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Yugoslavia and the United Nations

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Yugoslavia
United Nationsmembership
Represented by
MembershipFormer full member
Dates24 October 1945(1945-10-24)– 22 September 1992(1992-09-22)
UNSCseatNon-permanent
Politics of Yugoslavia
Constitution
  • Executive
  • Legislative
Elections
Administrative divisions
Breakup
Foreign relations

Democratic Federal Yugoslaviawas acharter memberof theUnited Nationsfrom its establishment in 1945 as theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslaviauntil 1992 during theYugoslav Wars.During its existence the country played a prominent role in the promotion ofmultilateralismand narrowing of theCold Wardivisions in which various UN bodies were perceived as important vehicles. Yugoslavia was elected a non-permanent member of theUnited Nations Security Councilon multiple occasions in periods between 1950 and 1951, 1956, 1972–1973, and 1988–1989, which was in total 7 (out of 47) years of Yugoslav membership in the organization. The country was also one of 17 original members of theSpecial Committee on Decolonization.

In 1980 under the chairmanship ofIvo Margan[hr]Belgradehosted the 21stUNESCOGeneral Conference as the seventh host city in the world. The city also hosted theUNCTADVI Conference in 1983. Yugoslav diplomat Stanoje Simic was one of the candidates at the1946 United Nations Secretary-General selection,whileLazar Mojsovwas 34thPresident of the United Nations General Assembly.Yugoslav diplomats were Presidents of theUnited Nations Economic and Social Councilin the 1946 3rd session (Andrija Štampar,Acting), 1982 (Miljan Komatina), and from January until June 1992 (Darko Šilović).[1]The country was one of the founding members of theGroup of 77as well as the presiding country of the group in 1985–1986.

Wartime UN poster

After thebreakup of Yugoslavia,its seat at the United Nations was not inherited and continued directly by any of the six federal republics due to the sharedstate successionacknowledged in theUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 777.Instead, they all applied for membership as new member states. For some time the rumpFederal Republic of Yugoslaviaresisted this interpretation and it rejoined the UN only in 2000, after theoverthrow of Slobodan Milošević,as a new member state. It changed the name to the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro in 2003, and its seat was transferred toSerbiain 2006 followingMontenegro's independence. UN's reaction to Yugoslav crisis included establishment of theUNPROFORandUNCROmissions,UNTAESandUNMIKtransitional administrations as well as theInternational Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia(ICTY). Those establishments influenced development of theUnited Nations peacekeepingand the establishment of the permanentInternational Criminal Court.

History[edit]

Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia / Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1945–1992)[edit]

TheSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslaviadisintegrated into several states starting in the early 1990s. By 2006, six UN member states existed in its former territory. Kosovo declared independence in 2008.
UNEFsoldiers from theYugoslav People's Armyin Sinai, January 1957

Yugoslavia joined the UN as an original member on 24 October 1945. Initially part of theCominform,Yugoslavia under the leadership ofJosip Broz Titowas eventually expelled from it in a culmination of political conflict between the Soviet and Yugoslav state leaderships, known as theTito–Stalin split.The country onwards never joined theWarsaw Pactand continued to pursue policies independent from theSoviet Bloc,and subsequently became a founding member of theNon-Aligned Movement.

It was a multi-ethnic state which Tito was able to maintain through a doctrine of "brotherhood and unity",but tensions between ethnicities began to escalate with theCroatian Springof 1970–71, a movement for greaterCroatianautonomy, which was suppressed. This was followed with favorable constitutional changes, as the1974 Yugoslav Constitutiondevolved many federal powers to the constituent republics and provinces. After Tito's death in 1980 ethnic tensions grew, beginning with the1981 protestsin Albanian-majoritySAP Kosovo.In the late 1980s,SerbianleaderSlobodan Miloševićused the Kosovo crisis to stoke upSerb nationalismand attempt to consolidate and dominate the country, which alienated the other ethnic groups.

During 1990, the communists lost power toseparatistparties in thefirst multi-party electionsheld across the country, except in Serbia and Montenegro, where they were won by Milošević and his allies. Nationalist rhetoric on all sides became increasingly heated. In 1991, one republic after another proclaimed independence (onlySerbia and Montenegroremained federated), but the status of Serb minorities outside Serbia was left unsolved. After a string of inter-ethnic incidents, theYugoslav Warsensued, firstin Croatiaand then, most severely, in multi-ethnicBosnia and Herzegovina;the wars left long-term economic and political damage in the region.

In November 1991, theArbitration Commission of the Peace Conference on Yugoslavia,led byRobert Badinter,concluded at the request ofLord Carringtonthat the SFR Yugoslavia was in the process of dissolution, that the Serbian population in Croatia and Bosnia did not have a right to self-determination in the form of new states, and that the borders between the republics were to be recognized as international borders. As a result of the conflict, theUnited Nations Security Councilunanimously adoptedUN Security Council Resolution 721on 27 November 1991, which paved the way to the establishment of theUnited Nations Protection Forcein Yugoslavia.[2]In January 1992, Croatia and Yugoslaviasigned an armistice under UN supervision,while negotiations continued between Serb and Croat leaderships over thepartitioning of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[3]

On 15 January 1992, the independence of Croatia and Slovenia was recognized worldwide. By then, it had been effectivelydissolvedinto five independent states, which were all subsequently admitted to the UN:

Due to the dispute over its legalsuccessor states,the member state "Yugoslavia", referring to the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, remained on the official roster of UN members for many years after its effective dissolution, including the presence of theSFRY flagat UN headquarters.[6]Following the admission of all five states as new UN members, "Yugoslavia" was removed from the official roster of UN members.

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro (2000–2006)[edit]

Serbia and Montenegro
(previously Yugoslavia)
United Nationsmembership
Represented by
MembershipFormer full member
Dates1 November 2000(2000-11-01)– 3 July 2006(2006-07-03)
Former name(s)Yugoslavia (2000–2003)
UNSCseatNon-permanent
Politics of Serbia and Montenegro
Constitution
Executive
Parliament
Speaker
Elections
Foreign relations
Administrative divisions
Related topics

The government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, established on 28 April 1992 as arump stateby the remaining Yugoslav republics ofMontenegroandSerbia,[7]claimed itself as the legalsuccessor stateof the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;[8]however, on 30 May 1992,United Nations Security Council Resolution 757was adopted, by which it imposedinternational sanctionson the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia due to its role in theYugoslav Wars,and noted that "the claim by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) to continue automatically the membership of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the United Nations has not been generally accepted,"[9]and on 22 September 1992, United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/47/1 was adopted, by which it considered that "the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) cannot continue automatically the membership of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the United Nations," and therefore decided that "the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) should apply for membership in the United Nations and that it shall not participate in the work of theGeneral Assembly".[10][11]The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia refused to comply with the resolution for many years, but following the ousting ofPresidentSlobodan Miloševićfrom office, it re-applied for membership, and was admitted to the UN on 1 November 2000 as a new member.[12]On 4 February 2003, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had its official name changed to Serbia and Montenegro, following the adoption and promulgation of theConstitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegroby the Assembly of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.[13]

On the basis of areferendumheld on 21 May 2006,Montenegrodeclared independence fromSerbia and Montenegroon 3 June 2006. In a letter dated on the same day, thePresident of Serbiainformed theUnited Nations Secretary-Generalthat the membership of Serbia and Montenegro in the UN was being continued bySerbia,following Montenegro's declaration of independence, in accordance with the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro.[14]Montenegro was admitted to the UN on 28 June 2006.[15]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Presidents of the ECOSOC".United Nations Economic and Social Council.Retrieved2 October2020.
  2. ^"Resolution 721".N.A.T.O.25 September 1991.Retrieved21 July2006.
  3. ^Lukic & Lynch 1996,p. 210.
  4. ^Paul L. Montgomery(23 May 1992)."3 Ex-Yugoslav Republics Are Accepted into U.N."The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 11 November 2012.Retrieved29 July2012.
  5. ^Lewis, Paul (8 April 1993)."U.N. Compromise Lets Macedonia Be a Member".The New York Times.
  6. ^Steele, Johnathon (2000-11-02)."UN welcomes Yugoslavia and furls Tito's flag".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-05-23.Retrieved2021-05-23.
  7. ^Burns, John F. (28 April 1992)."Confirming Split, Last 2 Republics Proclaim a Small New Yugoslavia".The New York Times.
  8. ^"History of Serbia: The Break-up of SFR Yugoslavia (1991–1995)".Serbia Info. Archived fromthe originalon 22 December 2007.
  9. ^"United Nations Security Council Resolution 757"(PDF).United Nations.
  10. ^"United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/47/1"(PDF).United Nations.
  11. ^Sudetic, Chuck (24 September 1992)."U.N. Expulsion of Yugoslavia Breeds Defiance and Finger-Pointing".The New York Times.
  12. ^"A Different Yugoslavia, 8 Years Later, Takes Its Seat at the U.N."The New York Times.2 November 2000.
  13. ^"Yugoslavia consigned to history".BBC News. 4 February 2003.
  14. ^"World Briefing – Europe: Serbia: Going Solo".The New York Times.Associated Press. 6 June 2006.
  15. ^Schneider, Daniel B. (29 June 2006)."World Briefing – Europe: Montenegro: U.N. Makes It Official".The New York Times.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Lukic, Reneo; Lynch, Allen (1996).Europe from the Balkans to the Urals: The Disintegration of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union.Oxford: Oxford University Press.ISBN0-19-829200-7.

External links[edit]

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