The Neglected Role of Non-State Actors in Resource Management: A Case of Caspian Sea Region

While a vast body of literature exists on the role of great power’s energy-related interests in the politics of regional resource cooperation or conflict, less attention has been devoted to non-state actors such as international governmental or non-governmental organizations. This paper claims that by contrast to the prevalent state-centric analysis non-state actors are a decisive factor in resource politics and thus should play a major role in analyzing and explaining resource conflict/cooperation. The research is theoretically grounded in a functionalist approach to IR and uses historical documents, international reports, public debates, political speeches and interviews as data sources. The Caspian Sea region exhibits complex patterns of cooperation and conflict at all levels from the local to the global and is often seen as a prime example of such great powers’ arena. Critically, it is shown that existing analyses have exaggerated states’ (great powers’) role in the region’s resource politics. Constructively, the active and crucial role non-state actors played in resource management is discussed. In conclusion, considerations how to account for the important role of non-state actors in theories of resource cooperation and conflict are provided.