[Marxism] UN General Assembly votes Kosovo secession illegal

[David Thorstad <binesi@xxxxxxxxx>]

     Statement of the Day

*"Perhaps 48 countries did recognize Kosovo independence, but it may be 
worth mentioning that the other 144 did not."*

/Dumisani Kumalo, South Africa's Ambassador to the UN, in response to 
American ambassador during General Assembly's debate 
<http://de-construct.net/e-zine/?p=3175> about Serbian initiative/

//


     How they voted

UN logo

*IN FAVOR* of the Serbian resolution 
<http://de-construct.net/e-zine/?p=3175> requesting ICJ to rule on 
[il]legality of unilateral secession of its southern Kosovo and Metohija 
province (77 UN member states):

Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, 
Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Chile, China, 
Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, 
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican 
Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Fiji, Greece, 
Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, 
Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, 
Madagascar, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, 
Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, 
Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, 
Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, 
Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Timor-Leste, United Republic of 
Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

*AGAINST* Serbian initiative (6 countries):

Albania, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and United States of 
America.

/


   Serbia Wins Majority Support in United Nations

Oct 8th, 2008 | By De-Construct.net 
<http://de-construct.net/e-zine/?author=1> | In Current 
<http://de-construct.net/e-zine/?cat=1>, Kosovo-Metohija Crisis 
<http://de-construct.net/e-zine/?cat=119>

http://de-construct.net/e-zine/?p=3175

UN General Assembly 
<http://de-construct.net/e-zine/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/un-general-assembly.jpg>


       US and Albania, Part of a Painfully Small World Minority

Serbian resolution requesting an advisory opinion of the International 
Court of Justice (ICJ) on "whether the unilateral declaration of 
independence of Kosovo is in accordance with international law" was 
accepted in the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, with 77 countries 
voting in favor and 6 against (Albania, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, 
Nauru, Palau and United States of America).

74 countries abstained but, according to the General Assembly voting 
regulations, Serbia needed a simple majority, where only the votes 'for' 
and 'against' are being counted, while the abstentions are not taken 
into account.

"We are surprised with the number of states which voted for the 
resolution. We support the International Court of Justice opinion, but 
an advisory opinion cannot affect Kosovo independence", Britain's UN 
Ambassador John Sawers said after the vote.

Previously, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic urged the representatives of 
the United Nations to support Serbia's ICJ intiative.


       Jeremic: Voting Against Means Secessionists Always Win

Sending the resolution to the court, Jeremic told the UN General 
Assembly, would reduce tensions in the region and in the rest of the world.

"The Republic of Serbia believes that sending this question to the ICJ 
would prevent the Kosovo crisis from serving as a deeply problematic 
precedent in any part of the globe where secessionist ambitions are 
harbored," Jeremic said explaining Serbia's request.

"We also believe that the ICJ advisory opinion would provide politically 
neutral, yet judicially authoritative guidance, to many countries still 
deliberating on how to approach UDI in line with international law," 
Jeremic added.

He stated that Serbia believes "that recourse to the Court would 
strengthen the rule of law in international relations, and make the 
proposed course of action a symbol of the world community's resolve to 
take the UN Charter as its guide".

"Supporting this resolution would also serve to reaffirm a fundamental 
principle: the right of any member State of the United Nations to pose a 
simple, basic question — on a matter it considers vitally important — to 
the international court," Jeremic set out, noting that to vote against 
would be in effect a vote to deny the right of any country – now or in 
the future – to seek judicial recourse through the UN system.

Serbia wins majority

Jeremic underscored that "to vote against would also mean accepting that 
nothing could be done when secessionists in whichever part of the globe 
assert the uniqueness of their cause, and claim exception to the 
universal scope of the international legal order".

Serbian Foreign Minister said that: "All member States have on numerous 
occasions confirmed their confidence in the ICJ as the principal 
judicial organ of the United Nations. We must therefore have full 
confidence that the Court will perform its duty in an exemplary fashion 
without any special directives."

"The question posed is amply clear and refrains from taking political 
positions on the Kosovo issue. The answer to come, in the form of an 
advisory opinion, will be based on international law, in accordance with 
the ICJ's Statute and Rules of Procedure," Jeremic pointed out.

Jeremic expressed belief that "the draft resolution in its present form 
is entirely non-controversial. It represents the lowest common 
denominator of the positions of the member States on this question, and 
hence there is no need for any changes or additions."

"Let us adopt it and allow the Court to act freely and impartially 
within the framework of its competencies. We are confident that the ICJ 
will know what to do, and that it will take into account the opinions of 
all interested member States and international organizations," Jeremic 
concluded his address, noting also that "the most prudent way to proceed 
today is to adopt our resolution without opposition, as was the decision 
on the inclusion of this item in the agenda at the General Committee."


       Severe Blow to the Separatists and their Western Sponsors

After Jeremic's address, UN General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto 
opened the debate.

European Union, which aims for a united foreign policy, once again 
failed to reach a consensus with the UK and France abstaining, while 
Slovakia, Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Romania voted in favor. In the 
discussion that preceded the voting, Serbia was supported by Panama, 
Cuba, Mexico, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Algeria, Egypt, South Africa… The 
United States and Albania voiced their opposition to the adoption of the 
resolution, while Turkey abstained.

Great Britain criticized Serbian initiative, claiming it was 
"politically motivated". US representative Rosemary DiCarlo said her 
country will vote against, since Washington considers Kosovo Albanian 
separatists' declaration to have been "in line with international law".

"United States are fully supporting the International Court of Justice, 
but in regards to the resolution before us, we believe the advisory 
opinion is unnecessary and unhelpful, and therefore we shall vote 
against it", the US ambassador said, stressing that 48 countries have 
recognized Pristina separatists' declaration.

"Perhaps 48 countries did recognize Kosovo independence, but it may be 
worth mentioning that the other 144 did not," South Africa's Ambassador 
to the UN Dumisani Kumalo said, emphasizing his country supports Serbian 
initiative.

The plenary session, despite Great Britain's insistence, was not 
attended by the Pristina war criminals, butchers, narcodealers and 
separatists.

Even though mafia state on Serbian territory was recognized only 24 
hours ago by one more EU member — Portugal, East River diplomats believe 
adoption of the Serbian resolution will represent a "severe 
psychological blow to the further recognitions", being that the states 
which have not formed a clear stand on the issue are expected to await 
the ICJ opinion prior to making any moves.

According to /Tanjug/, the prevailing view of the UN delegates is that 
recent events in Georgia have made Western position more precarious, 
since predictions of opponents of imposed severing of southern Serbian 
province have proved correct — amputation of Kosovo province did create 
a precedent, encouraging secessionist movements throughout the world.

/
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