Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1997

I am

particularly honoured to have the opportunity to address

the fifty-second session of the General Assembly of the

United Nations on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I would like, first, to extend my warm

congratulations to our respected friend and colleague, His

Excellency Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, Minister of Foreign

Affairs of Ukraine, on his accession to the presidency of

the fifty-second session of the General Assembly. Mr.

Udovenko’s rich experience and extensive knowledge of

United Nations affairs are telling proof that this General

Assembly session has outstanding leadership.

The destiny of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been

closely linked to the United Nations since early 1992,

when my country became a Member State. Bosnia and

Herzegovina’s struggle to survive as a sovereign state

within its internationally recognized borders lasted four

years. We believe we won the major battle in preserving

the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country, but

we know we still have a long way to go.

The role of the international community and the

involvement of the United Nations in the Bosnia and

Herzegovina crisis were overwhelming. Month after

month, the United Nations, led by the Security Council,

stood firmly behind internationally accepted norms and

principles in order to make possible a negotiated and

peaceful solution in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Unfortunately — for subjective and objective

reasons, most of which are well known to all of us — in

spite of all the resolutions and decisions the tragedy in

Bosnia and Herzegovina continued to take what was

probably the heaviest toll of any modern conflict.

The events also proved that the United Nations was

not ready to deal effectively with what was certainly one

of the most complex crisis in our times. The conflict in

Bosnia and Herzegovina was, and still is, an important

22

case study which should be carefully analysed in the

context of the United Nations involvement mandate and its

role in crisis situations.

But we respect the help and tireless efforts of the

members of the United Nations mission in Bosnia and

Herzegovina to help the civilian population survive. I would

like to use this opportunity to say that we remember and

greatly admire the members of the international community

who lost their lives in the peace mission in Bosnia and

Herzegovina. We were deeply saddened by the recent tragic

accident which took the lives of 12 brave peace promoters,

among them the Deputy to the High Representative,

Ambassador Gerd Wagner.

We cannot forget the tens of thousands people who

were killed or wounded, the thousands of missing and

hundreds of thousands displaced persons and refugees.

Heavy damage was inflicted on the economic, social,

cultural and other sectors of life in Bosnia and

Herzegovina. But ultimately it was the social tissue of

Bosnia and Herzegovina that suffered the greatest damage.

The striving for national domination, exclusivity and

xenophobia, and also autism, have destroyed bridges of

communication and have deepened the gap between various

ethnic groups.

Given that the tragic consequences of the conflict

remain, it will require a lot of wisdom, patience and hard

work to overcome the many obstacles in our way. But we

believe that it is time to turn resolutely towards the future.

We must use this precious time to rebuild confidence and

establish relations between different ethnic groups and

among all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. These

relations should be based on internationally accepted

standards and norms of behaviour. In that context the

promotion and protection of human rights is one of the core

issues. Human rights are universally accepted and inherent

to all human beings, and they must be respected.

Two years after the signatures on the Dayton

Agreement stopped the negative current of events and

marked the beginning of the peace process, Bosnia and

Herzegovina is facing enormous tasks: rebuilding the war-

torn country and simultaneously establishing a democratic

system of governance and administration. In spite of a

variety of problems and shortcomings, we feel that the

positive energy necessary for such an endeavour is

accumulating. Besides the continuous attention and support

of the international community, we need the parties

concerned in Bosnia and Herzegovina to show additional

political goodwill if they want to see the peace process

progress and lead, ultimately, to results.

The legal framework for this exceptionally complex

goal was established in the Dayton Agreement. The

Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina was drafted,

taking into account the political reality and using as the

point of departure the only possible formula: three

peoples, two entities, one state. To make this rather

unique arrangement viable, in accordance with the

provisions of the Dayton Agreement, institutions at the

state level have been established.

The Presidency, Council of Ministers and Parliament

of Bosnia and Herzegovina are functioning but they have

not yet reached the necessary optimal rhythm and

performance. This represents a serious obstacle and must

be overcome without any delay because of its direct

influence on the functioning of the entire State system,

and on the external relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

as well as on the key development programmes.

At the lower level, the system of cantonal power and

administration is taking shape. It encompasses a number

of important duties and activities but also responsibilities,

since through it equal representation and participation of

different ethnic groups in power-sharing should be

secured. This represents one of the pillars of the multi-

ethnic, democratic State of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

But what is most important is full and unconditional

compliance with all the provisions of the Dayton

Agreement. That must be understood by all those who put

their signatures on the peace agreements, and those who

do not honour their obligations must face the

consequences. I would also like to say that the successful

organization of the municipal elections in Bosnia and

Herzegovina, held just a week ago, is of great

significance. Imperfect as they may be, these elections

represent a milestone on our complex and often difficult

journey towards stable peace and in the building of the

modern, democratic State of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The

fact that the elections took place throughout the territory

of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with hardly any problems or

any major incidents, demonstrates the readiness of all

parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina to comply with the

provisions of the Dayton Agreement.

The very fact that the majority of the population in

this war-torn and exhausted country responded in an

orderly fashion and presented themselves in large

numbers at the voting stations speaks for itself. It is a

23

clear signal that they want to take the destiny of Bosnia and

Herzegovina in their own hands. It is also a testimony to

their readiness to pursue the noble goal of healing the war

wounds and starting to rebuild the bridges of cooperation,

tolerance and mutual respect.

The post-war experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina

underlines the importance of democratic reforms, the

introduction of rule of law and the administration of justice

in accordance with the highest standards, respect for human

rights and the strengthening of public institutions. For a

truly democratic society, it is of particular importance to

open the space for free activities of civil society, citizens

associations, various non-governmental organizations and

religious communities. During the elections process, the

significance of open, objective and truthful information

delivered by free media was confirmed once again.

In order to achieve all of this, the presence of the

international community is of critical importance. Help and

support from the various organizations and agencies within

the United Nations system is invaluable to Bosnia and

Herzegovina and we are grateful for it.

Socio-economic development and the building of a

democratic State are closely interrelated. Only with properly

targeted help from the outside will Bosnia and Herzegovina

be able to create a sustainable economic system and thus

achieve a stable environment that is less exposed to crisis

and conflict situations. Here we are talking about a close

and mutually conditioned relationship between development,

democracy and peace. The realization of this paradigm

holds the key to the door for Bosnia and Herzegovina to

catch up with the fast developing world.

Therefore, I am convinced that we all share the

opinion that this should continue in order to implement a

common long-term vision for a prosperous and stable

Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have to move down this road

swiftly and urgently. And this applies beyond the borders

of Bosnia and Herzegovina; we cannot afford to delay

stability in the region. In that context, I would like to

underline one growing phenomenon of our time which is

particularly relevant for Bosnia and Herzegovina: the

interaction between the foreign and internal factors in the

countries in transition. Only the combined efforts of the two

can yield the desired results; yet the international factor

must never forget that the case of each country is specific.

Instead of a schematic and stereotypical approach, a new,

inventive and flexible methodology and pattern of activities

should apply. This would certainly contribute to a better

focus for programmes and a higher degree of coordination.

It would also prevent overlapping and inadequate

spending of resources.

The purpose of my brief overview was to share with

this body the recent experience in consolidating peace in

Bosnia and Herzegovina. I am convinced that by the end

of this debate we will be enriched with valuable ideas and

proposals on how to continue and improve the peace

process in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As the Secretary-

General stated in his address, the international community

must ensure that its collective investments — military,

political and financial — have not been made in vain. We

in Bosnia and Herzegovina share this approach entirely.

As a Member State, Bosnia and Herzegovina is

closely following the ongoing process of reform of our

Organization. The fifty-second session of the General

Assembly is taking place at a time when the main

features of the global political scene are rapidly changing.

The new political and strategic structures are taking

shape, with far-reaching consequences. With the cold war

behind us, new prospects, with new fears and new

challenges, are looming over the world. In such an

environment, we attach the greatest importance to the

place and the role of the United Nations.

We would like to commend the Secretary-General of

the United Nations and his collaborators for the immense

efforts in preparing a comprehensive report that contains

a programme of action for the reform of the United

Nations system. We cannot but agree that it is high time

for the United Nations to respond properly to the

changing world and thus confirm the irreplaceable role of

this universal Organization.

We go along with those who insist on a modern,

streamlined efficient Organization, ready to respond to the

demands of the new times. The United Nations must

reach out to the world with new vigour and offer all of its

assets in order to prevent threats to international peace

and security and also to address the ever-growing number

of universal problems. By breaking bureaucratic

sediments, the United Nations must became a source of

great intellectual power capable of offering a visionary

perspective on the future.

We would like to state that one of the pressing tasks

is the reform of the Security Council. However, we must

be prudent in dealing with this question. A balance

between more democratic representation in, and full

mobility of action for, this important United Nations body

has to be found.

24

Before concluding, I would like to touch upon the two

questions which are of particular relevance for Bosnia and

Herzegovina.

The first question relates to that abhorrent and

immoral weapon — anti-personnel landmines. Bosnia and

Herzegovina is unfortunately one of the largest fields

infested with this dangerous killing device. We strongly

support the conclusions of the Oslo Conference and hope to

see the international community united in supporting a

comprehensive ban.

The second question has to do with our first-hand

experience with the most horrible violation of human rights

that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are

therefore strongly raising our voice in favour of the

perpetrators of genocide and war crimes being brought

before justice and prosecuted. We welcome the idea of the

establishment of an International Criminal Court, and we

are convinced that the experience with the International

Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International

Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda will be taken into account

during the preparation process.

In conclusion, I would like to underline our feeling

that the exchange of views and experiences during the fifty-

second session is of great importance. It will certainly bring

new inspiration and, I hope, vision for the overall

development of our planet. It will also contribute to our

preparations for the encounter with the third millennia, its

challenges but also its new chances and possibilities. We

must be ready for this historic opportunity.