Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2013

First of all, I would like to

congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election to the

presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth

session, as well as members of your team, and to extend

to you my full support in your future work.

Plenary meetings of the General Assembly have

always been an opportunity for Heads of State to gather

and exchange their opinions about the world situation

in order to try to find solutions for contemporary global

problems.

My country’s strategic goal of establishing a formal

relationship with and membership in the European

Union (EU) is based upon its ambition to become part

of the big family of democratic States and therefore

assure the full functionality of its own institutions and

its further development on the basis of a free market

and the rule of law, and especially human rights. Based

on the direction and foreign policy activities of Bosnia

and Herzegovina, our focus remains on furthering

our relationship and institutional relationship with the

European Union, according to the Stabilization and

Association Agreement and its full implementation.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s aspiration to become a

member of the European Union is based upon broad

political census.

The fact that the process of European integration

demands comprehensive political, institutional and

legal adjustments in order to reach European standards

in all areas is of fundamental importance to my country.

We are also fully aware that the active participation

of all segments of society of Bosnia and Herzegovina

is necessary to expedite the process of European

integration. I expect that expediting the remaining

activities and the implementation of the Sejdi.-Finci

ruling of the European Court of Human Rights will

lead to the fulfilment of the requirements for Bosnia

and Herzegovina’s application for accession to the

European Union.

I also hope for a positive development in the process

of fulfilling the conditions for activating the NATO

membership action plan and further integrating Bosnia

and Herzegovina into NATO security structures. I would

also like to emphasize that Bosnia and Herzegovina is

in the final phase of negotiations for accession to the

World Trade Organization.

Allow me to emphasize again that Bosnia and

Herzegovina has a very clear stance with regard to war

crimes. All those accused of war crimes will be held

responsible for the crimes of which they are accused

before either international or domestic courts.

Bosnia and Herzegovina puts great emphasis on

regional and subregional cooperation and dialogue

among neighbouring countries, whose cultures

and traditions have been present in the Balkans for

centuries and who are currently at different stages

of transition and democratic reform. Bosnia and

Herzegovina is turned towards the future and to

cooperation with neighbouring countries on the basis

of mutual respect, as well as respect for sovereignty

and territorial integrity. The development of bilateral

relations with all of our neighbouring countries and

other countries in the region is focused on several key

areas: Euro-Atlantic integration, advancing economic

cooperation, strengthening regional cooperation and

finding constructive solutions for current issues.

Our emphasis on regional cooperation is on the

development of communications infrastructure as a

basis for better economic, cultural and scientific ties, as

well as overall regional development. The potential for

regional economic ties is especially strong in the areas

of industry, tourism, agriculture and energy.

I would like to especially emphasize our bilateral

relations with the Republic of Croatia, which gained

a new dimension and dynamic with the Croatian

accession to the EU, which was marked by eagerness

on both sides to find solutions that are in best interests

of both our countries.

I must point out that we continue to live during

one of the greatest economic and financial crises in

contemporary history, which is certainly the greatest

threat to global peace and security. We must do

everything in our power to tackle its negative effects

and consequences. Although the latest indicators show

that some developing countries are coming out of the

recession, that is not the case in poor and developing

countries, where the consequences of the crisis are very

harsh.

The institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina have

been strategically working towards achievement of

the Millennium Development Goals. We believe that,

despite the difficulties caused by the world economic

situation, there will be no obstacles in reaching our stated

targets by 2015. Bosnia and Herzegovina has finalized

the development strategy for Bosnia and Herzegovina

and the social inclusion strategy for Bosnia and

Herzegovina, while the strategy for poverty eradication

has already been designed and implemented. All of that

has been done in cooperation with the relevant United

Nations agencies in the country, whom we would like to

thank for their close cooperation.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is ready to contribute to

global efforts to define a development framework and

then to implement it in order to readily face economic,

social and environmental challenges. Considering

that the importance of the three aspects of sustainable

development I have mentioned crosses national

borders, Bosnia and Herzegovina believes that regional

cooperation is crucial for the successful preparation of

the new post-2015 development framework.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as all the other

Western Balkan countries at this stage of integration,

follows European Union policy and views with regard to

the new development agenda. Bosnia and Herzegovina

consistently supports the position that sustainable

development is possible only in harmony with nature.

I am of the opinion that economic and political

interests must not be an obstacle to achieving global

consensus on a true beginning of the global fight for the

preservation of the natural balance of planet Earth. It is

often forgotten that climate change has a direct impact

on development, poverty and hunger, and consequently

on global peace and security. Short-term solutions will

have long-term consequences, and the steps we take

today will be our legacy for generations to come.

All of us present here agree that the United Nations

needs continuous and comprehensive reform, which

should be conducted with great caution, assuring a

wide consensus of Member States. United Nations

reform should provide for efficient and coordinated

functioning of all segments and bodies of the system.

It is a widely held belief that Security Council reform

is crucial for core reform of the world Organization.

That reform, carried out with the consensus of the

Member States, is necessary for reasons of efficiency

and credibility, and it can be achieved only by taking

into account the contemporary geopolitical reality,

which differs from that of 1945. Only a Security

Council reformed in that way can have full authority

and responsibility in addressing the most important

issues of international peace and security. That is the

mandate entrusted to the Council by the Charter of the

United Nations.

Dialogue and compromise are the best way to

ensure the widest possible support, and Bosnia and

Herzegovina supports the opinion that Security

Council reform should be moved from a standstill

as soon as possible. We also believe that a reformed

Security Council should have an additional seat for a

State from the Eastern European Group, as the number

of countries in that group has more than doubled in the

past two decades.

In accordance with that position, I would also like

to emphasize that more engagement in preventative

diplomacy is expected from the Security Council. We

believe that more activity in the area of preventive

diplomacy would help solve many problems and crises

before they intensify, which would be a more efficient

way for the Council to work. Encouraging dialogue

to resolve critical issues by compromise, while acting

against any kind of exclusiveness, especially in the

area of human rights and human life, is of the utmost

importance. Timely and efficient conflict prevention,

rather than reaction to a crisis that has already escalated,

is definitely a more effective and less costly approach

to international peace and security.

We are eager to share with others the positive and

the negative of our post-conflict and peacebuilding

experience. Bosnia and Herzegovina believes that

every crisis should be studied carefully, with careful

consideration for the roots of conflict, the culture,

religion and local customs and every other factor in

order to find a just and long-term solution. There are no

universal solutions for any crisis, and each one should

be attended to and considered separately.

Bosnia and Herzegovina believes that it is necessary

to take concrete steps to prevent nuclear proliferation

around the world. In spite of visible obstacles of the

past decade, there are new initiatives giving new

momentum to the disarmament and non-proliferation

process. We believe that nuclear disarmament can be

achieved by encouraging Member States parties to the

Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to

respect their obligations under the Treaty.

Bosnia and Herzegovina will sign the Arms Trade

Treaty during the Treaty event.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is gravely concerned about

the continuing violence in Syria, which has worsened the

humanitarian crisis and caused unacceptable suffering

for the Syrian people. We call on all the parties to

comply with their obligations under international law

and human rights law.

Resolving the crisis in the Middle East continues

to be one of the most important priorities of the world

Organization. We believe that all possible steps should

be taken to create a positive climate in order to achieve

a just and comprehensive peace in the region. We expect

all sides to refrain from any rash actions and to focus on

launching this very important dialogue.

In order to play a constructive role in international

relations and to contribute to self-sustainable peace

and stability, Bosnia and Herzegovina participates in

the International Security Assistance Force mission in

Afghanistan. In support of international efforts, we also

actively participated in the United Nations missions in

Liberia, South Sudan and Cyprus.

I would also like to emphasize that Bosnia and

Herzegovina remains very concerned that terrorist

attacks around the world continue to take the lives

of innocent victims. We are committed to fighting

terrorism and believe that results in that regard can be

achieved only through comprehensive cooperation and

a partnership of as many Member States as possible.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is also following the

situation on the African continent with great interest.

We expect that despite the world financial and economic

crisis, most developed countries will continue to

increase their contributions to the official development

assistence that is essential for capacity-building in poor

African countries. Therefore, we welcome the activities

of the United Nations through the New Partnership

for Africa’s Development and other efforts aimed at

putting Africa on the road to stable and sustainable

development, especially with regard to achieving the

Millennium Development Goals. That particularly

applies to the countries of sub-Saharan Africa.

We also support all efforts of the African Union,

African Governments and the United Nations to improve

the rule of law and democracy and to strengthen civil

society and its institutions, in order to improve all

aspects of society. We wish to point out that continued

and greater financial aid to Africa is just as important

as improving the efficiency and transparency of the use

of aid funds for sustainable development.

In today’s world, with political and social processes

more dynamic than ever, we face challenges quite

different from those of only a few decades ago. It is

becoming clear that only a strong multilateral approach

can produce good solutions. In its more than six decades

of existence, the United Nations has seen many trials

and tribulations, but it has always been, and continues

to be, the only guide to a better future. It is still the

only organization capable of providing solutions to the

global problems we face.

It is up to us to make it stronger and more efficient,

for only the United Nations — the most comprehensive

and inclusive organization — can help bring progress

and well-being to our planet. If we work together to

implement all our agreements reached in this hallowed

place, there is no doubt that we will live in better and

more just conditions than exist today. On that path,

we need to return to the basic values and principles

of human rights, equality and world peace that are the

foundation of the United Nations.