Two policy experts discuss potential scenarios that could play out if Kosovo declares independence and the United States honors its national sovereignty.

The Independent International Commission on Kosovo prepared a report on Kosovo in 2000; the link below displays the executive summary. The commission’s mission statement said,

“The Independent International Commission on Kosovo will examine key developments prior to, during and after the Kosovo war, including systematic violations of human rights in the region. The Commission will present a detailed, objective analysis of the options that were available to the international community to cope with the crisis. It will focus on the origins of the Kosovo crisis, the diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, the role of the United Nations and Nato's decision to intervene militarily. It will examine the resulting refugee crisis including the responses of the international community to resolve the crisis. The effect of the conflict on regional and other states will also be examined. Furthermore, the Commission will assess the role of humanitarian workers, NGOs and the media during the Kosovo war. Finally, the Commission will identify the norms of international law and diplomacy brought to the fore by the Kosovo war and the adequacy of present norms and institutions in preventing or responding to comparable crises in the future.”

Session Two of a Council on Foreign Relations Symposium on International Law and Justice: Evolving Norms and U.S. Responses.

Four speakers discuss the consequences of an independent Kosovo.

CFR Senior Fellow Charles Kupchan discusses implications of Kosovo's anticipated declaration of independence despite Russia's opposition.

Two weeks ago, UN special envoy Martii Ahtisaari met with the Security Council to discuss his proposal for Kosovar independence. Ahtisaari’s plan is the basis for a resolution considered last week in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Undersecretary R. Nicholas Burns discusses the prospects for a sovereign Kosovo with Charles A. Kupchan, Senior Fellow and Director of Europe Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.