PRINCIPLES OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND THEIR ROLE IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN KOSOVO AND CRIMEA. Part 2

Keywords: secession, referendum, principle of territorial integrity, people’s right to self-determination, Kosovo, Autonomous Republic of Crimea

Abstract

The second part of the article considers the issue of the contradiction of the realization of the right to self-determination and the principle of territorial integrity of Serbia and Ukraine on the example of Kosovo and Crimea. It presents an analysis of the legitimacy of the will expression of Kosovars and Crimeans and its compliance with the norms of international law. The preconditions and factors of the ethnopolitical conflict are examined and the main problematic issues that caused controversies between the central and local authorities in Kosovo and Crimea are identified. The article emphasizes that the result of the plebiscites in Kosovo (1998) and Crimea (2014) was the declaration of independence, denied by central authorities of Serbia and Ukraine and met with mixed reactions by the international community. The self-proclaimed republics have only external features of statehood and are subject to external administration of other countries. A latent opposition of geopolitical opponents in the international arena is noted, which is to some extent traced through the position on the recognition / non-recognition of Kosovo and Crimea.

The article draws attention to the fact that inconsistent interpretations of certain principles of international law promote secession movements in countries where conflicts periodically arise between central and local authorities. The emphasis is placed on the necessity of a clearer definition of the aforementioned international legal norms and obligations undertaken by subjects of international law. The article holds that in order to avoid such situations as in Kosovo or Crimea, to eliminate conflicts related to the possibility of an ambiguous interpretation and application of the principles of international law, an internationally recognized system of more stringent and comprehensive measures should be introduced to cease and prevent threats to the territorial integrity of countries. A strong position of the international community on the abovementioned principles with the history of the liberation movements of these peoples taken into account should become the measure precluding the aggravation of conflict situations related to the aspiration of peoples for self-determination.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

О. О. Люба, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 4, Svoboda Sq., Kharkiv, 61022, Ukraine

Associate Professor, Ph.D in Political Science.

References

ЛІТЕРАТУРА

Accordance with International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in Respect of Kosovo, Advisory Opinion, I.C.J. Reports. 2010. URL: https://www.icj-cij.org/files/case-related/141/141-20100722-ADV-01-00-EN.pdf.

Хартвиг, М. Консультативное заключение Международного Суда ООН по вопросу о декларации независимости Косово – предыстория и критика судебного «постановления». 2013: 121-155. URL: https://dpp.mpil.de/02_2013/02_2013_121_155.pdf

Куге, А. 2009. Косово: самоопределение или сепаратизм? Радио Свобода. URL: https://www.svoboda.org/a/1896865.html

Закон СССР от 26 апреля 1954 года «О передаче Крымской области из состава РСФСР в состав Украинской ССР». 1954. М.: Издание Верховного Совета СССР : 545 -580

Конституция Республики Крым. Принята седьмой сессией Верховного Совета Крыма (6 мая 1992 года). URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/krym/show/rb076a002-92

Постановление ВС Российской Федерации «О решениях Президиума Верховного Совета СССР от 19 февраля 1954 года и Верховного Совета СССР от 26 апреля 1954 года о выведении Крымской области из состава РСФСР». 1992. Ведомости Съезда народных депутатов РФ; Верховного Совета РФ. № 6 : 242.

Постанова ВР України № 2397-XII «Про Постанову Верховної Ради Російської Федерації «Про правову оцінку рішень вищих органів державної влади РРФСР щодо зміни статусу Криму, прийнятих у 1954 році»». 1992. Відомості Верховної Ради України (ВВР): 33: 480.

Рижкін М. Для чого Росії Крим? 2015. Спільне: журнал соціальної критики: 9: 192-206.

Численность и состав населения Украины по итогам Всеукраинской переписи населения 2001 года. 2001. Государственный комитет статистики Украины. URL: http://2001.ukrcensus.gov.ua/rus/results/general/nationality/

Пономарева Е.Г. Косовский прецедент. 2014. МГИМО Университет МИД России. URL: https://mgimo.ru/about/news/experts/250031/

Щодо нікчемності рішення Верховної Ради Автономної Республіки Крим стосовно проголошення незалежності Криму. 2014. МЗС України. URL: https://mfa.gov.ua/ua/press-center/news/20018-shhodo-nikchemnosti-rishennya-verkhovnoji-radi-avtonomnoji-respubliki-krim-stosovno-progoloshennya-nezalezhnosti-krimu).

Краткое изложение решений, консультативных заключений и постановлений Международного Суда 2008–2012 годы. 2014. Организация Объединенных Наций : 155-178. URL: https://www.icj-cij.org/files/summaries/summaries-2008-2012-ru.pdf)

Вучич: Сербия не признает Крым российским до решения косовского вопроса. 2019. Аргументы и Факты. URL: https://aif.ru/politics/world/vuchich_serbiya_ne_priznaet_krym_rossiyskim_do_resheniya_kosovskogo_voprosa

Сербія порушила "джентельментську угоду" з Україною щодо голосування в ООН – посол. 2018. URL: https://tsn.ua/svit/serbiya-porushila-dzhentelmensku-ugodu-z-ukrayinoyu-schodo-golosuvannya-v-oon-posol-1268070.html

Косово: лівонаціоналістична партія «Самовизначення» перемогла на позачергових виборах . 2019. URL: https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-kosovo-samovyznachennia/30258362.html

Визнання незалежності Косово відкликали вже 15 країн. 2019. День. URL: https://day.kyiv.ua/uk/news/260819-vyznannya-nezalezhnosti-kosovo-vidklykaly-vzhe-15-krayin

REFERENCES

Accordance with International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in Respect of Kosovo, Advisory Opinion, I.C.J. Reports. 2010. URL: https://www.icj-cij.org/files/case-related/141/141-20100722-ADV-01-00-EN.pdf.

Khartvig M. Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence - Background and Criticism of the Judicial "Decision".2013. URL: https://dpp.mpil.de/02_2013/02_2013_121_155.pdf (in Russian).

Kuge A. 2009. Kosovo: self-determination or separatism? Radio Svoboda. URL: https://www.svoboda.org/a/1896865.html (in Russian).

The USSR Decree of April 26, 1954 "On the Transfer of the Crimean Oblast from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR." 1954. M .: Issue of the USSR Supreme Council : 545-580. (in Russian).

The Constitution of the Republic of Crimea. Adopted by the seventh session of the Supreme Council of Crimea (May 6, 1992). URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/krym/show/rb076a002-92 (in Russian).

The Resolution of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation “On the Decisions of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Council of February 19, 1954 and the USSR Supreme Council of April 26, 1954 on Excluding the Crimean Oblast from the RSFSR”. 1992. Vedomosti of the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation and the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation. № 6 : 242 (in Russian).

The Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine № 2397-XII “On the Resolution of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation “On the Legal Assessment of Decisions of the Higher State Bodies of the RSFSR on Changing the Status of Crimea, Adopted in 1954”. 1992. Vidomosti of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (VVR): 33: 480 (in Ukrainian).

Ryzhkin M. What does Russia need Crimea for? 2015. Commons: Journal of Social Criticism: 9: 192-206. (in Russian).

The number and composition of the population of Ukraine according to the results of the 2001 all-Ukrainian population census. 2001. The State Statistics Committee of Ukraine. URL: http://2001.ukrcensus.gov.ua/rus/results/general/nationality/ (in Russian).

Ponomareva E. The Kosovo precedent. 2014. MGIMO University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. URL: https://mgimo.ru/ about/news/experts/250031/ (in Russian).

On the groundless decision of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea on the Crimean independence. 2014. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. URL: https://mfa.gov.ua/ua/press-center/news/20018-shhodo-nikchemnosti-rishennya-verkhovnoji-radi-avtonomnoji-respubliki-krim-stosovno-progoloshennya-nezalezhnosti-krimu (in Ukrainian).

Summaries of Judgments, Advisory Opinions and Orders of the International Court of Justice (2008-2012). 2014. United Nations: 155-178. URL: https://www.icj-cij.org/files/summaries/summaries-2008-2012-ru.pdf (in Russian).

Vučić: Serbia does not recognize Crimea as Russian until the Kosovo issue is resolved. 2019. Argumenty i Fakty. URL: https://aif.ru/politics/world/vuchich_serbiya_ne_priznaet_krym_rossiyskim_do_resheniya_kosovskogo_voprosa (in Russian).

Serbia has violated the "gentleman's agreement" with Ukraine on voting at the UN - Ambassador. 2018. URL: https://tsn.ua/svit/serbiya-porushila-dzhentelmensku-ugodu-z-ukrayinoyu-schodo-golosuvannya-v-oon-posol-1268070.html

Kosovo: the left-wing party Self-determination won the snap election. 2019. URL: https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-kosovo-samovyznachennia/30258362.html (in Ukrainian).

countries have already withdrawn their recognition of Kosovo's independence. 2019. Den’. URL: https://day.kyiv.ua/uk/news/260819-vyznannya-nezalezhnosti-kosovo-vidklykaly-vzhe-15-krayin (in Ukrainian).

Published
2020-01-13
How to Cite
Люба, О. О. (2020). PRINCIPLES OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND THEIR ROLE IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN KOSOVO AND CRIMEA. Part 2. The Journal of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Issues of Political Science, 36, 79-89. https://doi.org/10.26565/2220-8089-2019-36-10