This report focuses on the question of what mechanisms are available at the international level for monitoring of the status of territorial autonomies and for settlement of disputes between such substate entities and the state. It identifies sub-issues, key concepts, legal norms, and dispute settlement instruments with a focus on international legal frameworks and international experience. The report focuses on the Åland Islands in Finland, which became an autonomous territory in the 1920’s. The autonomous status, protection of the Swedish language and culture of the islands, as well as the demilitarization and neutralization of the islands, were all parts of a solution to a dispute between Finland and
Sweden over the status of the Åland Islands, a dispute that also included claims for self-determination by the Ålanders. The dispute was resolved through an international process involving the League of Nations (LoN), with international guarantees for the status of Åland included from the outset.