The Åland Islands constitute a very special case in international law. This island territory under Finland's sovereignty has been demilitarised and neutralised for more than one hundred and forty years and autonomous for more than seventy years. In 1921 the Council of the League of Nations laid down international guarantees for the autonomy and the Swedish character of Åland, and a multilateral convention on Åland's demilitarisation and neutralisation was concluded in the same year. The convention is still in force and Åland's autonomy is firmly anchored in both customary international law and Finnish constitutional law. This volume is the first to comprehensively analyse Åland's international legal status. Coverage of its articles includes: analyses of the status and content of Åland's autonomy, military issues, and the relationship between Åland and the EU. The solution achieved for Åland may provide a valuable model of autonomy. This book is important not only for experts and students of international law, but for anyone concerned with territorial autonomy as a possible means for enhancing political rights of minorities.

Despite its Finnish initiative and pedigrees, The Finnish Yearbook of International Law does not restrict itself to purely 'Finnish' topics. On the contrary, it reflects the many connections in law between the national and the international. The Finnish Yearbook of International Law annually publishes, in both English and French, articles of high quality dealing with all aspects of international law, including international law aspects of European law, with close attention to developments that affect Finland. Its offerings include: - longer articles of a theoretical nature, exploring new avenues and approaches; - shorter polemics; - commentaries on current international law developments; - book reviews; and - documentation of relevance to Finland's foreign relations not easily available elsewhere. The Finnish Yearbook offers a fertile ground for the expression of and reflection on the connections between Finnish law and international law as a whole and insight into the richness of this interaction.

The demilitarisation and neutralisation of the Åland Islands is a confirmation of, and an exception to, the collective security system in present-day international affairs. Its core idea is that there is no need for military presence in the territory of the islands and that they are to be kept out of military activities. A restricted use of military force has a confidence building effect in cases where competing interests may be so intense that banning the very presence of military force remains the only viable option. The regime of the Åland Islands is the result of pragmatic and contingent political compromises. As such, the case of the Åland Islands offers an alternative trajectory to the increased militarisation we witness around the world today. Through parliamentary and archival materials, international treaties and academic works, the authors examine the legal rules and institutional structures of the demilitarisation regime. In this process they reassess core concepts of international law and international affairs, such as sovereignty and security, and introduce a theoretical view on the empirical case study of the Åland Islands. The book covers legal, political and policy discursive aspects of demilitarisation, international co-operation, defence and security matters around the Baltic Sea with a broader European and global relevance. It can be a source of inspiration for all those in search of constructive efforts that can address territorial disputes and security challenges.

Despite its Finnish initiative and pedigrees, "The Finnish Yearbook of International Law" does not restrict itself to purely 'Finnish' topics. On the contrary, it reflects the many connections in law between the national and the international. "The Finnish Yearbook of International Law" annually publishes, in both English and French, articles of high quality dealing with all aspects of international law, including international law aspects of European law, with close attention to developments that affect Finland. Its offerings include: - longer articles of a theoretical nature, exploring new avenues and approaches; - shorter polemics; - commentaries on current international law developments; - book reviews; and - documentation of relevance to Finland's foreign relations not easily available elsewhere. "The Finnish Yearbook" offers a fertile ground for the expression of and reflection on the connections between Finnish law and international law as a whole and insight into the richness of this interaction.

Published on occasion of the 100 year anniversary of the Åland Islands’ autonomy, this book brings up and discusses a number of challenging issues, from constitutional and international law perspectives, concerning both the Åland situation and autonomy in general. Among the questions raised are: Is autonomy part of international law and which international organisations may have jurisdiction? Is autonomy a human right or is it about the prevention of violent conflicts? Does the Åland Autonomy constitute a useful model for other minority groups? Do the Åland Islands stand to benefit from anything in international law, be it substantive or procedural?

This book considers the possibilities for resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict in the context of comparative international law. The armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the territory of the Nagorno-Karabakh has been on the peace and security agenda since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This volume draws parallels with a similar situation between Sweden and Finland over sovereignty of the Aland Islands in the early 20th century. Resolved in 1921, it is argued that this represents a model autonomy solution for territorial conflicts that include questions of territorial integrity, self-determination and minority rights. The book compares both conflict situations from the international law perspective, finding both commonalities and dissimilarities. It advances the application of the solution found in the Aland Islands precedent as a model for the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, and provides appropriate recommendations for its implementation. The book will be of interest to academics, researchers and policymakers in the areas of international law and security, conflict resolution and international relations.