Separate opinion by Judge Parra-Aranguren

Document Number
107-19990602-ORD-01-06-EN
Parent Document Number
107-19990602-ORD-01-00-EN
Document File
Bilingual Document File

SEPARATE OPINION OF JUDGE PARRA-ARANGUREN

1. Notwithstanding my agreement with the operative part ofthe Order,
1consider it necessary to make the following observations.
2. Article IX of the Genocide Convention is in force between the
Parties. It prescribes:

"Disputes between the Contracting Parties relating to the interpre-
tation, application or fulfilment of the present Convention, including
those relating to the responsibility of a State for genocide or for any
of the other acts enumerated in article III,shall be submitted to the
International Court of Justice at the request of any of the parties to
the dispute."

3. Yugoslavia maintains that the Respondent has violated:

"the obligation contained in the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide not to impose deliberately on
a national group conditions of life calculated to bring about the
physical destruction of the group . . ."(Application of Yugoslavia,
p. 12).

Furthermore, during the public hearings Yugoslavia stated "in the cir-
cumstances the intensive bombing of Yugoslav populated areas consti-
tutes a breach of Article II of the Genocide Convention" (CR99125,
p. 12, Brownlie).
4. The Respondent considers that it has not violated the Genocide
Convention, because no genocide crimes have been committed during or
as a result of the military intervention of the NATO countries in Yugo-
slavia.
5. In its Judgment of 11July 1996the Court admitted prima facie the
existence of a legal dispute between the Parties because of the existence
of:

"'a situation in which the two sides hold clearly opposite views
concerning the question of the performance or non-performance
of certain treaty obligations' (Interpretation of Peuce Treaties
ivith Bulguria, Hungary und Romuniu, First Phase, Adi1isoryOpin-
ion, 1.C.J. Reports 1950, p. 74)

and that, by reason of the rejection by Yugoslavia of the complaints
formulated against it by Bosnia and Herzegovina, 'there is a legal
dispute' between them (East Timor (Portugal v. Austruliu), 1.C.J.
Reports 1995, p. 100, para. 22)" (Applicution of'the Convention on401 LEGALlTY OF USE OF FORCE (SEP.OP. PARRA-ARANGUREN)

the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime oj' Genocide.Prelimi-
nary Objections, I.C.J. Reports 1996 (II), pp. 614-615, para. 29).

6. Consequently, taking into account the allegations of the Parties in
these incidental proceedings, there appears to exist, prima facie, a "legal
dispute" between them regarding the interpretation and application of
the Genocide Convention. For this reason. Article IX of the Genocide
Convention is applicable and, in my opinion, the Court has prima facie
jurisdiction to entertain the request for provisional measures presented
by Yugoslavia.
7. Article IX of the GenocideConvention is the only prima facie basis
for jurisdiction of the Court in the present case. Therefore the only pro-
visional measures that it can indicate are those aiming to guarantee the
rights of the Applicant under the Genocide Convention.

8. Yugoslavia is requesting the Court to indicate that the Respondent

"shall cease immediately the acts of use of force and shall refrain from
any act of threat or use of force against the Federal Republic ofYugo-
slavia" (CR99114, p. 63, Etinski). However, the threat or use of force
against a State cannot in itself constitute an act of genocide within the
meaning of the Genocide Convention. Consequently the provisional
measures requested by Yugoslavia do not aim to guarantee its rights
under the Genocide Convention, i.e., the right not to suffer acts which
may be qualified as genocide crimes by the Convention. Therefore, in my
opinion, the measures requested by Yugoslavia shall not be indicated.

(Signrd) Gonzalo PARRA-ARANGUREN.

Bilingual Content

SEPARATE OPINION OF JUDGE PARRA-ARANGUREN

1. Notwithstanding my agreement with the operative part ofthe Order,
1consider it necessary to make the following observations.
2. Article IX of the Genocide Convention is in force between the
Parties. It prescribes:

"Disputes between the Contracting Parties relating to the interpre-
tation, application or fulfilment of the present Convention, including
those relating to the responsibility of a State for genocide or for any
of the other acts enumerated in article III,shall be submitted to the
International Court of Justice at the request of any of the parties to
the dispute."

3. Yugoslavia maintains that the Respondent has violated:

"the obligation contained in the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide not to impose deliberately on
a national group conditions of life calculated to bring about the
physical destruction of the group . . ."(Application of Yugoslavia,
p. 12).

Furthermore, during the public hearings Yugoslavia stated "in the cir-
cumstances the intensive bombing of Yugoslav populated areas consti-
tutes a breach of Article II of the Genocide Convention" (CR99125,
p. 12, Brownlie).
4. The Respondent considers that it has not violated the Genocide
Convention, because no genocide crimes have been committed during or
as a result of the military intervention of the NATO countries in Yugo-
slavia.
5. In its Judgment of 11July 1996the Court admitted prima facie the
existence of a legal dispute between the Parties because of the existence
of:

"'a situation in which the two sides hold clearly opposite views
concerning the question of the performance or non-performance
of certain treaty obligations' (Interpretation of Peuce Treaties
ivith Bulguria, Hungary und Romuniu, First Phase, Adi1isoryOpin-
ion, 1.C.J. Reports 1950, p. 74)

and that, by reason of the rejection by Yugoslavia of the complaints
formulated against it by Bosnia and Herzegovina, 'there is a legal
dispute' between them (East Timor (Portugal v. Austruliu), 1.C.J.
Reports 1995, p. 100, para. 22)" (Applicution of'the Convention on OPINION INDIVIDUELLE DE M. PARRA-ARANGUREN

[Truduct ion]

1. Je souscris au dispositif de l'ordonnance maisj'estime indispensable
de formuler les observations ci-après.
2. L'article IX de la convention sur le génocide esten vigueur entre les
Parties. Cette disposition prescrit ce qui suit:

«Les différendsentre les Parties contractantes relatifsà I'interpré-
tation, l'application ou l'exécutionde la présenteconvention, y com-
pris ceux relatifs a la responsabilitéd'un Etat en matièrede génocide
ou de l'un quelconque des autres actes énuméré s l'article III, seront
soumis à la Cour internationale de Justice,à la requêted'une partie
au différend.»

3. La Yougoslavie soutient que le défendeura violé:
((l'obligation énoncéedans la convention pour la prévention et la

répressiondu crime de génocidede ne pas soumettre intentionnelle-
ment un groupe national a des conditions d'existence devant entraî-
ner sa destruction physique...)) (requête dela Yougoslavie, p. 13).

En outre, lors des audiences publiques, la Yougoslavie a déclaréque (<le
bombardement intensif de zones habitées yougoslaves constitue en
l'occurrence une violation de l'article IIde la convention sur le génocide))
(CR 99/25, p. 12, Brownlie).
4. Le défendeur considère qu'iln'a pas violéla convention sur le géno-
cide parce qu'il n'a pas été commid se crimes de génocidependant I'inter-
vention militaire des pays de l'OTAN en Yougoslavie, ni à la suite de
cette intervention.
5. Dans son arrêt du 11 juillet 1996, la Cour a admis qu'il existait
prima fucie un différend d'ordre juridique entre les Parties parce qu'il
existait:

«une situation dans laquelle les points de vue des deux parties,
quant à l'exécutionou àla non-exécutionde certaines obligations
découlant d'[un traité], sont nettement opposés)) (Interprétu-
tion des traités de puix conclus uvec lu Bulgarie, la Hongrie et lu

Roumanie, première phuse, avis consultut$ C.1.J. Recueil 1950,
p. 74);
et que, du fait du rejet, par la Yougoslavie, des griefs formulasson
encontre par la Bosnie-Herzégovine, «il existe un différendd'ordre
juridique)) entre ellesTimor orientul (Portugal c. Australie), C.1.J.
Recueil 1995, p. 100,par. 22))) (Application de lu convention pour lu401 LEGALlTY OF USE OF FORCE (SEP.OP. PARRA-ARANGUREN)

the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime oj' Genocide.Prelimi-
nary Objections, I.C.J. Reports 1996 (II), pp. 614-615, para. 29).

6. Consequently, taking into account the allegations of the Parties in
these incidental proceedings, there appears to exist, prima facie, a "legal
dispute" between them regarding the interpretation and application of
the Genocide Convention. For this reason. Article IX of the Genocide
Convention is applicable and, in my opinion, the Court has prima facie
jurisdiction to entertain the request for provisional measures presented
by Yugoslavia.
7. Article IX of the GenocideConvention is the only prima facie basis
for jurisdiction of the Court in the present case. Therefore the only pro-
visional measures that it can indicate are those aiming to guarantee the
rights of the Applicant under the Genocide Convention.

8. Yugoslavia is requesting the Court to indicate that the Respondent

"shall cease immediately the acts of use of force and shall refrain from
any act of threat or use of force against the Federal Republic ofYugo-
slavia" (CR99114, p. 63, Etinski). However, the threat or use of force
against a State cannot in itself constitute an act of genocide within the
meaning of the Genocide Convention. Consequently the provisional
measures requested by Yugoslavia do not aim to guarantee its rights
under the Genocide Convention, i.e., the right not to suffer acts which
may be qualified as genocide crimes by the Convention. Therefore, in my
opinion, the measures requested by Yugoslavia shall not be indicated.

(Signrd) Gonzalo PARRA-ARANGUREN. prkvention et la répre.ssiondu crime de génocide,~.uceptionsprklimi-
nuires,C.I.J. Recueil 1996 (II), p. 614-615, par. 29).

6. Par conséquent,comptetenu desallégationsformuléespar lesParties
lors de la procédure incidentedont il s'agit, il semble existerima fucie
un ((différendd'ordre juridique)) entre elles au sujet de l'interprétation
et de l'application de la convention sur le génocide. C'estpourquoi I'ar-
ticle IX de la convention sur le génocide estapplicable età mon avis, la
Cour est compétente primu facie pour connaître de la demande en indi-
cation de mesures conservatoires présentéepar la Yougoslavie.
7. Cet article IX de la convention sur le génocideest le seul fondement
de compétence primu fiicie de la Cour en l'espèce. Lesseules mesures

conservatoires que la Cour puisse indiquer sont par conséquentcellesqui
visentà préserverlesdroits du demandeur au titre de la convention sur le
génocide.
8. La Yougoslavie demande à la Cour d'indiquer que le défendeur
((doi[t]cesser immédiatement de recourir à l'emploi de la force et doi[t]
s'abstenir detout acteconstituant une menace de recours ou un recours à
l'emploi de la force contre la République fédéralede Yougoslavie))
(CR 99/14, p. 63, (Etinski)). Or, la menace de recours à l'emploi de la
force ou l'emploi de la force contre un Etat ne constitue pas en soi un
acte de génocideau sens de la convention sur le génocide.Les mesures
conservatoires demandées par la Yougoslavie ne visent par conséquent

pas à garantir ses droits en vertu de la convention sur le génocide, c'est-
à-dire le droit de ne pas subir des actes qui risquent d'êtrequalifiésde
crimes de génocideselon la convention. C'est pourquoi, à mon avis, il ne
faut pas indiquer les mesures conservatoires demandéespar la Yougo-
slavie.

(SignP) Gonzalo PARRA-ARANGUREN.

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Separate opinion by Judge Parra-Aranguren

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