Legality of Use of Force (Yugoslavia v. Spain) - Provisional measures - Court to give its decisions on Wednesday 2 June 1999 at 10.00 a.m.

No. 99/22
28 May 1999

Legality of Use of Force
(Yugoslavia v. Belgium) (Yugoslavia v. Canada) (Yugoslavia v. France)
(Yugoslavia v. Germany) (Yugoslavia v. Italy) (Yugoslavia v. Netherlands)
(Yugoslavia v. Portugal) (Yugoslavia v. Spain) (Yugoslavia v. United Kingdom)
(Yugoslavia v. United States of America)

Provisional measures

Court to give its decisions on Wednesday 2 June 1999 at 10.00 a.m.

THE HAGUE, 28 May 1999. On Wednesday 2 June 1999, the International Court of Justice
(ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, will give its decisions on the requests for the
indication of provisional measures submitted by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) in the
above-mentioned cases.

A public sitting will take place at 10.00 a.m. at the Peace Palace in The Hague during which
the Vice-President of the Court, Judge Christopher Weeramantry, exercising the functions of the
presidency in the ten cases, will announce the Court's decision in each case.

Special admission procedure

The admission procedure for this public sitting is similar to that established for the hearings of
10-12 May 1999.

Members of the Diplomatic Corps and representatives of international organizations are kindly
requested to call the Court switchboard (tel: + 31 70 302 23 23) by Tuesday 1 June 1999 in order to
confirm that they will attend.

Members of the public are asked to do the same. They are, however, reminded that the

number of seats reserved for them in the Great Hall of Justice is restricted to 50.

Representatives of the Press are kindly requested to fill in the enclosed accreditation form and
to return it by Tuesday 1 June 1999 to the Information Office (fax: + 31 70 302 23 38).

Background information

In its request for the indication of provisional measures, Yugoslavia asked the Court to order
the States involved to "cease immediately [their] acts of use of force" and to "refrain from any act of
threat or use of force" against the FRY. - 2 -

At the opening of the hearings, on Monday 10 May 1999, five judges ad hoc took the oath
(Article 31 of the Court's Statute provides that parties which do not have any judge of their
nationality on the Bench may appoint a judge ad hoc). They are Messrs. Milenko Kre_a
(Yugoslavia), Patrick Duinslaeger (Belgium), Marc Lalonde (Canada), Giorgio Gaja (Italy) and
Santiago Torres Bernárdez (Spain).

The Court then heard the Parties. Yugoslavia, as the applicant State, spoke first for two hours
in a common statement for all ten cases. It was followed by the respondent States in English
alphabetical order. Each State had one hour to submit its arguments. The first round of oral
arguments was concluded on Tuesday 11 May 1999. A second round of oral arguments was held on

Wednesday 12 May 1999, Yugoslavia having one hour at its disposal and the respondent States 15
minutes each.

Yugoslavia filed its requests for the indication of provisional measures on 29 April 1999 when
it instituted proceedings before the Court against the ten above-mentioned States, accusing them of
bombing Yugoslav territory in violation of their obligation not to use force against another State (for
further details, see Press Communiqué 99/17).

*

NOTE FOR THE PRESS

1. The public sitting will be held in the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace in The Hague,
Netherlands. Mobile telephones and beepers are allowed in the courtroom provided they are
turned off or set on silent mode. Any offending device will be temporarily confiscated.

2. The tables reserved for members of the Press are situated on the far left of the public
entrance to the courtroom.

3. Photographs may be taken for a few minutes at the opening and at the end of the sitting.
Television crews may film, but advance notice should be given to the Information Office (see

paragraph 8).

4. In the Press Room, located on the ground floor of the Peace Palace (Room 5), the reading of
the Court's Orders will be relayed through a loudspeaker.

5. At the end of the sitting, press releases (one for each case) and the full text of the Orders will
be distributed in the Press Room.

6. The above-mentioned documents will be simultaneously available on the Court's website
(http://www.icj-cij.org).

7. Members of the Press who wish to make telephone calls may use the phone located in the
Press Room for collect calls or the public telephones in the Post Office in the basement of the Peace
Palace.

8. Mr. Arthur Witteveen, Secretary of the Court (tel: + 31 70 302 2336), and
Mrs. Laurence Blairon, Information Officer (tel: + 31 70 302 2337), are available to deal with any
requests for information and for making arrangements for television coverage.

_____________ - 3 -

ACCREDITATION FORM
FOR THE PUBLIC SITTING OF 2 JUNE 1999
AT THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

(PLEASE USE CAPITAL LETTERS)

MEDIA: ________________________________________________________________

CATEGORY:  written press  television  radio  photographer

COUNTRY: ________________________________________________________________

PHONE: ________________________________________________________________

FAX: ________________________________________________________________

E-MAIL: ________________________________________________________________

PERSONS TO BE ACCREDITED:

Name Function No. press Issued by
card

1. __________________ ___________________ _________________
______________

2. __________________ ___________________ _________________
_____________

3. __________________ ___________________ _________________
______________

4. __________________ ___________________ _________________
______________

5. __________________ ___________________ _________________
______________

Please return this form BY TUESDAY 1 JUNE 1999 to the Information Office of the International
Court of Justice

Fax: + 31 70 302 23 38