Probleem 1
Bronnen:
- Hendriksen – International law – Chapter 4: par. 2.5 and 2.7
- Appendix International Law Cases (Independence of Kosovo)
1. What is self-determination (= zelfbeschikking) and what are the conditions thereof?
The right to self-determination stipulates (= bepaalt) that people have a right to freely determine
their political status and pursue their economic, social and cultural development. But before 1945
it did not emerge as a fundamental principle of international law until the decolonization process
after the end of the Second World War. This principle is found in for example in article 1 of the UN
Charter and resolutions from the General Assembly (= Algemene vergadering).
In the East Timor case the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stated that the right to self-
determination is an essential principle of international law that has an erga omnes character. This
means that the rights and duties apply to everyone.
The most controversial aspect of the right to self-determination concerns the extent to which it gives
a section of a population a right to seperate from an existing state without permission from the
government of the mother-state. In the 1960s and 1970s, former colonies successfully separate and
became an independent state. But later the relationship between the right to self-determination and
statehood resurfaced. The ICJ decided that Kosovo was entitled to secede in accordance with
International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in respect of Kosovo, the Court
refrained from doing so. It limited itself to stating that there are 'radically different views' on whether
the right to self-determination offers a right to secession for other people than those in nonself-
governing territories and peoples view to foreign subjugation (= onderwerping), domination and
exploitation, but that international law does not preclude (= uitsluiten) Kosovo from issuing a
declaration of independence.
2. Is a declaration of independence lawful (= wettig/rechtmatig) under international
law?
A number of participants in the present proceedings have claimed that the population of Kosovo has
the right to create an independent State either as:
1. A manifestation of a right to self-determination The International law of the right of self-
determination confers upon (= verleent) part of the population of an existing State the right
to separate from that State. But as the Court had noted, that issue is beyond the scope of the
question posed (= gevraagd) by the General Assembly. To answer that question, the Court
needs to determine whether the declaration of independence was violated (= schending).
a. Either in general international law (The Court considers that general international
law contains no applicable prohibition (= verbod) of declarations of independence) or
b. The lex specialis created by Security Council resolution 1244 (= Veiligheidsraad).
2. Pursuant (= overeenkomstig) to what they described as a right of ‘remedial secession’ in the
face of the situation in Kosovo.
3. Is secession (=afscheiding) lawful under international law?
The right to self-determination of a nation is normally fulfilled by internal self-determination -
autonomy - according to which a nation pursue their political, economic, social and cultural
Bronnen:
- Hendriksen – International law – Chapter 4: par. 2.5 and 2.7
- Appendix International Law Cases (Independence of Kosovo)
1. What is self-determination (= zelfbeschikking) and what are the conditions thereof?
The right to self-determination stipulates (= bepaalt) that people have a right to freely determine
their political status and pursue their economic, social and cultural development. But before 1945
it did not emerge as a fundamental principle of international law until the decolonization process
after the end of the Second World War. This principle is found in for example in article 1 of the UN
Charter and resolutions from the General Assembly (= Algemene vergadering).
In the East Timor case the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stated that the right to self-
determination is an essential principle of international law that has an erga omnes character. This
means that the rights and duties apply to everyone.
The most controversial aspect of the right to self-determination concerns the extent to which it gives
a section of a population a right to seperate from an existing state without permission from the
government of the mother-state. In the 1960s and 1970s, former colonies successfully separate and
became an independent state. But later the relationship between the right to self-determination and
statehood resurfaced. The ICJ decided that Kosovo was entitled to secede in accordance with
International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in respect of Kosovo, the Court
refrained from doing so. It limited itself to stating that there are 'radically different views' on whether
the right to self-determination offers a right to secession for other people than those in nonself-
governing territories and peoples view to foreign subjugation (= onderwerping), domination and
exploitation, but that international law does not preclude (= uitsluiten) Kosovo from issuing a
declaration of independence.
2. Is a declaration of independence lawful (= wettig/rechtmatig) under international
law?
A number of participants in the present proceedings have claimed that the population of Kosovo has
the right to create an independent State either as:
1. A manifestation of a right to self-determination The International law of the right of self-
determination confers upon (= verleent) part of the population of an existing State the right
to separate from that State. But as the Court had noted, that issue is beyond the scope of the
question posed (= gevraagd) by the General Assembly. To answer that question, the Court
needs to determine whether the declaration of independence was violated (= schending).
a. Either in general international law (The Court considers that general international
law contains no applicable prohibition (= verbod) of declarations of independence) or
b. The lex specialis created by Security Council resolution 1244 (= Veiligheidsraad).
2. Pursuant (= overeenkomstig) to what they described as a right of ‘remedial secession’ in the
face of the situation in Kosovo.
3. Is secession (=afscheiding) lawful under international law?
The right to self-determination of a nation is normally fulfilled by internal self-determination -
autonomy - according to which a nation pursue their political, economic, social and cultural
