Abstract
Kin-State activism is a widespread practice in Europe and beyond. States very often provide benefits to ‘kin-minorities’ living abroad and are at the same time extremely reluctant to accept similar measures for their own citizens. For this reason, the development of binding international law in this matter has been hampered. The legitimacy of such actions, which stretch from cultural benefits to granting citizenship, can therefore only be judged based on the respect of very general principles of international jus cogens, such as non-interference in internal affairs, respect for territorial integrity and above all good neighbourly relations. This paper bases its criteria for interpretation by drawing on soft law documents and applies this analysis to the proposal to confer Austrian citizenship to German- and Ladin-speaking South Tyroleans. Irrespective of the feasibility and the relevance of such proposal, it is essential to understand the international and comparative context of a widespread phenomenon.