<p>This is a highly relevant book which provides a fresh perspective on current quests for greater autonomy or independence in various regions around the world. At the same time, the volume distinguishes itself from the current devolution/federalism/independence debate by looking at autonomy as a broader and more flexible concept which can be employed and shaped in various contexts.</p>
<p>The introductory chapter written by Yash Ghai sets out to discuss the “nature and origins of autonomy” in a rather convincing manner. This section might have benefitted further from a more cogent definition of autonomy for the purposes of the following comparative analysis and from a more profound conceptualisation of the relationship between autonomy with current issues of devolution or federalism. Additional remarks on the genesis, legal basis and scope of the right to self-determination would have been useful. In spite of these minor caveats, the chapter aptly manages to set the scene for the subsequent case studies which form the centerpiece of the volume.</p>
<p>The main asset of the book lies in the richness and quality of case studies displaying a vast array of specific autonomy arrangements for regional communities of different sizes. Ranging from Québec (Richard Simeon/Luc Turgeon) to the Åland Islands (Markku Suksi), Puerto Rico (Efrén Rivera-Ramos), South Tyrol (Oskar Peterlini), Kashmir (Jill Cottrell), Norfolk Island (Helen Irving), Catalonia (Carlos Flores Juberías), Zanzibar (Yash Ghai), Bosnia-Herzegovina (Josef Marko), Hong Kong (Yash Ghai), Scotland (Chris Himsworth), Macau (Paulo Cardinal) and Bougainville (J. Regan), these chapters offer a tour d'horizon of existing arrangements and provide valuable insights and conclusions. Some more commonly addressed features are the focus on the legal/institutional side, the linkages between domestic, regional and international regimes, the importance of financial arrangements and the degree to which autonomy contributes to conflict resolution. Unsurprisingly, conclusions regarding the latter are sometimes more and sometimes less optimistic, depending on the respective case study. As a minor caveat, there are variations regarding the density as well as the timeliness of referred sources which may be owed to the eight-year long...</p>
