International Relations theorists have recently become interested in understanding dynamics of social recognition in global politics, that is, the discourses and practices through which states and non-state actors are included into or excluded from political groups and through which political legitimacy is claimed, granted or denied. This research draws on the rich theoretical literature on recognition that has sprouted in political philosophy and social theory but has remained focused on purely conceptual questions and inner-societal issues. This emerging strand of research about the international politics of recognition can benefit from incorporating the perspective of Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA), that is, from understanding recognition as both instrument and outcome of foreign policy practices and discourses. Problems and conflicts related to questions of recognition have ranked high on the foreign policy agendas of most states, ranging from the demands of rising powers for the recognition of their increasing status within the G-20 and other privileged forums to the controversies over the recognition of Kosovo and other newly autonomous polities and to Western practices of withholding recognition as fully sovereign members of the international community to “rogue states” or “illiberal” regimes. In its process- and actor-centered outlook, an FPA perspective sheds light on the dynamic, contested nature of recognition and helps us to understand both strategic uses of recognition by actors and non-intentional recognition dynamics that actors find themselves exposed to. In turn, incorporating the theoretical concept of recognition into FPA draws our attention to the important role of “soft”, intangible forces that have been relatively neglected in conventional studies of foreign policy decision-making. We invite papers that theoretically reflect from the prism of recognition upon current cases in international politics to enrich this panel.