YUGOSLAVIA 431. The Committee considered the third periodic report of Yugoslavia (CCPK/C/52/Ada.9) at its 1144th to 1147th meetings, on 8 and 9 April 1992 (CCPR/C/SE.1144-1147). (For the composition of the delegation, see annex VIII.) 432. The report was introduced by the representative of the State party, who referred to important changes bearing on human rights that had occurred since the consideration of the second periodic report. In that connection, he said that fundamental changes had been made to the constitutional and legal systems of the Yugoslav Federation conducive to the introduction of a multiparty political system and a market economy and to the full implementation of international human rights standards. 433. The authorities of the Republics of Slovenia and Croatia had violated the constitutional provisions relating to the federal structure of the State and the modalities for amending the Constitution through their unilateral decisions to proclaim independence and secede from Yugoslavia. Both the Constitutional Court of Yugoslavia and the Government had declared those acts illegal and unlawful and their consequences invalid, while reaffirming the right of each nation to self-determination provided that it was not contrary to the principles of democracy. Those acts of secession ignored two particularly sensitive questions: the rights of other peoples to selfdetermination, which were threatened by such acts, and the status of the borders of the republics concerned. The population of Yugoslavia was indeed multinational in composition and the secession of certain republics could cause members of the same constituent nation, currently citizens of, a single State, to become citizens of different States. 434. The adoption of unconstitutional acts by secessionist republics and the upsurge of nationalism throughout Yugoslavia had led to outbreaks of national and religious hatred and armed conflicts. The armed conflict in Slovenia, caused by the forcible takeover by the Slovenian authorities of Yugoslav border posts and customs services, and the war in Croatia, provoked by the persecution of Serbs, had demonstrated that the use of force and recourse to unconstitutional acts led only to severe human losses and damage to property, while widening the gap between the different peoples and increasing their mutual distrust. Furthermore, the withdrawal of Slovenian, Croatian and Macedonian representatives had led to the paralysis of the federal legislative bodies, preventing the adoption of constitutional amendments and of other provisions that required the approval of all republics. The Republics of Montenegro and Serbia had been trying to redefine a new federation of Yugoslavia, open to all other Yugoslav peoples and republics wishing to accede to it. Alongside the Conference on Yugoslavia, preparations were under way to hold new federal elections and adopt a new constitution. 435. Although the rights of national minorities had been adversely affected by the deterioration of the situation in the country, none of the extensive rights provided to minorities under the 1974 Constitution had been reduced. In violation of the Constitutions of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia, ethnic Albanians had declared the so-called Republic of Kosovo. Consequently, the Assembly of the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo had been suspended and other measures adopted to protect the territorial integrity and -103-