Notes

Subject or Reference: Kosovo’s right to self-determination should be recognized by the other countries and the U.N..
Point
- National self-determination is a people’s power to control their own affairs.
Proof
- Timor-Leste had been a Portuguese colony, then it was invaded by Indonesian in 1975, but it became independent in 2002.
Comment
- Independence did not bring an end to the conflict in the area-and the U.N. had to return in 2006 to try to prevent further violence.
Point
- Armenian president Woodrow Wilson believed that self-determination would bring peace and security to the world.
Proof
- According to the charter, the UN exists to strengthen peace in the world. One way the UN keeps the peace is by developing “friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self- determination of peoples.”
Comment
- The International Court of Justice was established in 1945 as part of the UN. This court has ruled that peoples, as well as governments, have the right to self-determination. So the sovereignty of a nation-state can sometimes conflict with a people’s right to self-determination.
Point
- The Kosovars gas their rights to have control over their own affairs.
Proof
- Until Kosovo declared independence in 2008, it had been the province of Serbia.
Comment
- Most Albanian Kosovars welcomed independence but many Serbs and Serbian Kosovars did not because Kosovo’s declaration meant losing part of their country.
Point
Proof
Comment