text:
International Court of Justice advisory opinion on Kosovo's declaration of independence
Accordance with International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence In Respect of Kosovo | |
Court | International Court of Justice |
Full case name | Accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo (Request for Advisory Opinion) |
Decided | 22 July 2010 |
Citation(s) | Accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo (Request for Advisory Opinion) |
Case opinions | |
Kosovo declaration was not in violation of international law (10–4) | |
Court membership | |
Judge(s) sitting | Hisashi Owada (President), Peter Tomka (Vice-President), Abdul G. Koroma, Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh, Thomas Buergenthal, Bruno Simma, Ronny Abraham, Kenneth Keith, Bernardo Sepúlveda Amor, Mohamed Bennouna, Leonid Skotnikov, Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade, Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, Christopher Greenwood[1] |
Accordance with International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence In Respect of Kosovo was a request for an advisory opinion referred to the International Court of Justice by the United Nations General Assembly regarding the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence. The territory of Kosovo is the subject of a dispute between Serbia and the Republic of Kosovo established by the declaration. This was the first case regarding a unilateral declaration of independence to be brought before the court.
The court delivered its advisory opinion on 22 July 2010; by a vote of 10 to 4, it declared that "the adoption of the declaration of independence of the 17 February 2008 did not violate general international law because international law contains no 'prohibition on declarations of independence'":[2] nor did the adoption of the declaration of independence violate UN Security Council Resolution 1244, since this did not describe Kosovo's final status, nor had the Security Council reserved for itself the decision on final status.[3] There were many reactions to the decision, with most countries which already recognise Kosovo hailing the decision and saying it was "unique" and does not set a precedent; while many countries which do not recognise Kosovo said they would not be doing so as the ruling could set a precedent of endorsing secession in other places.
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence was adopted on 17 February 2008 in a meeting of the Assembly of Kosovo.[4] It was the second declaration of independence by Kosovo's ethnic-Albanian political institutions, the first having been proclaimed on 7 September 1990.[5]
Serbia decided to seek international validation and support for its stance that the declaration of independence was illegal at the International Court of Justice.
Whether the declaration was in fact an official act of the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government was unclear; in the end, the Court determined it was issued by "representatives of the people of Kosovo" acting outside the normal Provisional Institutions of Self-Government.[6] This was significant, since the Serbian argument was that the Kosovo Provisional Institutions of Self-Government had exceeded the authority given to them by the Constitutional Framework (promulgated by UNMIK). In September 2012, international supervision ended,[7] and Kosovo became responsible for its own governance.[8]
United Nations request[edit]
On 26 March 2008, the Government of Serbia announced its plan to call on the International Court of Justice to rule on the declaration of Kosovo's secession. Serbia sought to have the court's opinion on whether the declaration was in breach of international law. Also, an initiative seeking international support was undertaken at the United Nations General Assembly when it gathered again in New York in September 2008.[9]
On 15 August 2008, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić officially filed a request at the United Nations seeking opinion of the International Court of Justice.[10]
The resolution was worded as follows:
The General Assembly,
Mindful of the purposes and principles of the United Nations,
Bearing in mind its functions and powers under the Charter of the United Nations,
Recalling that on 17 February 2008 the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo declared independence from Serbia,
Aware that this act has been received with varied reactions by the Members of the United Nations as to its compatibility with the existing international legal order,
Decides, in accordance with Article 96 of the Charter of the United Nations to request the International Court of Justice, pursuant to Article 65 of the Statute of the Court to render an advisory opinion on the following question:
- "Is the unilateral declaration of independence by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo in accordance with international law?"[11]
On 30 September 2008, in a trial vote, the Serbian initiative was backed by 120 member states.[12] In the real vote, the United Nations General Assembly adopted this proposal as Resolution 63/3[13] on 8 October 2008 with 77 votes in favour, 6 votes against and 74 abstentions.[14]
The 77 countries that voted for the initiative A/63/L.2 of Serbia were: Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, 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, North Korea, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Republic of the Congo, Romania, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The 6 countries that opposed the initiative were: Albania, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau and United States.
The 74 countries that abstained from voting were: Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Grenada, Haiti, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, and Yemen.
Officially the following countries were absent: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Iraq, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu and Venezuela.
The following states were not allowed to vote due to the lack of payments to the UN: Central African Republic, Comoros, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Somalia and Tajikistan.[15][16]
Provision of documents by the United Nations[edit]
On 9 October 2008, the UN Secretariat informed the ICJ that it had begun the preparation of a dossier containing all documents relevant to the legal question before the Court, representing the body of international law on the question.[17]
Aside from introductory notes, the dossier contained a copy of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999), deliberations of the Security Council, official reports on the activities of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), reports on the NATO-led security force KFOR, regulations and international agreements entered into by UNMIK, reports on the activities of the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government and on the Kosovo Status Process. Also included were 'general international law instruments – universal and regional', such as copies of the UN Charter, Helsinki Final Act, and various agreements on civil and human rights, as well as other legal documents from the wider Balkans (such as the rulings of the Badinter Commission).
Court proceedings[edit]
Written statements[edit]
On 21 April 2009, the ICJ announced that 35 member states of the United Nations had filed written statements within the time-limit fixed by the court (17 April 2009) on the question of the legality of Kosovo's UDI. Kosovo also filed a written contribution.[18] Written statements were submitted by the following states (in order of receipt): the Czech Republic,[19] France,[20] Cyprus,[21] People's Republic of China,[22] Switzerland,[23] Romania,[24] Albania,[25] Austria,[26] Egypt,[27] Germany,[28] Slovakia,[29] Russia,[30] Finland,[31] Poland,[32] Luxembourg,[33] Libya,[34] the United Kingdom,[35] the United States of America,[36] Serbia,[37] Spain,[38] Iran,[39] Estonia,[40] Norway,[41] the Netherlands,[42] Slovenia,[43] Latvia,[44] Japan,[45] Brazil,[46] Ireland,[47] Denmark,[48] Argentina,[49] Azerbaijan,[50] Maldives,[51] Sierra Leone,[52] and Bolivia.[53] This was the first time that China had officially submitted an opinion in a case in front of the ICJ.[54] States and organisations which had presented written statements were allowed to submit written comments on the other statements by 17 July 2009.[55] Venezuela was also allowed to submit documents, even though it failed to meet the deadline.[56] According to media, the most extensive written statements were supplied by Argentina, Spain, Russia, Cyprus, the United States and the United Kingdom, while Libya submitted one of the shortest statements. Cyprus supplied a list of Europe's regions that can be expected to follow suit and announce similar separatist moves. Russia and Slovenia argued whether the case of Kosovo is unique or not.
The ICJ also invited the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to send his statement. His document contains three parts, with the first reminding of the process that led to the ICJ case. The second explains the establishment of the UN mission in Kosovo and cites "two relevant dates": March 1998 as the beginning of UN engagement in Kosovo, and February 2008, which is mentioned as the "closing date", i.e., the date when the proclamation was made. Ban writes about provisions of international law relevant to the case in the third part of his written statement, without expressing his position in favour of or against the province's independence.[57]
Fourteen States which presented written statements also submitted written comments on the other written statements. These States are (in order of receipt): France,[58] Norway,[59] Cyprus,[60] Serbia,[61] Argentina,[62] Germany,[63] Netherlands,[64] Albania,[65] Slovenia,[66] Switzerland,[67] Bolivia,[68] United Kingdom,[69] United States of America,[70] and Spain.[71] The authors of the unilateral declaration of independence submitted a written contribution containing their comments on the written statements.[72][73]
Public hearings[edit]
The public hearings opened on 1 December 2009. During these hearings, statements and comments were presented orally by some of the United Nations Member States (whether or not they had filed written statements or comments), and by representatives from Kosovo (under the title "Authors of the unilateral declaration of independence").
Serbia and Kosovo were given three hours to present their case on 1 December 2009. 27 other states were given 45 minutes each, being heard in French alphabetical order. The proceedings lasted until 11 December 2009.[74]
Country Date case presented Head of delegation Points raised Serbia[75] 1 December 2009 Dušan Bataković, Ambassador of Serbia to France - Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence violates the foundations of international law. It is a challenge to the authority of the United Nations, and a challenge to international legal order based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. The declaration represents an attempt to abolish the UN administration in Kosovo, to annul Serbia's sovereignty over its southern province and to impose independence as a unilateral solution for Kosovo.
- Kosovo was "the historical cradle of Serbia and constitutes one of the essential pillars of its identity".
- The independence proclamation was made by the temporary Kosovo government and was in violation of UN Resolution 1244, which guarantees the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's (and now Serbia's) territorial integrity.
- All Serbian proposals offering broad autonomy to ethnic Albanians had been rejected.
- Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo are having their basic human rights threatened, and they are being pressured to move out from the region. All big towns in Kosovo, with the exception of Kosovska Mitrovica, have been ethnically cleansed. The Serb churches and monasteries in Kosovo are "the only cultural monuments in Europe that are guarded by international armed forces because they are faced with the realistic threat of being demolished".
- It would be a dangerous precedent if other countries with UN administration concluded that the arrival of peacekeeping forces represented the first step in the secession of a region.[76][77]
Kosovo [78] 1 December 2009 Skënder Hyseni, Foreign Minister of Kosovo - Kosovo's independence is irreversible. This will remain the case, not only for Kosovo, but also for the sake of regional peace and security.
- After violating the human rights of Kosovo's Albanians Serbia had lost its rights to the country.
- The will of the people of Kosovo to freely determine their political status goes back many years and was clear to all participants in the 1999 Rambouillet Conference. "It was clear immediately after the 1999 conflict, when [UN] resolution 1244 expressly referred to the Rambouillet accords. It was clear throughout the period of [the UN's] UNMIK administration, and it was fully discussed and considered throughout the final status negotiations".
- The negotiations for the final status of Kosovo were supposed to convince Serbia to recognise its independence.
- Serbia has never been sincere in its offers of autonomy for Kosovo: "In the midst of status talks, Serbia adopted the constitution where it confirmed Kosovo as part of Serbia, thus demonstrated to Albanians that it is not interested in finding the solution, and showed what it meant with its offer for autonomy ... Therefore, Serbia showed that Kosovo is only a piece of land".[77][79]
Albania 2 December 2009 Gazmend Barbullushi, Ambassador of Albania to the Netherlands - There is no rule of international law prohibiting secession.
- It would be a severe violation of international law if intervention by third states, forcefully or otherwise, was decisive for a declaration of independence. But in Kosovo's case this was not so.[80]
Germany 2 December 2009 Susanne Wasum-Rainer, Legal Adviser, Federal Foreign Office - The existence of the state of Kosovo cannot be ignored. Its existence is based on the right of self-determination by the people of Kosovo.
- The principle of efficiency, is "the only principle that can be applied in the case of Kosovo, since Kosovo fulfills the elements of statehood and its people, territory and government have nation-building qualities".[80][81]
Saudi Arabia 2 December 2009 Abdullah Alshaghrood, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the Netherlands - The declaration of independence was not a violation of international law.[80]
Argentina 2 December 2009 Susana Ruiz Cerutti, Head of the Legal Adviser Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Kosovo's declaration of independence "breaches an obligation to respect the territorial integrity of Serbia, the obligation of peaceful settlement of disputes and principle of non-intervention. The resolution has no legal basis in the principle of self-determination".
- The declaration "did not, and could not, abolish Serbia's sovereignty over Kosovo".
- Kosovo's status will have to be determined through talks and compromise, in line with Resolution 1244.[80][81][82]
Austria 3 December 2009 Helmut Tichy, Deputy Legal Adviser, Federal Ministry of European and International Affairs - In international law there is no rule that prohibits the declaration of independence, or secession. The declaration was adopted by elected representatives who have expressed the will of the people of Kosovo and international law does not prohibit this.
- The only exceptions are Northern Cyprus and Rhodesia; their independence is illegal as it was declared with the use of illegal outside force and by racist minority regimes, respectively.[83][84]
Azerbaijan 3 December 2009 Agshin Mehdiyev, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the United Nations - Entities that declare secession while violating the internal laws of the state can not be considered as countries.
- Fait accompli may not be just accepted. Power is not the right, and the force is not the law.
- The United Nations have never recognised any case of a unilateral independence declaration.[83][85]
Belarus 3 December 2009 Elena Gritsenko, Ambassador of Belarus to the Netherlands - Secession by international law was allowed only in former colonies, or in cases where the minority population was oppressed for a long period of time and was denied the participation in government, however the situation in Kosovo has not met these criteria traditionally interpreted as the right for "external" self-determination.
- The internal law of Serbia as well as UNSC resolutions are satisfactory for the "internal" self-determination of the Albanian population.[83][86]
Bolivia 4 December 2009 Roberto Calzadilla Sarmiento, Ambassador of Bolivia to the Netherlands - Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia. Bolivia considers that the Republic of Kosovo does not exist.
- The UNSC resolution 1244 set the framework for a political solution within Serbia, or for a substantial autonomy for Kosovo within the FRY.
- A unilateral declaration of independence cannot change the international regime established by the UNSC resolution, or decide the outcome of negotiations.[87]
Brazil 4 December 2009 José Artur Denot Medeiros, Ambassador of Brazil to the Netherlands - The unilateral declaration of independence ignores not only the authority of the UN Security Council, but also the principle of protecting the territorial integrity of states.
- There is no basis to justify the unilateral declaration of independence in UNSC resolution 1244 because it stipulated a solution agreed by both parties. Since such an agreement was not reached, the Kosovo dispute can be decided only by the UN Security Council.
- Brazil, as a member of the Council, voted for the resolution 1244, and considers it important because it guaranteed the territorial integrity of Yugoslavia, and it rejected the view that the authorities have the right to repression of its own people.[87][88]
Bulgaria 4 December 2009 Zlatko Dimitrov, Head of International Law Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Burundi 4 December 2009 Maître Thomas Barankitse, Legal Attaché - Declaring the declaration of independence illegal will not have any practical effect in this case because Kosovo exists as a fact; however the court should limit the right to self-determination only to the former and present colonies.
- The court should determine that there is no right to create new states outside the process of decolonisation, but this will not affect the existence of the Kosovo state.[87]
People's Republic of China 7 December 2009 Xue Hanqin, Ambassador to ASEAN, Legal Counsel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - There is no doubt that after the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Kosovo was a part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, that is, Serbia. Integral parts of sovereign states, under international law, do not have a right to unilateral secession ... while the principle of protection of territorial integrity is a cornerstone of international legal order.
- Sovereign states have a right to prevent unilateral secessions and protect their integrity.
- The unilateral proclamation is a violation of mandatory UNSC Resolution 1244 and this resolution is binding. In 1999 China insisted that the provision on the territorial integrity and sovereignty be included in the resolution, which came after NATO's illegal military attack and for this reason China did not block Resolution 1244.[90][91]
Cyprus 7 December 2009 James Droushiotis, Ambassador of Cyprus to the Netherlands - The principles of international law do not support the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo. Neither the UN Security Council, nor anyone else has the right to amputate part of the territory of a sovereign state.
- Kosovo is not a special case. Implementation of the international law must be universal.
- The declaration of independence is a violation of UNSC Resolution 1244, which established a temporary international administration in the province, and guaranteed the territorial integrity of Yugoslavia.[91]
Croatia 7 December 2009 Andreja Metelko Zgombić, Chief Legal Adviser in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration - Kosovo was a constituent part of Yugoslavia and therefore had the right to self-determination and declaration of independence.
- Kosovo Albanians, although they form 90 percent of Kosovo population, have for years been victims of repression by Serbian authorities.
- The will of the people should be the basic element in determining the final status of Kosovo.[91][92]
Denmark 7 December 2009 Thomas Winkler, Under-Secretary for Legal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Most of Kosovo's population, whose human rights were violated by Serbia for years, wanted independence.
- The proclamation of independence is not in contradiction with international law because international law does not prohibit declarations of independence.
- The declaration of independence of Kosovo cannot serve as a precedent upon which entities can seek separation from their mother country, as it would cause instability in the world.[91]
Spain 8 December 2009 Concepción Escobar Hernández, Head of the International Law Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation - The unilateral Kosovo independence declaration cannot be in accordance with international law because it violated the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, which is engraved in the UNSC Resolution 1244. The unilateral secession is not allowed under international law, unless in case it concerns a colony and the evidence of this is the last year's EU report on the conflict between Georgia and Russia.
- The resolution 1244 brought wise balance between the interests of the two sides and the two basic principles – territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia and the right of ethnic Albanians for self-determination through self-administration and autonomy.
- The future status of Kosovo must be the result of a political process, and agreement between the two sides. Unilateral acts of one side cannot be considered an "agreement" which Resolution 1244 envisioned. The resolution is still in force, and the political process to search for solutions is still in progress, until the Security Council adopts a different decision.[93][94][95]
United States 8 December 2009 Harold Hongju Koh, Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State - The United States invites the International Court of Justice to leave the declaration of independence intact as an expression of the will of the people of Kosovo, either by refusing to comment on its legality, or by determining that the international law does not prohibit declarations of independence. The declaration of independence did not violate any principle of territorial integrity because under international law, only states must comply with this principle, and not internal entities.
- The Court should not deal with the broader issue of self-determination in international law, or at least it should see Kosovo as a "special case".
- There is no contradiction between the peacefully declared Declaration of Independence and international law, including Resolution 1244. Evidence of this is that 9 out of 15 Security Council members that voted for Resolution 1244, later recognised Kosovo as independent.
- The Resolution 1244 has not guaranteed the territorial integrity of Serbia, but Yugoslavia, which now does not exist, and that only during the interim period of international administration in Kosovo.[93][96]
Russia 8 December 2009 Kirill Gevorgian, Ambassador of Russia to the Netherlands - General international law prevents Kosovo from declaring independence, bearing in mind that the people of Kosovo do not enjoy a right to self-determination.
- Russia rejects claims coming from those countries who support the unilateral declaration that international law "does not regulate independence declarations", and reminds that the UN Security Council declared Northern Cyprus and Rhodesia's independence to be illegal, since secession is forbidden outside the colonial context.
- Violations of human rights of Albanians during the 1990s cannot be the justification for a unilateral declaration of independence in 2008.
- Resolution 1244 cannot be overturned by a decision of UN secretary-general's envoy Martti Ahtisaari to end the negotiations and recommend independence as the only solution. Quoting the words of Kosovo Albanian representative Skënder Hyseni, who said that the negotiations were led on "whether or not Serbia will accept Kosovo's independence", Gevorgian said that Ahtisaari's failure does not mean that the process has been concluded.
- We often hear that international law is no law, that it does not apply to precedents, and that power is the law. This case is a chance to demonstrate that international law is in effect.[93][97]
Finland 8 December 2009 Päivi Kaukoranta, Director General, Legal Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The Declaration of independence is a political act.
- Independence of Kosovo is a fact and is a consequence of the failure of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina carried with the mediation of the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari, former President of Finland.
- International law does not address declarations of independence and the principle of respect of territorial integrity applies only between states, not for internal entities.[93]
France 9 December 2009 Edwige Belliard, Director of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs - The answer to the question about the legality of Kosovo's declaration of independence will be devoid of any practical effect. The secession is not in contradiction to international law, and the court should therefore refuse to decide on this matter.
- The question of the legality of Kosovo's independence was artificially imposed at the UN General Assembly, which cannot act in any way.
- The failure of negotiations is no reason for a declaration to be declared illegal, because it is not the cause but the consequence of failure.[98]
Jordan 9 December 2009 Prince Zeid Raad Zeid Al Hussein, Ambassador of Jordan to the United States - The authorities in Belgrade, guided by nationalistic intentions since 1989, denied the people of Kosovo the right to self-government and participation in government by systematic repression.
- The UNSC Resolution 1244 was adopted in order to end violence by the withdrawal of Serbian forces, and excluded the possibility that Kosovo would ever again become part of Serbia.
- The declaration of independence was exercised as a last resort, after all negotiating avenues were exhausted.[98]
Norway 9 December 2009 Rolf Einar Fife, Director General, Legal Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The entities within the state are not bound by the principle of protection of territorial integrity.
- Any declaration of independence is one-sided by nature, and in the case of Kosovo it was also the result of a multilateral political process.
- The independence of Kosovo will not become a dangerous precedent in international relations, since Kosovo was a special case.[98]
Netherlands 10 December 2009 Liesbeth Lijnzaad, Legal Adviser, Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The people of Kosovo had the right to self-determination and secession from Serbia because the Belgrade authorities systematically violated civil and human rights of Albanians for years. International law thus allows the proclamation of Kosovo's independence.
- The violations of the rights of the Albanians by the authorities in Belgrade from 1989 to 1999 are thoroughly documented in UN reports, resolutions of the Security Council and the Hague Tribunal, and were admitted by Serbia before the International Court of Justice. After such breaches of their rights, no one could expect the people of Kosovo to agree to continue to live within Serbia.
- Kosovo could not become a dangerous precedent in international law.[99][100]
Romania 10 December 2009 Bogdan Aurescu, Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Serbia did violate the basic human rights of the population in Kosovo during the last decade of the previous century; however, at the time of the independence declaration, Belgrade did not violate the rights of Kosovo's population.
- Serbia in February 2008 is a completely different country when compared to 1999, and a decision on declaration of independence cannot be based on the circumstances of 10 years ago.
- Kosovo had a specific status in SFR Yugoslavia, but it does not justify the secession, since at the time of the secession of Kosovo, SFR Yugoslavia did not exist for 16 years. The disintegration of SFRY ended in 1992, and Kosovo has since been an integral part of Serbia, and not an entity with the right to self-determination that would justify secession.[101][102]
United Kingdom 10 December 2009 Daniel Bethlehem QC, Legal Adviser to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office - Serbia by initiating proceedings before the ICJ wants to set back the clock, and seeks an advisory opinion that would compel Kosovo to re-engage with Serbia over its status. There is, however, no reason whatever to believe that an agreed outcome would be any more achievable now than it was in the past. The United Kingdom warns about the misleading approach of Serbia, which would like the court to assess the legality of the declaration, ignoring the events that led to it.
- Serbia has made it quite clear that it will never accept an independent Kosovo. Kosovo, for its part, has made it quite clear, that, given the legacy of abuse, it cannot again become part of Serbia. Courts do not order estranged spouses to continue in a broken marriage.
- Although the Resolution 1244 referred to the territorial integrity of Yugoslavia, this principle was not the cornerstone for a political solution of Kosovo's status. The United Kingdom did not come to support independence for Kosovo quickly or easily and does not see these proceedings as adversarial to Serbia. Serbia's democracy is not much older than Kosovo's. Independence of Kosovo brought stability to the region after a traumatic decade. The common future for both Kosovo and Serbia lies in eventual membership for both States in the European Union and the United Kingdom will continue to work towards the realisation of that vision.[99]
Venezuela 11 December 2009 Alejandro Fleming, Deputy Minister for Europe of the Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign Affairs - The right of peoples to self-determination applies only to the colonies, and Kosovo has never been a colony nor an independent state.
- The Albanian population of Kosovo enjoys all minority rights in Serbia and there is no basis for the declaration of independence.
- How is it possible that the negotiations can cause instability, but not the unilateral decision of a side unhappy with the negotiations?[103]
Viet Nam 11 December 2009 Ha Huy Thong, Ambassador of Vietnam to the Netherlands - The resolution 1244 is binding for all UN members and is the basis for the solution of the Kosovo problem. It confirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Serbia and determines that Kosovo can have broad autonomy, but not the status of independent state. It stipulates that the solution to Kosovo's final status can be achieved only through the negotiating process, with the consent of both parties, and that only the UN Security Council can determine when that process is complete.
- The principle of the right to self-determination, and thus the declaration of independence, is not dominant in relation to the foundations of international law – the preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a country.[103]
At the end of public hearings, judges Abdul Koroma, Mohamed Bennouna and Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade gave all parties until 22 December 2009, to answer questions related to claims that international law does not prohibit secession, regarding promises by participants of the parliamentary elections in Kosovo in 2007 to declare independence and the provisions of the Rambouillet accords from 1999.[103]
Legal arguments[edit]
Against the declaration[edit]
The legal arguments against the unilateral declaration of independence provided by the various states focus on the protection for the territorial integrity of FRY in various significant international documents, including in the UN Charter and in UN Security Council Resolution 1244:
Reaffirming the commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the other States of the region, as set out in the Helsinki Final Act and annex 2.[104]
The arguments presented are not in general arguments against the moral right of Kosovo Albanians to self-determination, but focus on the legality or otherwise of the unilateral action of the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government. As UNSCR 1244 vested all authority in Kosovo in the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the argument is that the Provisional Institutions had no power to declare independence.
In support of the declaration[edit]
The arguments presented in support of the unilateral declaration of independence cover five main aspects. The first is the presumption in international law that civil and human rights, including of minorities, should be protected, with the aim of demonstrating that these rights were abused by the then-governing Milošević administration. The second is the stress given in the appendices of documents such as UNSCR 1244 to a political process to determine final status, with the aim of demonstrating that such a process had been successfully concluded with the Kosovo Status Process. The third is that the references to the territorial integrity of Serbia are only in the preambular language and not in the operational language. The document is therefore silent as to what form the final status of Kosovo takes.[105] The fourth is that the principle of territorial integrity constrains only other states, not domestic actors. The fifth is that the right of self-determination, which the ICJ found to be jus cogens in the East Timor case, is a right of all peoples, not only of those in a colonial context.
Another key argument is one of consistency – in the last legitimate Yugoslav Constitution, Kosovo had the same legal right to self-determination that was the basis for independence of five of the six Yugoslav Republics: Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Namely, in a series of constitutional amendments between 1963 and 1974, Yugoslavia had elevated the two autonomous regions, Kosovo and Vojvodina, to essentially the same legal status as the republics, with their own administration, assembly and judiciary, and equal participation in all the Federal bodies of Yugoslavia. Crucially, they held the same power of veto in the Federal Parliament, and were equally responsible for implementing, enforcing and amending the Yugoslav Constitution, as well as the ratification of agreements and the formulation of Yugoslav foreign policy. In the 1980s, the Milošević administration disbanded the institutions of Kosovo and unilaterally changed the constitution to strip the autonomous regions of these powers.[106] This argument was invoked by Croatia in the ICJ process.
Implications for international law[edit]
The declaration of independence triggered an international debate over whether the case has set a precedent that could apply to other separatist movements or is a special case.[107][108] The recognition of Kosovo's independence by 108 UN member states out of 193 UN states, according to many sources, has given fresh impetus to other separatist movements.[109] Months afterwards, Russia recognised Abkhazia and South Ossetia citing Kosovo's independence, which it did not recognise, as a precedent.[110] It ultimately also led to increased tensions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where Republika Srpska vetoed the Kosovo recognition[111] on the ground that it would then secede in order to make up for the loss to Serbia.[citation needed] It may also have consequence on Taiwan's cross strait relations with the People's Republic of China.[citation needed]
The advisory opinion by the court was seen to have set a possible precedent that could have far-reaching implications for separatist movements around the world, and even for Serbia's EU membership talks. It was also read as being likely to lead to more countries recognising Kosovo's independence.[112]
The ICJ itself limited the scope of its decision by stating that it "is not required by the question it has been asked to take a position on whether international law conferred a positive entitlement on Kosovo unilaterally to declare its independence or, a fortiori, on whether international law generally confers an entitlement on entities situated within a State unilaterally to break away from it" .[113]
The day before the verdict, then President of Serbia Boris Tadić said that Serbia was ready for any decision, but believed the ICJ would fulfill its mission.[114] Prior to the verdict the Belgian ambassador to Serbia, Denise de Hauwere, said Belgium hoped Belgrade would act wisely after the ICJ opinion was given saying "good relations with Kosovo are vital for Europe and that Belgium wants Serbia in the European Union, but that Serbia's fate is in its own hands. We expect that the reaction of all sides that are involved will be constructive."[115] The Belgian Foreign Minister Steven Vanackere also reiterated his call in that he "hopes that all the parties concerned will react responsibly and will take on board the opinion of the International Court of Justice".[116]
The Prime Minister of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, said that regardless of the ruling "[Srpska, however,] will not destabilise anything. We will continue to pursue our recognizable policy ... respecting the territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, if some other opinions are made, nobody can expect those who read the opinion not to interpret it as a message for the future."[117]
Prior to the judgment, US Vice President Joe Biden said that the U.S. would not contemplate a retreat from Kosovo's independent status,[112] while he also sought to reassure the Kosovar Prime Minister of the U.S.'s support.[118] While State Department legal adviser Harold Koh said "Serbia seeks an opinion by this court that would turn back time ... [and] undermine the progress and stability that Kosovo's declaration has brought to the region."[112]
On 22 July 2010, the court ruled that the declaration of independence was not in violation of international law.[119][120][121] The President of the ICJ Justice Hisashi Owada said that international law contains no "prohibition on declarations of independence." The court also said while the declaration may not have been illegal, the issue of recognition was a political one.[122]
The court asserted that the declaration of independence was not issued by the Assembly of Kosovo, Provisional Institutions of Self-Government, or any other official body; did not follow the legislative procedure; and was not properly published. The words Assembly of Kosovo in the English and French variants were due to an incorrect translation and were not present in the original Albanian text, thus the authors, who named themselves "representatives of the people of Kosovo" were not bound by the Constitutional Framework created by the UNMIK which reserved the international affairs of Kosovo solely to the competency of the UN representative.[123]
Voting breakdown[edit]
The concluding paragraph of the advisory opinion (paragraph 123), which is the operative part of the ruling (dispositif) contains three vote tallies: it proclaims that the Court unanimously found that it had jurisdiction to reply to the General Assembly's request for an advisory opinion; given that the case law of the Court recognises that it has the discretion to comply with such requests, the Court decided by nine votes to five to comply with this particular advisory opinion request.[124] And, on the merits of the case, by ten votes to four, the Court decided that the declaration of independence was not in violation of international law.
Judge | Nationality | Comply with request for advisory opinion? |
Declaration "did not violate international law"?[124] |
Further actions[124] |
Hisashi Owada (President) | Japan | Yes | Yes | None |
Peter Tomka (Vice-President) | Slovakia | No | No | Appended a declaration |
Abdul G. Koroma | Sierra Leone | No | No | Appended dissenting opinion |
Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh | Jordan | Yes | Yes | None |
Thomas Buergenthal | United States | Yes | Yes | None |
Bruno Simma | Germany | Yes | Yes | Appended a declaration |
Ronny Abraham | France | Yes | Yes | None |
Sir Kenneth Keith | New Zealand | No | Yes | Appended separate opinion |
Bernardo Sepúlveda Amor | Mexico | Yes | Yes | Appended separate opinion |
Mohamed Bennouna | Morocco | No | No | Appended dissenting opinion |
Leonid Skotnikov | Russia | No | No | Appended dissenting opinion |
Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade | Brazil | Yes | Yes | Appended separate opinion |
Abdulqawi Yusuf | Somalia | Yes | Yes | Appended separate opinion |
Sir Christopher John Greenwood | United Kingdom | Yes | Yes | None |
Shi Jiuyong (6 February 1994 – 28 May 2010) | People's Republic of China | Did not participate in the case.[1][125] | ||
Xue Hanqin (29 June 2010–) | ||||
Result/Ruling | Yes, by vote of 9–5 | Yes, by vote of 10–4 | 2 declarations; 4 separate opinions; 3 dissents |
- Note: Jurisdictional vote omitted since all participating judges were unanimously in favour.
Reactions to the verdict came from states, international organisations and non-state actors. Kosovo praised the verdict and said it can now move on with more recognitions and possible memberships of the EU and the UN. Serbian reactions were negative to the verdict while policymakers met in an emergency session to discuss Serbia's next steps to preserve its "territorial integrity" while vowing never to recognise Kosovo as an independent state, despite Kosovar calls to the contrary. The EU countries that recognised Kosovo praised the verdict and call for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, they also called for other states to now recognise Kosovo; all five EU states that have not recognised Kosovo stated that the decision is a narrow view only on the text of the declaration and they would not change their positions. Other states said nothing would change as a result. All supranational bodies supported the verdict in at least some part; while non-state actors hailed the precedent this opinion allows for. The majority opinion was subject to legal criticism by some commentators (and by the dissenting justices).[126]
Karabakhi and Bosnian reactions were the most notable. The former celebrated the opinion as a precedent set and signalled a possibility of asking the ICJ for a similar opinion on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; while the latter was heavily split with politicians from the Republika Srpska saying that at some point in the future it could legally declare independence, and politicians from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina saying that the opinion should not harm the country's status. Other notable reactions were Russia's opposition to the verdict, while Abkhazia and South Ossetia hailed it.
See also[edit]
- Arbitration Commission of the Conference on Yugoslavia
- International recognition of Kosovo
- List of International Court of Justice cases
- Kosovo independence precedent
- Montevideo Convention
- Recognition (international law)
- Sovereignty
- ^ a b "Accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo" (PDF). International Court of Justice. 2010-07-22. p. 4.
- ^ Tanner, Adam; Stevenson, Reed (22 July 2010). "Kosovo independence declaration deemed legal". Reuters. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
- ^ "Accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo (Request for Advisory Opinion, p. 3".
- ^ "World | Europe | Kosovo MPs proclaim independence". BBC News. 2008-02-17. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
- ^ Howard Clark, Civil Resistance in Kosovo, p. 73. Pluto Press, 2000. ISBN 0-7453-1569-0
- ^ "Accordance with International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence In Respect of Kosovo" (PDF). pp. 36–39.
- ^ "Ending of supervised independence 10 September 2012". International Civilian Office. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ^ "Sixteenth and final meeting of the International Steering Group for Kosovo". International Civilian Office. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ^ "Serbia to go to ICJ over Kosovo". B92.net. 2008-03-26. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ "Srbija odlučna da istraje u svojoj inicijativi". Blic (in Serbian). 2008-08-15. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
- ^ "Introductory Note from the UN Secretary-General to the ICJ". p. 1.
- ^ "Serbia receives UN backing on Kosovo in trial vote". Euractiv.com. 2008-09-30. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ "United Nations General Assembly Resolution 63/3 Request for an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on whether the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo is in accordance with international law (A/RES/63/3)". Undemocracy.com. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ^ "UN seeks World Court Kosovo view". BBC. 2008-10-08. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- ^ "Backing Request by Serbia, General Assembly Decides to Seek International Court of Justice Ruling on Legality of Kosovo's Independence". United Nations. 2008-10-08. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
- ^ ODS Team. "Ods Home Page". Daccessdds.un.org. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
- ^ "Letter from the Secretary-General of the United Nations to the President of the ICJ, 9 October 2008". United Nations. 2008-10-09. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15678.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15605.pdf
- ^ "WRITTEN STATEMENT – France" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15609.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15611.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15614.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15616.pdf
- ^ "Written Statement – Albania" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Written Statement – Austria" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Written Statement – Egypt" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15624.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15626.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15628.pdf
- ^ "Written Statement – Finland" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Written statement – Poland" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Written statement – Luxembourg" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Written statement – Libya" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15638.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15640.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15642.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15644.pdf
- ^ "Written Statement – Iran" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Written Statement – Estonia" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Written Statement – Norway" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15652.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15654.pdf
- ^ "Written Statement – Latvia" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Written Statement – Japan" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Written Statement – Brazil" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15662.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15664.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15666.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15668.pdf
- ^ "Written Statement – Maldives" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15672.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15674.pdf
- ^ "ICJ to announce participants by week's end". B92.net. 2009-04-20. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ "Accordance with International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo (Request for Advisory Opinion) – Filing of written statements and of a written contribution". International Court of Justice. 2009-04-21. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15676.pdf
- ^ "Details emerge of ICJ statements". B92.net. 2009-05-17. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15680.pdf
- ^ "Written Statements – Norway" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15684.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15686.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15688.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15690.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15692.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15694.pdf
- ^ "Written Comments of the Republic of Slovenia – AO on Kosovo, 17.7.2009" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15698.pdf
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15700.pdf
- ^ "Draft Outline—United Kingdom Written Comment" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Written Statements – USA" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15706.pdf
- ^ "Accordance with International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo (Request for Advisory Opinion) Public hearings to be held from 1 December 2009". Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ "FINAL KFWC" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Thirty States and the authors of the unilateral declaration of independence have expressed their intention of participating in the oral proceedings". International Court of Justice. 9 October 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ "Transcript of arguments made on Tuesday, Dec. 1, by the Serbian delegation – Verbatim record – Public sitting" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Serbia presents arguments in Kosovo debate". B92. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ a b "UN court hears Kosovo independence case". BBC News. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/141/15712.pdf
- ^ "UN Court Opens Kosovo Hearings". 1 December 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
in Authors list (help) - ^ a b c d "ICJ Hears Further Kosovo Arguments". Balkan Insight. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Public hearing continues in Kosovo case". B92. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ h. "Argentina califica la independencia de Kosovo de "completamente ilegal"". Adn.es. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ a b c "Treći dan rasprave o Kosovu" (in Serbian). RTS. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
- ^ "Österreich: Kosovo-Unabhängigkeit hat Völkerrecht nicht verletzt". Diepresse.com. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ "Azərbaycan Kosovo məsələsində Serbiyanı dəstəklədi". Anspress.com. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ "Беларусь поддержала позицию Сербии по вопросу с Косово". Afn.by. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ a b c d "MSP, dan četvrti" (in Serbian). RTS. 4 December 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
- ^ "Brasil se declara contra independência do Kosovo" (in Portuguese). Terra. 4 December 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
- ^ "Сърбия се бори за Косово в съда". Duma.bg. Retrieved 2010-04-28.[dead link]
- ^ "China: Kosovo declaration violates intl. law". B92.net. 2009-12-07. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ a b c d "Kina za Srbiju, Hrvatska uz Kosovo" (in Serbian). RTS. 7 December 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
- ^ "Hrvatska branila neovisnost Kosova pred Međunarodnim sudom pravde" (in Croatian). SETimes. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Kosovo između Rusije i Amerike" (in Serbian). RTS. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
- ^ "ICJ hears Russian, U.S. arguments". B92. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
- ^ Ferrer, Isabel (9 December 2009). "España pide a la ONU que declare ilegal la independencia de Kosovo" (in Spanish). Hague: El País. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
- ^ "Kosovo independence was only option, U.S. says". Reuters. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
- ^ Россия поддержала позицию Сербии по Косово в Международном суде (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
- ^ a b c "Francuska protiv izjašnjavanja MSP" (in Serbian). RTS. 9 December 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Holandija brani nezavisnost Kosova" (in Serbian). RTS. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
- ^ "Nederland verdedigt onafhankelijkheid Kosovo" (in Dutch). NU. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
- ^ "Hag: Nastavak rasprave o Kosovu" (in Serbian). B92. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
- ^ "România a pledat la CIJ în procesul privind independenţa Kosovo" (in Romanian). Realitatea. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
- ^ a b c "Hag: Završena rasprava o Kosovu" (in Serbian). B92. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
- ^ "Resolution 1244 (1999)". p. 1.
- ^ "Kosovo's Declaration of Independence: Self-Determination, Secession and Recognition". asil.org. 2008-02-29. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
- ^ Ober, J.; Williams, P. R. (2006). "Is it true that there is no right of self-determination for Kosova?". In A. D. Lellio. The case for Kosova: Passage to independence. New York: Anthem Press. pp. 109–120.
- ^ "The Kosovo Precedent". Prospect Magazine. April 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
- ^ Krueger, Heiko (2009), "Implications of Kosovo, Abkhazia and South Ossetia for International Law – The Conduct of the Community of States in Current Secession Conflicts", CRIA 3 (2): 121–142, retrieved 2009-07-29
- ^ Timothy Garton Ash (2008-02-21). "The Kosovo precedent". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
- ^ Michael J. Totten (2008-09-05). "Russia's Kosovo Precedent". Michael J. Totten. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
- ^ "Bosnian Serbs Threaten Secession Over Kosovo". Javno. 2008-02-22. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
- ^ a b c Peter Beaumont (22 July 2010). "Kosovo's independence is legal, UN court rules". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ International Court of Justice (2010-07-22). "Accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo (Press release)".
- ^ "Tadic with Dodik: we believe ICJ will fulfill its mission". glassrbije.org. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "News – Politics – Belgian envoy: Belgrade should act wisely". B92. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ byClive Leviev-Sawyer (17 July 2010). "Bulgaria's Parliament in ratification vote on Serbia's SAA deal with EU – South Eastern Europe". The Sofia Echo. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ^ "Bosnia Press Review – July 22, 2010". BalkanInsight.com. Retrieved 2010-07-24.[dead link]
- ^ "U.S. Vice President 'Reassures' Kosovar Prime Minister Ahead Of ICJ Decision". Rferl.org. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "ICJ says Kosovo statehood 'legal'". Al-Jazeera. 2010-07-22. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
- ^ "Kosovo independence not illegal, says UN court". BBC. 22 July 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
- ^ Krueger, Heiko (2010), "Was Kosovo's Split-off Legitimate? Background, Meaning and Implications of the ICJ's Advisory Opinion", CRIA 4 (3): 293–296, retrieved 2010-08-18
- ^ "Court settles legal question of Kosovo independence, but not the political issue". CSMonitor.com. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ "Accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo". Nspm.rs. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
- ^ a b c "Accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo – Summary of the Advisory Opinion" (PDF). International Court of Justice. 2010-07-22. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
- ^ "ICJ : Kosovo Independence Declaration Does Not Violate International Law Or Resolution 1244". Balkan Insight. 2010-07-22. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
Four judges voted against, with one abstention.
[dead link] - ^ Matthew Parish, Kosovo Ruling Reveals World Court's Darker Side, Balkan Insight 28 July 2010[dead link]
External links[edit]
- United Nations General Assembly Session 63 Resolution 3. A/RES/63/3 {{{date}}}.
- Introductory Note, International Court of Justice, 23 April 2009
- Advisory Opinion; summary of the Advisory Opinion: archived copy of the documents from the official International Court of Justice website
- International Court of Justice records of this case
- The Kosovo Crisis in an International Law Perspective: Self-determination, Territorial Integrity and the NATO Intervention North Atlantic Treaty Organization Office of Information and Press
- Symposium: Kosovo in the ICJ, German Law Journal (Vol. 11, no. 8, 2010)
- Symposium: The ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Unilateral Declaration of Independence of Kosovo, Leiden Journal of International Law (Vol. 24, issue 1, 2011)
- Agora: The ICJ's Kosovo Advisory Opinion, Americal Journal of International Law (Vol. 105, no. 1, January 2011)
- Current Developments in International Law: Kosovo, Göettingen Journal of International Law (Vol. 2, No. 3, 2010)
- The International Court of Justice and Kosovo: Opinion or Non-Opinion?, The Hague Justice Portal (2010-09-28)
- Oral arguments
- Transcript of arguments made on Wednesday, 2 Dec., by the representatives of Albania, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Argentina
- Transcript of arguments made on Thursday, 3 Dec., by the representatives of Austria, Bahrain, Azerbaijan and Belarus
- Transcript of arguments made on Friday, 4 Dec., by the representatives of Bolivia, Brazil, Burundi and Bulgaria
- Transcript of arguments made on Monday, 7 Dec., by the representatives of China, Cyprus, Croatia and Denmark
- Transcript of arguments made on Tuesday, 8 Dec., by the representatives of Russia, Spain, U.S., and Finland
- Transcript of arguments made on Wednesday, 9 Dec., by the representatives of France, Norway and Jordan
- Transcript of arguments made on Thursday, 10 Dec., by the representatives of the Netherlands, Romania, and the United Kingdom
- Transcript of arguments made on Friday, 11 Dec., by the representatives of Venezuela and Vietnam


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Image Archive
Detailed Record
Title: People gathered around barge washed ashore on beach Accession Number: 1964.660.1348 Category: PHOTOGRAPHS - GLASS NEGATIVES Type: gelatin glass negative Maker: Chapman Derrick & Wrecking Co. Place: Date: Materials: glass Description: Gelatin glass negative of Merritt & Chapman Derrick & Wrecking Co.; neg. #5266; people gathered around barge washed ashore on beach; see 1964.660.1347-1350; see print 2008.28.7.771 from this negative. |
Mystic Seaport Image ID m170789 Information regarding reproductions |

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Games that could of been are always interesting to see, especially so when they are Star Wars. Thus surfacing a month after the leaked Star Wars BattleFront 3 characters renders is actually gameplay footage. Sadly it looks like it could of been good.
Just arriving on the web today is the latest in the viral videos for Resident Evil 5, we'll get all the details up asap but in the mean time check it out below.
Read more… »
The gaming community has been up in arms regarding LOTR Conquest. With many professional reviews claiming that it's mediocre, and many consumer reviews claiming it's very good, it's hard to tell of what quality this game actually is. Hit the jump and read an entirely objective review on Lord of the Rings Conquest's single player and multi-player modes.
Read more… »
The Resident Evil 5 US demo has just got a release date, and it's not that far away, January the 26th. Although sadly for the PS3 crowd they will have to wait as this demo is exclusive to the Xbox 360.
With many other gaming sites just covering a few games for each platform, it's hard to tell what is really coming out in 2009. 2009 is a rather odd year for exclusives, as the Playstation 3 and 360 are sharing a lot of big titles. This also looks like it's going to be a big year for the Wii, with a few blockbuster mature titles sneaking in with some dynamite casual games.
Without further ado, here are the most anticipated games of 2009 for the Playstation 3, the Xbox 360, and the Wii. Read more… »
No one could have ever guessed that a Nintendo 64 game would have made its way to a Microsoft Console. A very lucrative move by Rare, Banjo Kazooie launches itself onto the Xbox Live Arcade. Never heard of this title, or even the company? Well, you've probably heard of their most successful game: GoldenEye. Banjo, the naïve Bear, and Kazooie, the smart alecky Bird, are two of the most amiable characters you will ever play with. While most of the game remains the same as its N64 counterpart, it's important that we look again at what this game has to offer.
This week, instead of a new game tommorow, Xbox Live gamers are greeted with a refreshingly cheap download content package. For only 160 Microsoft Points ($2.00 US), you can buy this new add-on, with enough content to keep you playing this gem for quite some time. Will this content make up for the fact that it took developer The Behemoth 6 months to come out with a patch that fixed game breaking, data deleting glitches? Only time will tell, but at the moment Castle Crashers is sitting up top of Microsoft's throne as the #1 played Live Arcade game.
With the holidays recently over the Xbox Live activity is always an interesting read, because it gives you a good idea of how well the video game industry did on the software side of things. Call of Duty: World at War has managed to stay at the number one spot for the third week in a row.
In a recent interview with Mercury News the president of Microsoft's Entertainment division 'Robbie Bach' confirmed that the Xbox 360 is here to stay and that this console generation will last a lot longer then the previous ones.
Last month we reported that there was new DLC on the way for Midnight club, well just moments ago Rockstar finally released all the new downloable content for Midnight Club, and it's for free. (*Update, not just yet*)
Well, up until now, I had not even heard of Merchants of Brooklyn, so I checked out the latest gameplay video from CES, and as I said, it looks interesting to say the least. Over on their official website, you can read more about this FPS from Paleo Entertainment, and did I mention it is powered by the Crytek Engine? That is the very same engine that powered the PC hit, Crysis, which I must say, has broken barriers when it came to graphics in videogames.
Final Fantasy enthusiasts should be pleased to know the official site has finally gone live, currently there is limited content and it's only in Japanese, but it's a good start.


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Posts Tagged 'Thomas Pynchon'
I'm really enjoying this novel, even though I can't keep the characters straight.
0November 16, 2013 by Reader's Connection
Maxine, a fraud investigator in New York City, is on almost every page of Thomas Pynchon's new novel Bleeding Edge, so I manage to keep track of her. But most…
Category Book Review | Tags: Bleeding Edge, THASCOKNY (gift suggestions), Thomas Pynchon


text:
We're constantly surprised at how fast time flies. It's seems like it was only a few months ago that we were attending the inaugural Run to the Coast event here in sunny Southern California, and all of a sudden it was time to do it again. Like last year, this orgy of muscle car mayhem was organized by a group of gearheads from back East. Bill Howell, Yancy Johns, and Danny Thomas worked their collective butts off so that us Left Coasters could enjoy a kick-ass event like the ones that have become almost commonplace east of the Rockies. In the keeping with the theme of "more is better," this year's run promised to be bigger and cooler than ever.
Last year's event was confined to just Saturday for the driving competitions with a short cruise on Sunday. Because it was only held on the one day, all 40 spots were sold out in a few hours. This year there were two days of track action, which allowed 80 cars to run. Even with all this added capacity, the available spots sold out in less than a day. It really warms our hearts to know that so many car nuts are getting into the act of driving their cars in addition to making them look great.
Like last year, there were three main driving competitions. The Detroit Speed Inc.–sponsored road course was shortened up a bit to accommodate the use of one of the strip's hangars as a base of operations. The other two competitions were the Carbon Custom autocross and the Baer Speed Stop Challenge. Tire treadwear had to be 200 or higher, and the cars needed to pass a basic safety inspection. Points were awarded to the top finishers in each event. In addition, there was a 90-mile cruise on Friday that wound down the coast and through some rural twisties. Those that did the cruise picked up three bonus points in the competition, and in an event like this every point is important. The cruise ended at Spectre Performance in Ontario, California, where competitors were treated to some refreshments, a few chassis dyno pulls, and some friendly competition at the local indoor karting track. Later that night, Total Cost Involved (TCI) hosted a dinner for anyone interested in hanging out and talking cars. Put it all together, and it made for three days of automotive nirvana.
Orange County Race Craft once again ran the road course and made sure everyone stayed safe. There was a bit of rain on Friday, which made the course damp on Saturday, but the weather held, and by Sunday the tracks were bone dry. The cars competing ran the gamut from big-buck Pro Touring cars to ones built on a shoestring budget. But they all had one thing in common: a love of cars and a desire to have fun improving their driving skills and seeing what their rides were capable of.
Black Betty Track Report
By Nick Licata
Going into the '11 RTTC event, I was optimistic about how well Black Betty would do. Being that it's decked out with Global West suspension components, I left owner Doug Norrdin in charge of setting up and fine-tuning the suspension — a definite luxury most guys don't have. Besides, if I start messing with the rebound and compression knobs, I'd probably just screw everything up.
Road Course
The first competition of the day for my group was the road course. Being that it had rained overnight, the track still had some wet areas, but that didn't hinder us from hitting the course hard. Besides, I was sporting a fresh set of BFGoodrich rubber, so I was confident the section on the course we jokingly referred to as "Splash Mountain" wouldn't be much of an issue. Besides, I've been waiting a year for this event, so a little river running through the track wasn't going to ruin my day.
After a few lead-follow laps with the track operators, I was able to get to know the course fairly well. So I hit the track like a bat out of hell on my first timed runs.
Once I got the tires up to temperature, it was apparent the suspension was dialed in. The car never felt loose, nor did it push on corner entry or exit. It just felt very well balanced.
Having recently upgraded to a Wilwood brake system, this was my first time out on a road course with the new brake setup, so I used the first few laps to get acquainted. I left in the BP-10 brake pads (recommended for street and light track use) for the first session and was impressed with how much abuse they could handle. The course wasn't incredibly fast, but there was one section where I had to really hit the brakes hard, and after a few laps I could tell the pads were getting a little too hot. Fortunately, Wilwood was a major sponsor of the event and had brought along a set of their PolyMatrix H race pads for display, so Wilwood sales and tech consultant Dustin Burr suggested I give them a try for my afternoon session. The nice thing about Wilwood brakes is that changing pads is a very simple process. We borrowed a jack and some tools from our pals over at Chevy High Performance magazine to make the swap, and after quickly bedding in the pads, Dustin got me back in action. The H compound pads are designed for racing and enabled me to brake deeper into the corners.
I got down to a 1:11.8 lap on Sunday, which put me in the top third of the field. I felt pretty good about my times and how well the car performed overall. I have to say, driving on that road course was the most fun I've had in the car to date.
Speed Stop Challenge
The second part of the competition for our group was the Baer Speed Stop Challenge. I took my three runs and just hammered the car out of the gate the best I could while trying to keep tire spin to a minimum. Previous braking numbers showed the car has had a best stopping distance of 105 ft in 60-0–mph testing, so I figured at about 80 mph (my max speed during this part of the competition), I would slam on the brakes just past the 200-foot markers (you have to love ABS).
On the first run, I went too deep and went about 5 feet beyond the stop box. Close, but a DNQ. I was able to stay within the box on the next two runs and ultimately ended up with a best time of 12.576 seconds. Right about then I was wishing I had about 200 more horsepower under the hood. But considering the First Place time was an 11.545 second run, I felt really good about how well the car did.
With 56 cars entered in the autocross, I was able to manage a 15th Place finish. Just like on the road course, I was happy with how well the car did. The suspension was really being taxed, but the car handled great and was very predictable on corner entry and exit. Even when I made a mistake, the car was very forgiving. As of now, it's loaded with a stock rearend and 3.42 gears, so it's a little sluggish out of the hole and tight corners. But as I type this little report, there is a Moser 12-bolt stuffed with 3.73s waiting to be installed. That should make a huge difference.
I had hoped to finish a little better on the road course and autocross, but one thing I didn't count on was how much horsepower the rest of the competitors would be bringing to the table. Compared to many cars in the field, ol' Black Betty was struggling to keep up in the power department. I just need to remember that this '01 Camaro is my daily driver. I use it to pick up my boys from school during the week and beat on it pretty good on weekends. But seriously, this car has really performed far above my expectations. And if Project Orange Krate is ready by this time next year, I'll be armed with well over 600 hp and one pissed off second-gen Camaro.
Exhibition of Speed
By Steven Rupp
Late on Saturday, event organizer Bill Howell asked if Orange County Race Craft track manager Nathan Swartzbaugh could borrow our Bad Penny '68 for an exhibition run around the track. Turned out that they wanted to give a ride to Andy Koury, one of the top guys over at BFGoodrich. We knew Nathan was a great driver (he's competed in Rolex series stuff) so we tossed him the proverbial keys. Now at that point the fastest lap was in the 1:05 range, so we were curious what Nathan could throw down. Sure, he knew the track well, but he didn't know the car and had never really driven Pro Touring cars before. Well, those who saw the run got a real treat. Nathan drove the car like he borrowed it. His first lap was a 1:05 followed by a 1:03.1, and a 1:03.5 on his third lap. When he came back in he seemed pretty surprised with our '68 project car. After commenting that it sure didn't handle like an "old car," he went on to say that in the turns he kept pushing harder and harder all the time thinking, 'It's going to break, it's going to break.' When we reviewed his track data it was clear that his aggressive driving style really paid off. Our Racepak data showed that David Pozzi had a top speed of 110 mph, where Nathan hit 117! In the first left-hand sweeper after the big straight, he logged a peak reading of 1.54g! Sure, that's a peak, but it's a record one for our car. The RHS 461ci engine seemed to have enough grunt with acceleration readings of .87g from a roll.
On re-entering the pits, we noticed smoke wafting off the front tires. Turned out that all the high-g maneuvers caused the Camaro to roll over more than normal and the front tires melted to the inner fenderwells. They were literally toast, but it was worth it to see Nathan fling the car through the curves and fry the tires all the way down the main straightaway. That night Matt Alcala hooked us up with two used tires and Jon Henson from Driverz Inc. got up at 5 a.m. the next morning to mount them for us so we could run again on Sunday. It was drier that day so all the times got faster. Nathan wanted the car back because he knew there was more in it, and he swears that he could have gone sub one minute. But we had to cut him off until we add stiffer front springs and a bit more clearance to our front wheelwells. Big thanks to Nathan of Orange County Race Craft for making our car look like a rock star!
Top 10 Baer Speed Stop Challenge Times
Sal Solorzano | '68 Camaro | 11.545 |
Kyle Tucker | '70 Camaro | 11.561 |
Kyle Newman | '55 Chevy | 11.785 |
Mark Gearhart | '00 Mustang | 11.792 |
Brian Finch | '71 Camaro | 11.900 |
Mary Pozzi | '67 Camaro | 11.932 |
Deanna Marengo | '71 Camaro | 11.932 |
Henry De LosSantos | '02 Vette | 11.978 |
Jay Weir | '72 Nova | 11.996 |
Brian Hobaugh | '65 Vette | 12.016 |
Top 20 Road Course Times
Ryan Mathews | '69 Camaro | 1:02.8 |
Jay Weir | '72 Nova | 1:03.0 |
Brian Hobough | '65 Vette | 1:04.0 |
Kyle Tucker | '70 Camaro | 1:04.9 |
Brian Finch | '71 Camaro | 1:06.2 |
David Pozzi | '68 Camaro | 1.07.0 |
Kyle Newman | '55 Chevy | 1:07.0 |
Todd Akes | '69 Camaro | 1:08.1 |
Mark Gearhart | '00 Mustang | 1:08.2 |
Sal Solorzano | '68 Camaro | 1:08.3 |
Rick Klein | '68 Camaro | 1:08.6 |
David Gordon | '68 Camaro | 1:08.8 |
Tom Foglesong | '67 Camaro | 1.09.0 |
Carl Cassanova | '68 Camaro | 1:09.3 |
Chris McCrae | '69 Camaro | 1:09.4 |
Mary Pozzi | '67 Camaro | 1:09.5 |
Bruce Cambern | '05 Ford GT | 1.09.7 |
Brett Campbell | '67 Camaro | 1:09.7 |
Brandy Morrow | '70 Camaro | 1:10.3 |
James Shipka | '67 Camaro | 1:10.6 |
Top 20 Autocross Times
Brian Hobaugh | '65 Vette | 37.000 |
Kyle Tucker | '70 Camaro | 37.206 |
Mary Pozzi | '67 Camaro | 37.679 |
Ryan Mathews | '69 Camaro | 38.139 |
Jay Weir | '72 Nova | 38.210 |
Brian Finch | '71 Camaro | 38.215 |
David Pozzi | '68 Camaro | 38.313 |
Bruce Cambern | '05 Ford GT | 38.423 |
Kyle Newman | '55 Chevy | 38.778 |
David Gordon | '68 Camaro | 38.834 |
Brett Campbell | '67 Camaro | 39.108 |
Chris McCrea | '69 Camaro | 39.159 |
Deanna Marengo | '71 Camaro | 39.283 |
Sal Solorzano | '68 Camaro | 39.299 |
Nick Licata | '01 Camaro | 39.366 |
Carl Cassanova | '68 Camaro | 39.546 |
Gerald Lum | '71 Camaro | 39.631 |
Steven Rupp | '68 Camaro | 39.811 |
Rob McGregor | '55 F-100 | 39.892 |
Todd Akes | '69 Camaro | 39.954 |
Spectre Top-Speed Challenge
Kyle Tucker | '70 Camaro | 97 mph |
Steven Rupp | '68 Camaro | 96 mph |
Tom Ciancitto | '37 Ford | 95 mph |
Ryan Mathews | '69 Camaro | 94 mph |
Run To The Coast
Title Sponsors:
Wilwood Brakes
Event Sponsors:
Baer Brakes
Detroit Speed Inc.
Carbon Kustoms
Spectre Performance
Total Cost Involved


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Search Result
Search Tags: Nationals Opening Day
Nats Park welcomes fans for opening day
ABC7 Chief Meteorologist Doug Hill recommends you dress in layers, but he thinks the rain will hold off.
Tags: nationals , Adam Tuss , Colleen Kelleher
Nats open season with game against Phillies
You can listen to the Nationals game on 1500 AM.
Tags: nationals , Metro , John Lannan , Ryan Zimmerman , Jim Riggleman , Neal Augenstein , Colleen Kelleher , Screech
A glance at the 2010 Nats, position by position
The Washington Nationals open the 2010 season against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday at Nationals Park. Here a quick glance at this year's team.
Tags: Craig Heist , Jim Riggleman , Adam Dunn , Adam Kennedy , Ian Desmond , Ryan Zimmerman , Josh Willingham , Nyjer Morgan , Ivan Rodriguez , John Lannan , Jason Marquis , Mike Rizzo , Livan Hernandez , Scott Olsen , Matt Capps , Brian Bruney , Sean Burnett


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Four-Direction Sensor Exhibits Noiseless Operation
December 22, 2008 5:04 am | Product Releases | CommentsUsing an infrared LED, 2 phototransistors, and a light blocking mechanism, ROHM Electronics' RPI-1040 SMT 4-direction sensor detects up, down, left, and right movement in 90° intervals with noiseless operation. Instantaneous gravity direction detection is enabled, which is linked to the movement of the device. The tilt sensor offers
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & ActuatorsInertial Sensors Target Automotive Airbag Systems
December 19, 2008 4:58 am | Product Releases | CommentsBased on High Aspect Ratio Micro-ElectroMechanical Systems (HARMEMS), Freescale Semiconductor's MMA6222EG, MMA6255EG, and MMA621010EG inertial sensors perform in automotive airbag systems. The units offer an XY-axis of sensitivity, 10-bit digital data output, full-scale range per axis of ±20 g, ±50 g or ±100 g, ±4% sensitivity accuracy at 25°C, and operation from a 3.3-V or 5-V supply voltage in a
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & ActuatorsStarter Kit Includes Star-Network Protocol Stack
December 18, 2008 4:51 am | Product Releases | CommentsOptimized for embedded control applications in 2.4-GHz RF-hostile environments, Cypress Semiconductor's CY3271 PSoC FirstTouch starter kit provides a star-network protocol stack for up to 250 nodes. The direct sequence
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & ActuatorsDistribution Boxes Connect Sensors and Actuators
December 16, 2008 10:13 am | Product Releases | CommentsAvoiding the use of parallel cabling and installation involving control units or switch cabinets, ERNI Electronics' M8/M12 line of passive I/O distribution boxes allow for the direct connection of sensors and actuators. The UL- and CSA-approved devices are designed for IP65/IP67 protection, and are built for use in harsh and humid
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & ActuatorsMagnetic Field Sensor Delivers Direct Analog Output
December 16, 2008 9:52 am | Product Releases | CommentsWorking on pneumatic cylinders, TURCK's new WIM45 magnetic field sensor provides a direct analog output for determining the position of a piston magnet. The device detects the position of a piston on standard pneumatic cylinders by utilizing a series of Hall elements, which sense the piston magnet and send a signal back to
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & ActuatorsInfrared Detector Demonstrates 25-µm Pitch
December 15, 2008 9:45 am | Product Releases | CommentsIncorporating an on-chip ADC, ULIS' UL 03 16 2 resistive amorphous silicon infrared detector exhibits a pitch of 25 µm in an array format of 384 × 288 pixels. The 24.2-mm × 24.2-mm × 4.10-mm unit provides a thermal time constant of <7 ms, spectral response from 8 µm to 14 µm, an operating temperature range from -40°C to 60°C, and
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & ActuatorsLight-to-Digital Sensor Exhibits High Power Efficiency
December 12, 2008 6:21 am | Product Releases | CommentsComing in a translucent, 6-lead ODFN package, Intersil Corporation's ISL29020 light-to-digital sensor uses <65-mA max. operating current. The component offers 4 selectable ranges of light sensitivity from 0.015 lux to 64,000 lux in direct sunlight and low-light conditions. The unit has an I²C output and interface, with the digital output being
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & ActuatorsEncoders Offer Resolution/Bore Diameter Options
December 11, 2008 5:57 am | Product Releases | CommentsSuiting DC motors, actuators, and motion control applications, CUI's AME, BME, and LME Series modular incremental encoders demonstrate different resolution and bore diameter options, depending on model. The 2-channel AME Series exhibit resolutions from 100 ppr to 1024 ppr and bore diameters from 3 mm to 8 mm. The 3-channel BME Series includes an index pulse, resolutions from 100 to 1,024 ppr (2-channels and no index for 1,000-ppr and
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & ActuatorsPCMA Benders Displace in Millimeter/Micrometer Range
December 10, 2008 9:58 am | Product Releases | CommentsContaining buried internal electrodes in a monolithic ceramic housing, Morgan Electro Ceramics' line of co-fired piezo ceramic multi-layer actuator benders (PCMA benders) provides controllable and repeatable displacement in the millimeter and micrometer range. The devices offer lengths from 10 mm to 30 mm, widths from 3 mm to 20 mm, thicknesses from
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & ActuatorsUSB Load Cell Handles up to 5,000 lbs
December 10, 2008 9:24 am | Product Releases | CommentsAvailable with USB output and metric threads, the redesigned LCF400 Tension & Compression Load Cell from FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology is offered in versions capable of handling from 500 lbs to 5,000 lbs. The device provides a variety of voltage- or current-driven outputs to ease systems integration
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & ActuatorsSubmersible Pressure Sensors Measure from 50 mbar
December 10, 2008 6:10 am | Product Releases | CommentsConsisting of capacitive ceramic pressure cells in stainless-steel construction, Sensortechnics' KTE2000CS Series submersible pressure sensors offer hydrostatic low-level measurement from 50 mbar (0.5 water column) Full Scale. The transmitters are calibrated and temperature compensated from -20°C to 70°C while providing a 4-mA to 20-mA output signal. A cable with an integrated vent tube allows a true reference pressure to the
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & ActuatorsTechnology Integrates Inductive Touch into Existing Application Code
December 8, 2008 10:03 am | Microchip Technology Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsPerforming in a single standard 8-, 16-, or 32-bit PIC MCU or 16-bit dsPIC DSC, Microchip Technology's mTouch inductive touch-sensing technology allows designers to incorporate inductive touch-sensing functionality with their existing application code. The product enables devices to work through plastic, stainless steel, aluminum, gloves, and surfaces containing liquid. Implementation details are available via a free download from
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & ActuatorsLight-to-Digital Converter Performs Light/Proximity Sensing
December 5, 2008 8:32 am | Product Releases | CommentsIncorporating an IR SSLD and an I²C/SMBus interface, Intersil's ISL29015 ambient and infrared light-to-digital converter executes ambient light and infrared sensing. The 2-mm × 2.100-mm 6-lead ODFN-packaged component uses an internal 16-bit ADC with adjustable conversion time from 25 ìs to 100 ms and flicker noise rejection of 50 Hz and 60 Hz. For
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & ActuatorsPressure Sensor Lowers System Contamination Risk
December 2, 2008 9:21 am | Product Releases | CommentsUtilizing Krystal Bond technology, American Sensor Technologies' AST4900 MEMS-based SS pressure sensor contains no oil-fill, welds, or internal O-rings, which reduces the risk of system contamination in extreme conditions. The 316L stainless steel devices offer ¼" NPT male and ¼" VCR male fittings, and can be scaled with pressure ranges between
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & ActuatorsPressure Sensor Operates with High Accuracy
December 1, 2008 10:41 am | Product Releases | CommentsWorking in a pressure sensing range from 50 kPa to 150 kPa, Epson Toyocom's QMEMS quartz crystal atmospheric pressure sensor offers a total pressure accuracy of ±10 Pa, or about 1/10,000 of a bar. The device performs measurements of barometric pressure in meterological observations; measures differences in elevation in ~1-cm increments using barometric pressure; and detects slight changes in internal pressure resulting from the opening and closing of
LISTED UNDER: Sensors & Actuators


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24 Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes and Fall Craft Projects
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Autumn's Wonders Card
By: Maria Nerius
Make a card that displays all of Autumn's wonders in red, orange, and brown. Follow the steps of this Autumn craft project to learn how.
- Handmade Textured Paper*
- 5" x 7" Card Blank Black
- Felt leaves border (3" x 6 1/2" in 4 colors)
- Glue
- Scissors
*Handmade paper created with Arnold Grummer Papermaking Mold, you can substitute with any textured paper.
- Cut handmade paper 4" x 6" and adhere to card front.
- Cut felt border as shown in photo. You want a border to left side of card front centered to left of handmade paper mat. Cut out a single leaf from other colors and adhere as shown in photo. Adding these 3 single leaves adds depth and dimension to the card.
- Adhere chipboard word Autumn's Wonders
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what do non-professors think professors do?
Most people are unaware of what professors do outside of a few Hollywood stereotypes, such as the whip-cracking Indiana Jones. At the beginning of the semester, I always briefly introduce students to the multiple work responsibilities that professors have – research, teaching, and service to the profession, institution, and public. Occasionally, I also mention the career stages of academics. Because students usually only encounter professors in the classroom, many students (and non-students) don't realize that professors have various responsibilities in addition to teaching, and these beliefs can translate into under-informed recommendations and policies, such as this and this. Despite painstakingly written and documented rebuttals, some still persist in propagating erroneous beliefs about what professors do, as evidenced by a blogger who continues to earnestly recommend academia for its long breaks and "minimal" travel requirements.
Students can be introduced to otherwise opaque aspects of academia and the building of knowledge outside of the classroom. In particular, they can participate in national and regional academic conferences and events. While attending a regional conference, one of my former students commented that she had a newfound "respect" for academic work. For me, her comment underscored how such immersion can help others understand what is involved in particular types of work. So don't forget to remind your students, ASA submissions for the 2013 conference closes 3pm EST this Wed., Jan. 9th! Hope to see our readers at this conference in NYC on Aug. 10-13 and ESS in Boston on March 21-23, 2013.
7 Responses
Wow I read the linked orgtheory post trolled by guillermo – the guy obviously has never heard of ethnographers' heavy emphasis on "letting people speak for themselves"
Great links. Agree it's something that deserves repeating. Most people think professor = teacher who occasionally does some armchair opining on irrelevant issues. Of course, at State universities that are majority funded by tuition, not tax dollars.
I'm just curious if taking class time to explain to students what professors do has some more direct pedagogical purpose? It seems like it is a technique for dampening expectations about the professor's responsiveness, in which case I may give it a try. But, seriously, how do you frame this bit of lecture for your students?
@Joe, I have had the luxury of broaching this subject with undergraduates in the context of discussing organization structure and/strategy. Since most of the students have more than passing knowledge of only two organizations, their university and McDonald's, they like the details. You would be surprised that they have nearly no knowledge about what a Dean does, as well as all the other positions in the hierarchy. I have found these discussions to be as lively as any outside of ethics and social responsibility. And they WANT to understand what those old people in the front of the classroom do after they put the eraser down.
@Joe, just a few sentences sprinkled throughout the semester can contextualize what we do with an explanation that makes clear that teaching is one of several responsibilities, like "Please turn your assignments on time. If too many of you turn these in late, I may not be able to grade them by the original schedule. Like you, I have to manage my deadlines, like submitting a book manuscript/paper due to X publisher/journal/conference." I also provide explanations to help students understand why they are doing certain tasks, like why filling out teaching evaluations is important, i.e., "The administration looks at these to make a decision whether to keep an instructor; instructors look at these for ideas on how to improve their courses."
However, as Randy notes, the university is rife with examples which can aptly illuminate various organizational theories or sociological concepts, such as garbage can theory, McDonaldization, etc. It's often helpful for students to understand why they're having certain experiences in the university.LikeLike
@Joe – forgot to add that I also contextualize research by providing examples drawn from my own research. For example, to show students how to use quotes from field notes and interviews in their papers, I'll show them an excerpt of "raw data" and how I used these to illustrate points in my own work.


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dc.contributor.editor | Johnston, Richard S. | |
dc.contributor.editor | Shriver, Ann L. | |
dc.creator | Piumsombun, Somying | |
dc.date | 2001 | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2012-07-12T00:02:58Z | |
dc.date.available | 2012-07-12T00:02:58Z | |
dc.date.copyright | 2001 | |
dc.date.issued | 2001 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Piumsombun, S. Accessibility of Aquaculture Products in Thailand. In: Microbehavior and Macroresults:Proceedings of the Tenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute ofFisheries Economics and Trade, July 10-14, 2000, Corvallis, Oregon, USA.Compiled by Richard S. Johnston and Ann L. Shriver. InternationalInstitute of Fisheries Economics and Trade (IIFET), Corvallis, 2001. | en_US |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/30943 | |
dc.description.abstract | The paper first reviews the aquaculture sector in Thailand and focuses on the development of freshwater fish. The government has promoted freshwater fish culture mainly to supply domestically. The development policies that influence markets and access have been stated. It then highlights fish consumption by region. As a result of increased demand for freshwater fish, marketing plays an increasing vital role and is left in the hand of private sector. Marketing practices including market structure, marketing channel and marketing margins are analyzed and discussed. It is found that the private assembly markets as well as the retail outlets have been developed significantly to serve the increase in both the supply and the demand of cultured freshwater fish. Marketing margin varies among species. Obstacles to market access is not observed apparently. The shift in production centers close to the big consuming center with high purchasing power in the past two decades may benefit some group of consumer. However, the consumer in other regions can access to freshwater fish through the effective and efficient marketing system. The paper concludes with the discussion and analyzes of future domestic market potential in view of existing and evolving consumption pattern and marketing development, and measures required to realize the potential. | en_US |
dc.description.sponsorship | International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service MG Kailis Group | en_US |
dc.publisher | International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade | en_US |
dc.subject | Fisheries Economics | en_US |
dc.subject | Fish and Aquaculture Sectors' Development | en_US |
dc.subject | Fish as a Contributor to Food and Income in Developed Countries | en_US |
dc.title | Accessibility of Aquaculture Products in Thailand | en_US |
dc.type | Research Paper | en_US |


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Artificial Turf for Multi-Sport Fields
Not only does a synthetic grass field allow teams to practice and play games under all weather conditions, it easily accommodates multiple sports to be played on one field. Using different colors for inlaid game markings, a field's return on investment can be greatly increased. A-Turf builds synthetic turf fields that include football, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, baseball & softball.