Colonialism, at its core, goes beyond foreign domination of territories and resources; it entails depriving peoples of their right to determine their own future, subordinating their political will to external powers and shaping their economic, social, and cultural development from outside. The history of colonialism is therefore inseparable from peoples’ struggles to reclaim their right to self-determination, which became a fundamental principle of contemporary international law through the independence movements of the twentieth century. Yet the end of classical colonialism and the achievement of political independence have not necessarily ended colonial relations or ensured the full realization of this right. Persistent structural dependencies, unequal power relations, new forms of domination, and the unresolved status of certain colonized territories highlight the enduring gap between formal independence and genuine self-determination. Against this backdrop, the thematic dossier “Decolonialism and the Right to Self-Determination” examines the historical legacy and contemporary persistence of colonial structures, alongside the legal, political, and human dimensions of peoples’ struggles to freely determine their own future.