
Negotiating de facto borders : the case of social services provision in Abkhazia and Transnistria
- Author
- Gaëlle Le Pavic (UGent) , Giacomo Orsini (UGent) , Fabienne Bossuyt (UGent) and Ine Lietaert (UGent)
- Organization
- Abstract
- Following the dissolution of the USSR, the restructuring of borders reshaped a space previously characterized by territorial continuity. While many of these borders gained international recognition, others, like those of Abkhazia and Transnistria, remained de facto, lacking acknowledgement from most sovereign states. Despite scholarly recognition that de facto statehood is detrimental to social welfare, the impact of contested borders on welfare provisions remains underexplored. this article analyses how this multiplication of contested (in)tangible borders impacts the activities of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) as crucial actors in the provision of social services in Transnistria and Abkhazia. The complex geopolitical dynamics of these borderlands necessitate an examination of border-making practices, considering the interplay between Transnistrian and Abkhazian CSOs, Moldovan and Georgian authorities, and Transnistrian and Abkhazian authorities. International organizations, donors, and Russia also play substantial roles. The analysis reveals that each actor controls critical resources such as access, funding, know-how, and symbolic capital. Consequently, CSOs exhibit agency both locally, when interacting with de facto authorities, and at regional and international levels when engaging with external donors and organizations.
- Keywords
- Bordering & border makingsocial servicesde facto states and statehoodpost-Soviet spaceCivil Society Organisations, Bordering & border making, social services, de facto states and statehood, post-Soviet space, Civil Society Organisations
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01HMVAC0FX268NCXBTQ1PPP7KA
- MLA
- Le Pavic, Gaëlle, et al. “Negotiating de Facto Borders : The Case of Social Services Provision in Abkhazia and Transnistria.” EURASIAN GEOGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS, 2025, pp. 1–25, doi:10.1080/15387216.2024.2305423.
- APA
- Le Pavic, G., Orsini, G., Bossuyt, F., & Lietaert, I. (2025). Negotiating de facto borders : the case of social services provision in Abkhazia and Transnistria. EURASIAN GEOGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/15387216.2024.2305423
- Chicago author-date
- Le Pavic, Gaëlle, Giacomo Orsini, Fabienne Bossuyt, and Ine Lietaert. 2025. “Negotiating de Facto Borders : The Case of Social Services Provision in Abkhazia and Transnistria.” EURASIAN GEOGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/15387216.2024.2305423.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Le Pavic, Gaëlle, Giacomo Orsini, Fabienne Bossuyt, and Ine Lietaert. 2025. “Negotiating de Facto Borders : The Case of Social Services Provision in Abkhazia and Transnistria.” EURASIAN GEOGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS: 1–25. doi:10.1080/15387216.2024.2305423.
- Vancouver
- 1.Le Pavic G, Orsini G, Bossuyt F, Lietaert I. Negotiating de facto borders : the case of social services provision in Abkhazia and Transnistria. EURASIAN GEOGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS. 2025;1–25.
- IEEE
- [1]G. Le Pavic, G. Orsini, F. Bossuyt, and I. Lietaert, “Negotiating de facto borders : the case of social services provision in Abkhazia and Transnistria,” EURASIAN GEOGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS, pp. 1–25, 2025.
@article{01HMVAC0FX268NCXBTQ1PPP7KA, abstract = {{Following the dissolution of the USSR, the restructuring of borders reshaped a space previously characterized by territorial continuity. While many of these borders gained international recognition, others, like those of Abkhazia and Transnistria, remained de facto, lacking acknowledgement from most sovereign states. Despite scholarly recognition that de facto statehood is detrimental to social welfare, the impact of contested borders on welfare provisions remains underexplored. this article analyses how this multiplication of contested (in)tangible borders impacts the activities of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) as crucial actors in the provision of social services in Transnistria and Abkhazia. The complex geopolitical dynamics of these borderlands necessitate an examination of border-making practices, considering the interplay between Transnistrian and Abkhazian CSOs, Moldovan and Georgian authorities, and Transnistrian and Abkhazian authorities. International organizations, donors, and Russia also play substantial roles. The analysis reveals that each actor controls critical resources such as access, funding, know-how, and symbolic capital. Consequently, CSOs exhibit agency both locally, when interacting with de facto authorities, and at regional and international levels when engaging with external donors and organizations.}}, author = {{Le Pavic, Gaëlle and Orsini, Giacomo and Bossuyt, Fabienne and Lietaert, Ine}}, issn = {{1538-7216}}, journal = {{EURASIAN GEOGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS}}, keywords = {{Bordering & border makingsocial servicesde facto states and statehoodpost-Soviet spaceCivil Society Organisations,Bordering & border making,social services,de facto states and statehood,post-Soviet space,Civil Society Organisations}}, language = {{eng}}, pages = {{1--25}}, title = {{Negotiating de facto borders : the case of social services provision in Abkhazia and Transnistria}}, url = {{http://doi.org/10.1080/15387216.2024.2305423}}, year = {{2025}}, }
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