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Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi to speak at ICJ debate
Belgrade/The Hague,
4 December 2009
On the fourth day of the debate about the legality of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo-Metohija at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, representatives of Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria and Burundi will state their arguments.
Author:
Fonet
During yesterday’s debate representatives of Belarus and Azerbaijan said that Kosovo’s declaration of unilateral independence is in contravention of international law.
Belarus representative Elena Gricenko stressed that the situation in Kosovo-Metohija failed to meet the requirements for secession and self-determination of minority groups as envisaged by international law.
International law allowed for the secession of former colonies or in cases where the minority population had been denied participation in the authorities through years of oppression, she explained.
Azerbaijani representative Agshin Mediev said that the fact that international law does not deal with secession explicitly does not mean that it is allowed, even more so because almost all such attempts are accompanied by violence.
Mediev stressed that entities that declare secession by breaking the laws of the countries from which they wish to separate cannot be regarded as states.
Austrian legal advisor Helmut Tichy said that the unilateral declaration of independence is in line with international law.
Belarus representative Elena Gricenko stressed that the situation in Kosovo-Metohija failed to meet the requirements for secession and self-determination of minority groups as envisaged by international law.
International law allowed for the secession of former colonies or in cases where the minority population had been denied participation in the authorities through years of oppression, she explained.
Azerbaijani representative Agshin Mediev said that the fact that international law does not deal with secession explicitly does not mean that it is allowed, even more so because almost all such attempts are accompanied by violence.
Mediev stressed that entities that declare secession by breaking the laws of the countries from which they wish to separate cannot be regarded as states.
Austrian legal advisor Helmut Tichy said that the unilateral declaration of independence is in line with international law.
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