The Opinions of the Badinter Arbitration Committee: A Second Breath for the SelfDetermination of Peoples Appendix: Opinions of the

Arbitration Committee Opinion No. 1 The President of the Arbitration Committee recei ed the follo!in" letter from #ord Carrin"ton$ President of the Conference on %&"osla ia$ on '( No ember 1))1: *e find o&rsel es !ith a ma+or le"al ,&estion. Serbia considers that those -ep&blics !hich ha e declared or !o&ld declare themsel es independent or so erei"n ha e seceded or !o&ld secede from the S.-% !hich !o&ld other!ise contin&e to exist. Other -ep&blics on the contrar/ consider that there is no ,&estion of secession$ b&t the ,&estion is one of a disinte"ration or brea0in"-&p of the SD-% as the res&lt of the conc&rrin" !ill of a n&mber of -ep&blics. The/ consider that the six -ep&blics are to be considered e,&al s&ccessors to the S.-%$ !itho&t an/ of them or "ro&p of them bein" able to claim to be the contin&ation thereof. 1 sho&ld li0e the Arbitration Committee to consider the matter in order to form&late an/ opinion or recommendation !hich it mi"ht deem &sef&l. The Arbitration Committee has been apprised of the memoranda and doc&ments comm&nicated respecti el/ b/ the -ep&blics of Bosnia and 2er3e"o ina$ Croatia$ 4acedonia$ 4ontene"ro$ Slo enia$ Serbia$ and b/ the President of the colle"iate Presidenc/ of the S.-%. 15 The Committee considers: a5 that the ans!er to the ,&estion sho&ld be based on the principles of p&blic international la! !hich ser e to define the conditions on !hich an entit/ constit&tes a state6 that in this respect$ the existence or disappearance of the state is a ,&estion of fact6 that the effects of reco"nition b/ other states are p&rel/ declarator/6 b5 that the state is commonl/ defined as a comm&nit/ !hich consists of a territor/ and a pop&lation s&b+ect to an or"ani3ed political a&thorit/6 that s&ch a state is characteri3ed b/ so erei"nt/6 c5 that$ for the p&rpose of appl/in" these criteria$ the form of internal political or"ani3ation and the constit&tional pro isions are mere facts$ altho&"h it is necessar/ to ta0e them into consideration in order to determine the 7o ernment8s !a/ o er the pop&lation and the territor/6 d5 that in the case of a federal-t/pe state$ !hich embraces comm&nities that possess a de"ree of a&tonom/ and$ moreo er$ participate in the exercise of political po!er !ithin the frame!or0 of instit&tions common to the .ederation$ the existence of the state implies that the federal or"ans represent the components of the .ederation and !ield effecti e po!er6

e5 that$ in compliance !ith the accepted definition in international la!$ the expression 9state s&ccession8 means the replacement of one state b/ another in the responsibilit/ for the international relations of territor/. This occ&rs !hene er there is a chan"e in the territor/ of the state. The phenomenon of state s&ccession is "o erned b/ the principles of international la!$ from !hich the :ienna Con entions of '; A&"&st 1)<= and = April 1)=; ha e dra!n inspiration. 1n compliance !ith these principles$ the o&tcome of s&ccession sho&ld be e,&itable$ the states concerned bein" free of terms of settlement and conditions b/ a"reement. 4oreo er$ the peremptor/ norms of "eneral international la! and$ in partic&lar$ respect for the f&ndamental ri"hts of the indi id&al and the ri"hts of peoples and minorities$ are bindin" on all the parties to the s&ccession. '5 The Arbitration Committee notes that: a5 - altho&"h the S.-% has &ntil no! retained its international personalit/$ notabl/ inside international or"ani3ations$ the -ep&blics ha e expressed their desire for independence6 - in Slo enia$ b/ a referend&m in December 1))($ follo!ed b/ a declaration of independence on '> ?&ne 1))1$ !hich !as s&spended for three months and confirmed on = October 1))16 - in Croatia$ b/ a referend&m held in 4a/ 1))1$ follo!ed b/ a declaration of independence on '> ?&ne 1))1$ !hich !as s&spended for three months and confirmed on = October 1))16 - in 4acedonia$ b/ a referend&m held in September 1))1 in fa o&r of a so erei"n and independent 4acedonia !ithin an association of %&"osla states6 - in Bosnia and 2er3e"o ina$ b/ a so erei"nt/ resol&tion adopted b/ Parliament on 1@ October 1))1$ !hose alidit/ has been contested b/ the Serbian comm&nit/ of the -ep&blic of Bosnia and 2er3e"o ina. b5 - The composition and !or0in"s of the essential or"ans of the .ederation$ be the/ the .ederal Presidenc/$ the .ederal Co&ncil$ the Co&ncil of the -ep&blics and the Pro inces$ the .ederal Axec&ti e Co&ncil$ the Constit&tional Co&rt or the .ederal Arm/$ no lon"er meet the criteria of participation and representati es inherent in a federal state6 c5 - The reco&rse to force has led to armed conflict bet!een the different elements of the .ederation !hich has ca&sed the death of tho&sands of people and !ro&"ht considerable destr&ction !ithin a fe! months. The a&thorities of the .ederation and the -ep&blics ha e sho!n themsel es to be po!erless to enforce respect for the s&cceedin" ceasefire a"reements concl&ded &nder the a&spices of the A&ropean Comm&nities or the Bnited Nations Or"ani3ation. ;5 - Conse,&entl/$ the Arbitration Committee is of the opinion: - that the Socialist .ederal -ep&blic of %&"osla ia is in the process of dissol&tion6

- that it is inc&mbent &pon the -ep&blics to settle s&ch problems of state s&ccession as ma/ arise from this process in 0eepin" !ith the principles and r&les of international la!$ !ith partic&lar re"ard for h&man ri"hts and the ri"hts of peoples and minorities6 - that it is &p to those -ep&blics that so !ish$ to !or0 to"ether to form a ne! association endo!ed !ith the democratic instit&tions of their choice. Opinion No. ' On '( No ember 1))1 the Chairman of the Arbitration Committee recei ed a letter from #ord Carrin"ton$ Chairman of the Conference on %&"osla ia$ re,&estin" the Committee8s opinion on the follo!in" ,&estion p&t b/ the -ep&blic of Serbia: Does the Serbian pop&lation in Croatia and Bosnia-2er3e"o ina$ as one of the constit&ent peoples of %&"osla ia$ ha e the ri"ht to self-determinationC The Committee too0 note of the aide-mDEmoires$ obser ations and other materials s&bmitted b/ the -ep&blics of Bosnia-2er3e"o ina$ Croatia$ 4acedonia$ 4ontene"ro$ Slo enia and Serbia$ b/ the Presidenc/ of the Socialist .ederal -ep&blic of %&"osla ia FS.-%5 and b/ the 9Assembl/ of the Serbian People of Bosnia-2er3e"o ina8. 1. The Committee considers that$ !hate er the circ&mstances$ the ri"ht to selfdetermination m&st not in ol e chan"es to existin" frontiers at the time of independence F&ti possidetis +&ris5 except !here the states concerned a"ree other!ise. '. *here there are one or more "ro&ps !ithin a state constit&tin" one or more ethnic$ reli"io&s or lan"&a"e comm&nities$ the/ ha e the ri"ht to reco"nition of their identit/ &nder international la!. As the Committee emphasi3ed in its Opinion No. 1 of ') No ember 1))1$ p&blished on < December$ the - no! peremptor/ - norms of international la! re,&ire states to ens&re respect for the ri"hts of minorities. This re,&irement applies to all the -ep&blics is-D - is the minorities on their territor/. The Serbian pop&lation in Bosnia-2er3e"o ina and Croatia m&st therefore be afforded e er/ ri"ht accorded to minorities &nder international con ention as !ell as national and international "&arantees consistent !ith the principles of international la! and the pro isions of Chapter 11 of the draft Con ention of @ No ember 1))1$ !hich has been accepted b/ these -ep&blics. ;. Article 1 of the t!o 1)=G 1nternational Co enants on h&man ri"hts establishes that the principle of the ri"ht to self-determination ser es to safe"&ard h&man ri"hts. B/ irt&e of that ri"ht e er/ indi id&al ma/ choose to belon" to !hate er ethnic$ reli"io&s or lan"&a"e comm&nit/ he or she !ishes. 1n the Committee8s ie! one possible conse,&ence of this principle mi"ht be for the members of the Serbian pop&lation in Bosnia-2er3e"o ina and Croatia to be reco"ni3ed

&nder a"reements bet!een the -ep&blics as ha in" the nationalit/ of their choice$ !ith all the ri"hts and obli"ations !hich that entails !ith respect to the states concerned. @. The Arbitration Committee is therefore of the opinion: Fi5 that the Serbian pop&lation in Bosnia-2er3e"o ina and Croatia is entitled to all the ri"hts concerned to minorities and ethnic "ro&ps &nder international la! and &nder the pro isions of the draft Con ention of the Conference on %&"osla ia of @ No ember 1))1$ to !hich the -ep&blics of Bosnia-2er3e"o ina and Croatia ha e &nderta0en to "i e effect6 and Fii5 that the -ep&blics m&st afford the members of those minorities and ethnic "ro&ps all the h&man ri"hts and f&ndamental freedoms reco"ni3ed in international la!$ incl&din"$ !here appropriate$ the ri"ht to choose their nationalit/. Opinion No. ; On '( No ember 1))1 the Chairman of the Arbitration Committee recei ed a letter from #ord Carrin"ton$ Chairman of the Conference on %&"osla ia$ re,&estin" the Committee8s opinion on the follo!in" ,&estion p&t b/ the -ep&blic of Serbia: Can the internal bo&ndaries bet!een Croatia and Serbia and bet!een Bosnia2er3e"o ina and Serbia be re"arded as frontiers in terms of p&blic international la!C The Committee too0 note of the aide-mDEmoires$ obser ations and other materials s&bmitted b/ the -ep&blics of Bosnia-2er3e"o ina$ Croatia$ 4acedonia$ 4ontene"ro$ Slo enia and Serbia$ b/ the Presidenc/ of the Socialist .ederal -ep&blic of %&"osla ia FS.-%5 and b/ the 9Assembl/ of the Serbian People of Bosnia-2er3e"o ina8. 1. 1n its Opinion No. 1 of ') No ember$ p&blished on < December$ the Committee fo&nd that 9the Socialist .ederal -ep&blic of %&"osla ia is in the process of brea0in" &p8. Bearin" in mind that the -ep&blics of Croatia and Bosnia-2er3e"o ina$ inter alia$ ha e so&"ht international reco"nition as independent states$ the Committee is mindf&l of the fact that its ans!er to the ,&estion before it !ill necessaril/ be "i en in the context of a fl&id and chan"in" sit&ation and m&st therefore be fo&nded on the principles and r&les of p&blic international la!. '. The Committee therefore ta0es the ie! that once the process in the S.-% leads to the creation of one or more independent states$ the iss&e of frontiers$ in partic&lar those of the -ep&blics referred to in the ,&estion before it$ m&st be resol ed in accordance !ith the follo!in" principles: .irst - All external frontiers m&st be respected in line !ith the principles stated in the Bnited Nations Charter$ in the Declaration on Principles of 1nternational #a! concernin" .riendl/ -elations and Cooperation amon" States in accordance !ith the Charter of the Bnited Nations F7eneral Assembl/ -esol&tion 'G'> FHH:55 and in the 2elsin0i .inal Act$ a principle !hich also &nderlies Article 11 of the :ienna Con ention of '; A&"&st 1)<= on the S&ccession of States in -espect of Treaties.

Second - The bo&ndaries bet!een Croatia and Serbia$ bet!een Bosnia-2er3e"o ina and Serbia$ and possibl/ other ad+acent independent states ma/ not be altered except b/ a"reement freel/ arri ed at. Third - Axcept !here other!ise a"reed$ the former bo&ndaries become frontiers protected b/ international la!. This concl&sion follo!s from the principle of respect for the territorial stat&s ,&o and$ in partic&lar$ from the principle of &ti possidetis. Bti possidetis$ tho&"h initiall/ applied in settlin" decolonisation iss&es in America and Africa$ is toda/ reco"ni3ed as a "eneral principle$ as stated b/ the 1nternational Co&rt of ?&stice in its ?&d"ment of '' December 1)=G in the case bet!een B&r0ina .ase and 2ali F.rontier Disp&te$ F1)=G5 #a! -eports >>@ at >G>5: Ne ertheless the principle is not a special r&le !hich pertains solel/ to one specific s/stem of international la!. 1t is a "eneral principle$ !hich is lo"icall/ connected !ith the phenomenon of the obtainin" of independence$ !here er it occ&rs. 1ts ob io&s p&rpose is to pre ent the independence and stabilit/ of ne! states bein" endan"ered b/ fratricidal str&""les... The principle applies all the more readil/ to the -ep&blic since the second and fo&rth para"raphs of Article > of the Constit&tion of the S.-% stip&lated that the -ep&blics8 territories and bo&ndaries co&ld not be altered !itho&t their consent. .o&rth - Accordin" to a !ell-established principle of international la! the alteration of existin" frontiers or bo&ndaries b/ force is not capable of prod&cin" an/ le"al effect. This principle is to be fo&nd$ for instance$ in the Declaration on Principles of 1nternational #a! concernin" .riendl/ -elations and Cooperation amon" States in accordance !ith the Charter of the Bnited Nations F7eneral Assembl/ -esol&tion 'G'> FHH:55 and in the 2elsin0i .inal Act6 it !as cited b/ the 2a"&e Conference on < September 1))1 and is enshrined in the draft Con ention of @ No ember 1))1 dra!n &p b/ the Conference on %&"osla ia.