Separate opinion by Judge Parra-Aranguren

Document Number
111-19990602-ORD-01-04-EN
Parent Document Number
111-19990602-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 Partiesrelating to the interpre-
tation, application or fulfilment of the present Convention, including
those relating to the responsibility of a Statefor 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 Peucr Trrafies
with Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania, First Phase, 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. Australia), 1.C.J.
Reports 1995, p. 100, para. 22)" (Application of the Convention on704 LEGALITY OF USE OF FORCE (SEP. OP. PARRA-ARANGUREN)

the Prevention und Punishment of the Crime of 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 Genocide Convention is the only prima facie basis
for jurisdiction of the Court in the present case. Therefore the onlypro-
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 of Yugo-
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.

(Signed) 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 Partiesrelating to the interpre-
tation, application or fulfilment of the present Convention, including
those relating to the responsibility of a Statefor 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 Peucr Trrafies
with Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania, First Phase, 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. Australia), 1.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 1;aconvention sur le génocide esten vigueur entre les
parties. Cettedisposii.ion prescrit ce qui suit:
«Les différendsentre les Parties contractantes relatifà I'interpré-
tation, l'application ou l'exécutionde la présenteconvention, y com-
pris ceux relatifsla responsabilité d'unEtat 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 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 considèrequ'il n'apas violé laconvention sur le géno-
cide parce qu'il n'a palsétécommis de crimes de génocidependant I'inter-
vention militaire des pays de l'OTAN en Yougoslavie, ni a la suite de
cette intervention.
5. Dans son arrêtdu 1l juillet 1996, la Cour a admis qu'il existait

prima fucie un différendd'ordre juridique entre les Parties parce qu'il
existait
«une situation dans laquelle les points de vue des deux parties,
quant àl'exécutionou à la non-exécutionde certaines obligations
découlant d'[un traité], sont nettement opposés)) (Interpréta-
tion des traité:;de paix conclus avec lu Bulgarie, la Hongrie et la

Rouwranie, première phase, avis consultatij; C. IJ. Recueil 1950,
p. 74);
et que, du fait du1rejet, par la Yougoslavie, des griefs formulàson
encontre par la Bosnie-Herzégovine, «il existe un différendd'ordre
juridique))entre elles(Timor oriental (Portugal c. Australie), C.I.J.
Recueil 1995, p. 100,par. 22)))(Applicution de la convention pour la704 LEGALITY OF USE OF FORCE (SEP. OP. PARRA-ARANGUREN)

the Prevention und Punishment of the Crime of 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 Genocide Convention is the only prima facie basis
for jurisdiction of the Court in the present case. Therefore the onlypro-
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 of Yugo-
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.

(Signed) Gonzalo PARRA-ARANGUREN. LICÉITÉ DE L'EMF'LOI DE LA FORCE (OP.IND.PARRA-ARANGUREN) 704

prévention et la répressiondu crime de ginocide, exceptions prélimi-
nuira, C.I.J.Recueil 1996 (II), p. 614-615, par. 29).

6. Par conséquent,compte tenu des allégationsformuléespar lesParties
lors de la procédure incidente dont il s'agit, il semble exiprima facie
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 génocideest applicable et, a mon avis, la
Cour est compétente prima facie pour connaître de la demande en indi-
cation de mesures conservatoires présentéepar la Yougoslavie.
7. Cet article 1Xde: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 préserverles droits 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 acte constituant une menace de recours ou un recourà
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 demaridéespar la Yougoslavie ne visent par conséquent

pas a 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.

(Signé) Gonzalo PARRA-ARANGUREN.

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Separate opinion by Judge Parra-Aranguren

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