Separate opinion by Judge Parra-Aranguren

Document Number
105-19990602-ORD-01-04-EN
Parent Document Number
105-19990602-ORD-01-00-EN
Document File
Bilingual Document File

SEPARATE OPINION OF JUDGE PARRA-ARANGUREN

1. Notwithstanding my agreement with the operative part of the Order,
1 consider 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 111,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 Peace Treaties
with Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania, First Phuse, Advisory Opin-
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. Australiu), I.C.J.
Reports 1995, p. 100, para. 22)" (Application of the Convention on the Prevention und Punishment of tle Crinle of'Genocide, Prelimi-
nary Ohjectiotzs1.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 Genocide Convention 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 Applicantunder 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 ofugo-
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, Le., 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.

(Signed) Gonzalo PARRA-ARANGUREN.

Bilingual Content

SEPARATE OPINION OF JUDGE PARRA-ARANGUREN

1. Notwithstanding my agreement with the operative part of the Order,
1 consider 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 111,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 Peace Treaties
with Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania, First Phuse, Advisory Opin-
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. Australiu), I.C.J.
Reports 1995, p. 100, para. 22)" (Application of the Convention on OPINION INDIVIDUELLE DE M. PARRA-ARANGUREN

[Traduction]

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 est en vigueurentre 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 la responsabilitéd'un Etat en matièrede génocide
ou de l'un quelconque des autres actes énuméré s l'article III, seront
soumis àla Cour internationale de Justice, a la requêted'une partie
au différend.))

3. La Yougoslavie soutient que le défendeur a violé:

((l'obligation énoncéedans la convention pour la prévention et la
répressiondu crime de génocidede ne pas soumettre intentionnelle-
ment un groupe national à des conditions d'existence devant entraî-
ner sa destruction physique...)) (requêtede la 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 II de la convention sur le génocide))
(CR 99/25, p. 12, Brownlie).
4. Le défendeur considère qu'il n'apas violéla convention sur le géno-
cide parce qu'il n'apas étécommis de 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 Il juillet 1996, la Cour a admis qu'il existait
primu 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 a l'exécutionou à la non-exécutionde certaines obligations
découlant d'[un traité], sont nettement opposés)) (Interprétu-
tion des traitésde paix conclus avec la Bulgarie, lu Hongrie et lu
Roumanie, première phase, avisconsultatif; C.I.J. Recueil 1950,

p. 74);
et que, du fait du rejet, par la Yougoslavie, des griefs formuléàson
encontre par la Bosnie-Herzégovine, «il existe un différendd'ordre
juridique)) entre ellesTimor oriental (Portugal c.Austrulie), C.I.J.
Recueil 1995, p. 100,par. 22)))(Applicationde la conventionpour la the Prevention und Punishment of tle Crinle of'Genocide, Prelimi-
nary Ohjectiotzs1.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 Genocide Convention 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 Applicantunder 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 ofugo-
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, Le., 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.

(Signed) Gonzalo PARRA-ARANGUREN. préventionet la répressiondu crime de gi.nocide, exceptions prélimi-
naires.C.I.J. Recueil1996 (II), p. 614-615, par. 29).

6. Par conséquent,compte tenu desallégationsformuléespar lesParties
lors de la procédureincidente dont il s'agit, il semble exister primu,facie
un ((différendd'ordre juridique)) entre elles au sujet de l'interprétation
et de l'application de la convention sur le génocide.C'est pourquoi l'ar-
ticle1Xde la convention sur le génocideest applicable et, àmon avis, la

Cour est compétente prima Jucie pour connaitre de la demande en indi-
cation de mesures conservatoires présentéepar la Yougoslavie.
7. Cet article IX de la convention sur le génocide estle seul fondement
de compétence prima facie de la Cour en l'espèce.Les seules 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 de tout acteconstituant une menace de recours ou un recours i
l'emploi de la force contre la République fédéralede Yougoslavie))
(CR99114, 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 génocide selonla convention. C'est pourquoi, à mon avis, il ne
faut pas indiquer les mesures conservatoires demandées par la Yougo-
slavie.

(Signk) Gonzalo PARRA-ARANGUREN.

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Separate opinion by Judge Parra-Aranguren

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