Jiří Dienstbier dampens hopes of Kosovans

For Jiří Dienstbier, former UN Human Rights High Commissioner for Yugoslavia, the International Court of Justice's recent judgement on Kosovo comes as a boon to separatists the world over. In a commentary for the leftist daily Právo he writes: "Supporters of the judgement are rejoicing that they are finally rid of a problem they themselves created with the bombing of Yugoslavia. But they're not rid of it. The court created a precedent which separatists throughout the world can use to their advantage. ... The court ignored a fundamental principle of international law: the Final Act of the Helsinki Accords bans border changes without the consent of all parties concerned. ... The inhabitants of Kosovo are also not aided by the isolation they find themselves in since their separation from Serbia - which was approved by a significant number of states. The Balkan countries must be supported on their path to EU membership. But the recognition of Kosovo, a dysfunctional province which even in the form of an international protectorate could not prevent the destabilisation of the Balkans, leads in precisely the opposite direction."

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