. This article addresses this relationship in situations of transition from unlawful and non-recognized regimes. It examines the implications of non-recognition of status in these situations, and analyses the significance of land and citizenship in this context. The conclusions offered in the article are that human rights have had a significant role in ensuring that individuals do not become hostages to political and legal conundrums. Keywords: human rights, non-recognition, property, land rights, citizenship, illegal regime.