In this volume the contributors focus on the issues of the legality or otherwise of the aspiration to secede in defined situations, as well as the appropriate means by which secessionist aims may be pursued or resisted. To dispel resentment, all cases must be judged by the same criteria, while variations in treatment due to factual differences have to be on the basis of clear distinctions made on equitable grounds. Even if not uniformly enforceable, they must be universally applicable. What should be those criteria? At present there is only partial consensus on the issues. Consequently, the Consortium on International Dispute Resolution (CIDIR) initiated a series of regional conferences on the subject of Secession and International Law, in collaboration with a number of the most prestigious institutes of international law and international relations on four continents. The contents of this volume are based on the results of those conferences.