Extended Abstract



Introduction

Governance serves as both a measure and a symbol of governmental efficiency and public satisfaction. An effective political system, based on sound principles, adopts a realistic and intelligent governance model to meet diverse material and spiritual needs. Border governance in Iran's northwestern provinces - West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, and Kurdistan - is strategically vital due to proximity to neighboring states and unique geopolitical circumstances. However, the dominance of a purely security and military approach has resulted in numerous damages. This research aims to identify and analyze the most significant damages of the security-oriented approach on the governance system of the border regions of northwestern Iran.



Methodology

This study was conducted with a qualitative and exploratory approach and content analysis employed as the main analytical strategy. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 16 experts, subject matter experts, and university professors familiar with the topic. Participants were selected utilizing theoretical saturation sampling, and interviews continued until additional data no longer contributed to conceptual development. Interview sessions lasted approximately sixty minutes on average.

Data analysis followed a three-level thematic coding procedure. Initially, interview data were transformed into basic themes. These themes were subsequently grouped into organizing themes based on conceptual and semantic similarity. Finally, broader conceptual integration generated overarching themes that were able to explain the underlying structural logic of governance failures. This analytical process enabled a multidimensional interpretation of governance failures beyond operational or managerial constraints and facilitated the construction of a comprehensive explanatory model of border governance pathology.



Results and Discussion

The findings exhibited that governance vulnerabilities in the Northwest border regions cannot be reduced solely to operational security deficiencies; rather, they arise from complex interactions among institutional, developmental, social, and security dimensions. The analysis generated 71 underlying themes that were integrated into 11 organizing themes and ultimately combined into four overarching themes.

The first overarching theme revealed the dominance of a strict military and security regime, the prevalence of centralized control mechanisms, the militarization of border management, extensive physical barriers, and the prioritization of surveillance and restriction over regional facilitation and development. The findings indicated that such arrangements have progressively marginalized local communities and limited the developmental functions of border regions.

The second overarching theme, the reproduction of insecurity through the elimination of development and participation, showed that restrictive economic policies, the closure or reduction of border markets, and the elimination of traditional livelihood opportunities without sustainable alternatives have encouraged informal economic activities and subsistence-based smuggling. At the same time, declining public trust, weakening social capital, and perceptions of deprivation have exacerbated social discontent and undermined local cooperation with government institutions.

The third theme, weak integrated border governance, highlighted institutional fragmentation, poor coordination among state actors, technological limitations, and the inability of government structures to adapt to emerging transboundary threats. Findings demonstrated that the persistence of fragmented and centralized governance has reduced institutional effectiveness and limited collective responses to complex border challenges.

The fourth predominant theme, institutional lock-in and the reproduction of the cycle of insecurity, revealed the deepest level of governance pathology. Evidence showed that excessive physical restrictions and strict security practices have assisted transform small-scale informal activities into more organized and resilient forms of illegal activity, thereby reinforcing a self-reproducing cycle of insecurity and reducing the effectiveness of existing governance mechanisms.



Conclusion

The findings indicate that the dominant focus on tools of control, deterrence, and centralized management - rather than substantially reducing border issues - has in some cases led to the reproduction of challenges in new forms. It can be concluded that the most important harm of the security-oriented approach is the disruption of the balance between security and other functions of border governance. Over-reliance on control, militarization, and centralized decision-making has debilitated development capacity, reduced public participation, weakened institutional coordination, and reduced social trust. These results are broadly consistent with the theoretical assumptions of good governance that emphasize participation, accountability, effectiveness, and institutional coordination, and are also in alignment with the human security perspective that argues that security should encompass economic, social, and developmental dimensions, rather than relying solely on territorial control. Furthermore, the findings support integrated and multidimensional approaches to border governance that consider border areas not only as security spaces but also as dynamic socio-economic and developmental environments. Overall, this study concludes that achieving effective and sustainable border governance in northwestern Iran requires moving beyond a purely security-oriented paradigm towards a balanced governance model based on smart security, local participation, institutional integration, and development-oriented policymaking. Such a transition is essential not only to improve governance performance, but also to enhance long-term regional stability and sustainable security.