MEĐUNARODNI PROBLEMI

Protecting National Interests through Non-Standard Institutional Frameworks: The Case of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP)

Knežević-Predić Vesna (University of Belgrade – Faculty of Political Sciences, Belgrade, Serbia), vesna.knezevic@fpn.bg.ac.rs
Simentić Popović Janja (University of Belgrade – Faculty of Political Sciences, Belgrade, Serbia), janja.simentic@fpn.bg.ac.rs

This paper explores the success factors behind the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), established in 1996 to address the issue of missing persons from the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. The ICMP’s mission has expanded to foster state cooperation and provide expert assistance in locating missing persons due to conflicts, human rights abuses, and disasters. This study hypothesises that the ICMP’s success stems from the interplay of exogenous factors, such as shifts in international law and humanitarian paradigms, and endogenous factors, including its flexible institutional design and expert-driven approach. By dissecting the ICMP’s structure and functions, this research underscores the importance of adaptability and expertise in the effective operation of international organisations. The ICMP’s engagement in the Republic of Serbia and the territory of Kosovo provides insight into how non-standard institutional frameworks can navigate political intricacies to achieve significant humanitarian outcomes, demonstrating the crucial balance between national interests and global humanitarian commitments.

Keywords: missing persons; humanitarianism; sovereignty; international law; international organisations; Republic of Serbia; Kosovo; transitional justice; institutional design; financing of international organisations