Sodba Meddržavnega sodišča v Haagu glede zakonitosti uporabe sile v sporu med Srbijo in Črno goro ter članicami Nata – predhodni ugovori

Vlada Zvezne republike Jugoslavije (od 4. februarja 2003 se imenuje Srbija in Črna gora) je 29. aprila 1999 sprožila postopek pred Meddržavnim sodiščem v Haagu in obtožila deset članic NATA, da so domnevno sodelovale pri intervenciji in bombardiranju takratne Zvezne republike Jugoslavije in tako kršile mednarodno prepoved uporabe sile, prepoved vmešavanja v notranje zadeve druge države in prepoved kršitve suverenosti držav. Pri ugotavljanju pristojnosti je sodišče moralo odgovoriti na temeljno vprašanje: ali je bila Srbija in Črna gora na dan vložitve tožbe pogodbenica Statuta Meddržavnega sodišča v Haagu oziroma ali je bila članica Združenih narodov. Republika Srbija in Republika Črna gora sta ustanovili Zvezno republiko Jugoslavijo, ki je zagovarjala načelo kontinuitete mednarodne pravne osebnosti Socialistične federativne republike Jugoslavije in njenega članstva v Združenih narodih. Sodišče je ugotovilo, da je bil položaj Zvezne republike Jugoslavije v Združenih narodih v obdobju med letoma 1992 in 2000, ki je sledil razpadu Socialistične federativne republike Jugoslavije, dvoumen in odprt za različne razlage. Razlog za to je med drugim dejstvo, da pristojni organi Združenih narodov niso povsem jasno definirali pravnega položaja Zvezne republike Jugoslavije v razmerju do Združenih narodov. Sodišče je odločilo, da se je posebni položaj Zvezne republike Jugoslavije končal z novim razvojem leta 2000. Zvezna republika Jugoslavija je namreč po padcu Miloševićevega režima prenehala zagovarjati kontinuiteto članstva Socialistične federativne republike Jugoslavije v Združenih narodih. Namesto tega je 27. oktobra 2000 zaprosila za vstop v Organizacijo Združenih narodov in 1. novembra istega leta postala nova članica te organizacije. Sprejem v članstvo po mnenju sodišča ne more imeti učinka za nazaj, torej za obdobje po razpadu in prenehanju obstoja Socialistične federativne republike Jugoslavije. Posebni položaj po razpadu zato ni mogel pomeniti članstva Zvezne republike Jugoslavije v organizaciji. Srbija in Črna gora ob vložitvi tožbe ni bila članica Združenih narodov in zato tudi ni bila pogodbenica Statuta Meddržavnega sodišča v Haagu. Zaradi teh razlogov je sodišče odločilo, da nima pristojnosti odločati o zahtevah Srbije in Črne gore.The Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (with effect from 4 February 2003, “Serbia and Montenegro”) initiated proceedings before the International Court of Justice against ten NATO members for NATO’s alleged participation in intervention and bombardment of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Specifically, it alleged that the ten NATO members violated the international obligation banning the use of force, the obligation not to intervene in the internal affairs of another State, and the obligation not to violate the sovereignty of another State. In order to establish jurisdiction, the Court had first to answer the fundamental question of whether Serbia and Montenegro was a party to the Statute of the Court at the time of the institution of the proceedings, i.e. whether Serbia and Montenegro was a member of the United Nations. The Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Montenegro established the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia which maintained its claim that it continued the legal personality of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and its membership in the United Nations. The Court found that the legal status of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia within the United Nations during the period 1992–2000, which followed the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, remained ambiguous and open to different assessments. This was due, inter alia, to the absence of an authoritative determination by the competent organs of the United Nations defining clearly the legal status of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia vis-ą-vis the United Nations. The Court decided that the special status of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia came to an end with a new development occurring in 2000. After collapse of the Miloševič regime, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia dismissed its claims concerning continuation of the membership within the United Nations. Instead, on 29 October 2000, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia requested admission to membership in the United Nations and, on 1 November 2000, it became a new member of the United Nations. The Court held that its admission to the United Nations did not have, and could not have had, the effect of dating back to the time when the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia broke up and disappeared. The special position after dissolution could not have amounted to its membership in the organization. Therefore, Serbia and Montenegro, at the time when the proceedings were instituted, was not a member of the United Nations, and, consequently, was not a State party to the Statute of the International Court of Justice. For these reasons, the Court found that it had no jurisdiction to entertain the claims made by Serbia and Montenegro