Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia / Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1945–1992)
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia disintegrated into several states starting in the early 1990s. By 2006, six UN member states existed in its former territory. Kosovo declared independence in 2008.UNEF soldiers from the Yugoslav People's Army in Sinai, January 1957
Yugoslavia joined the UN as an original member on 24 October 1945. Initially part of the Cominform, Yugoslavia under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito was eventually expelled from it in a culmination of political conflict between the Soviet and Yugoslav state leaderships, known as the Tito–Stalin split. The country onwards never joined the Warsaw Pact and continued to pursue policies independent from the Soviet Bloc, and subsequently became a founding member of the Non-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 the Croatian Spring of 1970–71, a movement for greater Croatian autonomy, which was suppressed. This was followed with favorable constitutional changes, as the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution devolved many federal powers to the constituent republics and provinces. After Tito's death in 1980 ethnic tensions grew, beginning with the 1981 protests in Albanian-majority SAP Kosovo. In the late 1980s, Serbian leader Slobodan Milošević used the Kosovo crisis to stoke up Serb nationalism and attempt to consolidate and dominate the country, which alienated the other ethnic groups.
During 1990, the communists lost power to separatist parties in the first multi-party elections held 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 (only Serbia and Montenegro remained federated), but the status of Serb minorities outside Serbia was left unsolved. After a string of inter-ethnic incidents, the Yugoslav Wars ensued, first in Croatia and then, most severely, in multi-ethnic Bosnia and Herzegovina; the wars left long-term economic and political damage in the region.
On 15 January 1992, the independence of Croatia and Slovenia was recognized worldwide. By then, it had been effectively dissolved into five independent states, which were all subsequently admitted to the UN:
Macedonia was admitted to the UN on 8 April 1993, being provisionally referred to for all purposes within the UN as "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", due to pressure from Greece, pending settlement of the difference that had arisen over its name.[5] Following the ratification of the Prespa Agreement, the country renamed itself North Macedonia on 12 February 2019.
Due to the dispute over its legal successor 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 the SFRY flag at UN headquarters.[6] Following the admission of all five states as new UN members, "Yugoslavia" was removed from the official roster of UN members.
In April 1992, during the breakup of Yugoslavia, the newly founded Federal Republic of Yugoslavia claimed the Yugoslav seat at the UN by state succession, like Russia had done with the Soviet Union's seat shortly before. However, for political reasons and contrary to the UN charter and established UN practice, the UN Security Council (mainly the US and the EU) in Resolutions 757 and 777 denied this so-called "rump Yugolavia" the right to automatically continue Yugoslavia's UN membership and referred the matter to the General Assembly, which passed Resolution 47/1 requiring the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to reapply as a new member state and forbidding it to participate in the work of the General Assembly. In a manner not foreseen by the UN charter, Yugoslavia was thus effectively suspended from the UN, with no right to vote, although its seat (with nameplate) was kept at the General Assembly and its flag, including the communist red star, continued to fly at the UN headquarters.[7] Following a legal interpretation of the relevant resolutions by the UN legal counsel, the UN Secretariat had allowed the SFRY mission to continue to operate and had accredited FRY officials as representatives of the SFRY. In that capacity, these representatives have circulated documents, participated in the work of various UN committees, and attended Security Council meetings as observers.[8] After the ousting of president Milošević in 2000 his successor Koštunica relinquished the state succession claim and reapplied to the UN as a new member state.
International courts have been divided over the question whether Yugoslavia was a UN member from 1992 to 2000, with many judges dissenting.[9]
Serbia and Montenegro (2000–2006)
On the basis of a referendum held on 21 May 2006, Montenegro declared independence from Serbia and Montenegro on 3 June 2006. In a letter dated on the same day, the President of Serbia informed the United Nations Secretary-General that the membership of Serbia and Montenegro in the UN was being continued by Serbia, following Montenegro's declaration of independence, in accordance with the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro.[10] Montenegro was admitted to the UN on 28 June 2006.[11]
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.
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