Croatia, 1998

Let me first extend my sincere

congratulations to the new President of the General

Assembly at its fifty-third session, His Excellency

Mr. Didier Opertti, Minister for Foreign Affairs of

Uruguay. I am confident that his diplomatic experience will

play an important role in the work of the Assembly. At the

same time, I would like to thank Mr. Hennadiy Y.

Udovenko of Ukraine for the skilful manner in which he

presided over the work of the fifty-second session of the

General Assembly.

I welcome the opportunity to address the General

Assembly on behalf of a nation that has emerged more vital

than ever before from one of the worst regional crises since

the Second World War. The free and sovereign Croatia of

today harbours a vibrant market place of ideas, innovative

economic and rich social and cultural practices. We are

learning that democracy means the right to both rational

and what at times might appear irrational choices. We are

learning that the free-market economy is both a prospect for

success and a risk of failure.

Positive results are already visible. Croatia of today,

although still burdened by the multiple tasks of transition,

reconstruction, the return of refugees and displaced

persons and reconciliation, stands firmly rooted in the

maturing Central European polity and economy. Croatia

looks with ambition and sharpened senses towards

reclaiming its place in the old Europe and contributing to

the new Europe and the global community.

Since ancient times Croatia has been a European

country. Integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions remains

our strategic goal. Therefore, Croatia will continue to

march towards it, being devoted to its high standards and

committed to its principles. This year Croatia is presiding

over the Central European initiative with a great sense of

responsibility. Furthermore, Croatia hopes to join the

World Trade Organization soon.

As a Central European and Mediterranean country,

Croatia will further endeavour to remain a key agent of

stability and peace in this part of the world. Through its

responsible policy towards the crisis which has marked

the recent history of this part of Europe, Croatia has

affirmed its indispensable role in the most important

political developments in this region.

Even though the war is behind us, Croatia is still

grappling with the legacies of aggression, such as the

problems of devastated economic infrastructure, missing

persons, ongoing assistance to war victims and invalids

and the return of displaced persons and refugees. This

means that my country is undergoing a double transition

at the same time. The transition from war to peace is

equally complex and demanding.

In June this year, the national Programme for the

Return and Accommodation of Displaced Persons,

Refugees and Exiled Persons was adopted, and, as

everybody agrees, it is being successfully implemented.

So far, more than 45,000 Croatian Serbs have returned.

Croatian authorities are also taking numerous steps and

measures to encourage the process of reconciliation. A

successful donors’ conference on reconstruction, to be

held later this fall, should further contribute to the

ongoing process of return and normalization of daily life,

especially in the war-affected areas.

Croatia is increasingly focusing on post-war

reconstruction, economic growth and development, as

well as on the overall normalization of relations with its

neighbours to the east and south. But it must be stressed

that full normalization of relations with neighbouring

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countries has always been a cornerstone of our policies

from the very outset.

Croatia was not only the first country to recognize

Bosnia and Herzegovina as an independent and sovereign

country, but it has also helped Bosnia and Herzegovina

more than any other party in its struggle to survive within

its internationally recognized borders. Hence, let me repeat

that for the Republic of Croatia as a guarantor of the

Dayton Peace Agreement, the following basic principles

remain paramount: first, Bosnia and Herzegovina as a

single, internationally recognized State; second, the

decentralization of State apparatus; and third, full equality

of the three constituent peoples. Croatia cannot support any

solution for Bosnia and Herzegovina that does not fully

incorporate these founding principles or that in any way

amounts to a revision of the Dayton principles. Deviations

from or tacit abrogation of these principles can be both

damaging and destabilizing not only to Bosnia and

Herzegovina itself, but also to the other countries in the

region.

Croatia firmly believes that the recent elections in

Bosnia and Herzegovina will further contribute to lasting

stability and security. The agreement on free transit through

the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum and use

of the Croatian port of Ploce, which will be formally signed

shortly, is yet another example of good-neighbourly

relations between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Croatia has signed an agreement on the State to State

Council on Cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Croatia supports the efforts by the Office of the High

Representative, United Nations representatives and the

peacekeeping forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina and shall

spare no effort in doing what is in its power to help them

fulfil their mandate.

We have come a long way in our bilateral relations

with our eastern neighbour, the Federal Republic of

Yugoslavia. Since the end of hostilities, 10 bilateral

agreements have been signed. We hope that the last

outstanding issue, concerning the security arrangement for

the Prevlaka area, will be negotiated promptly. Negotiations

formally began on 15 September 1998. Croatia stands ready

not only to open the border crossings with the Republic of

Montenegro, but also to continue with demilitarization on

our side of the border and with the present security regime

currently administered by United Nations Mission of

Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP). Whether it is through

successful bilateral negotiations with the Federal Republic

of Yugoslavia, through the Security Council or even

through unilateral action consistent with the rights and

duties of Croatia under international law, the UNMOP

mandate should terminate by 15 January 1999, because in

the present circumstances another prolongation of the

mandate can be misused to stall negotiations indefinitely.

The other United Nations mission in the Republic of

Croatia, the United Nations Civilian Police (UNCIVPOL),

with a mandate in the Croatian Danubian region, is

approaching its final stage, after having successfully

completed its task in that part of Croatia and, together

with recently adopted measures by the Croatian

Government, having helped create conditions for

reconciliation and a comprehensive return process.

Termination of both United Nations missions will be

a new landmark in the life of our country and will

confirm once again its sovereignty and integrity over its

entire territory.

While it has lent its full support and cooperation to

the International Criminal Tribunal for the former

Yugoslavia, Croatia is not satisfied with its results thus

far. Indictments issued so far do not adequately reflect the

scope of war crimes committed by different sides in the

conflict nor the level of involvement. The Republic of

Croatia helped to persuade 11 Bosnian Croats to

voluntarily surrender to The Hague Tribunal. Three of

them have been acquitted while the rest have been

awaiting trial for over 12 months, much longer than usual

in any individual State. On top of that, not a single

person — despite promises made as far back as the

Dayton negotiations — has been charged for crimes

committed against Bosnian Croats. Furthermore, only one

Serb was brought to The Hague for crimes committed

during the aggression against Croatia, but he died in

prison and was never sentenced.

The most notorious perpetrators of war crimes and

crimes against humanity — Karadzic, Mladic and

Martic — still remain at large, and in many cases in full

view of the international community.

The Republic of Croatia shares the concern of the

international community on the rapidly worsening

situation in Kosovo and the impending threat to

international peace and security. As a neighbouring

country of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Croatia is

vitally interested in a speedy resolution of the crisis. We

join the international community in condemning violations

of human rights in Kosovo, and we denounce all forms of

terrorism, regardless of whether they are committed by a

State, a group or an individual, bearing in mind that State

35

terrorism represents the most dangerous form of terrorism,

due to the resources available to States. Croatia supports a

peaceful and negotiated solution that would respect both the

territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

and the rights of Kosovo Albanians to autonomy. Croatia

is alarmed at the imminent humanitarian catastrophe, which

needs urgent and determined international action.

The twentieth century can boast of tremendous

achievements in various fields on the individual as well as

the collective level, while awareness of global

interdependence in every respect is growing.

However, we must face the fact that we are also

witnesses to the negative legacies of the twentieth century:

the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; terrorism;

narcotics production, trafficking and consumption; lagging

development; disregard for the environment; the rise of

transnational crime; and continued grave breaches of

fundamental human rights and humanitarian law.

On the fiftieth anniversary of United Nations

peacekeeping and the adoption of the Universal Declaration

of Human Rights, let us ask ourselves: what is the United

Nations, what does it really do? I agree with those who

strongly believe that the United Nations is not only a global

Organization in which Governments exchange views,

muster support for their policies and views or trade in votes

and influence. The United Nations is much more than an

Organization; it is a living idea for a better world.

Values do matter.

Like all organizations, the United Nations has aged,

and its structure and mechanisms have become anywhere

from slightly to grossly obsolete. To meet the challenges

and needs of the emerging global society at the turn of the

century, the United Nations must evolve just as quickly or

risk being overtaken by other institutions or initiatives that

may or may not be universal in scope, and may or may not

more faithfully reflect the credo of a better world for all of

us. It is high time that we again acted as “We the peoples”.

It is Croatia’s view that the reform of the United

Nations should take many forms and focus not only on the

needs of the Organization — that is, on the fulfilment of its

legislative mandates — but also on increasing its

effectiveness on the global stage. The Secretary-General has

done his part, and it is now up to each and every one of

us — as nations, as peoples, as individuals — to partake in

reforming the United Nations for the next millennium.

The reform of the Security Council remains

imperative. While the founding principle of the sovereign

equality of States must be strictly maintained, both the

structure and operation of the Security Council must be

harmonized with the new realities in international affairs.

Interdependence, liberalization of polities and markets and

the profoundly widened access to instantaneous

communication all demand that the function and use of

the veto power be readjusted, and that this pivotal world

body operate in a more transparent, representative and

otherwise democratic structure. Croatia thus supports the

enlargement of the Security Council in both categories,

permanent and non-permanent, fully in line with its

repeatedly declared positions.

Several important world conferences have been held

under United Nations auspices in the past decade; the

time has come to implement the findings and evaluate the

results of those conferences.

We firmly believe that the role of the Economic and

Social Council remains important to the well-being of this

Organization and its Members. Although Croatia has

increased its presence in United Nations expert bodies,

including two commissions of the Economic and Social

Council, we can do and wish to do more. Hence, Croatia

attaches paramount importance to its candidature for the

Economic and Social Council for the years 2000-2002.

The need for further improvement of international

security structures and mechanisms deserves our special

attention. If it has been identified with anything, the

United Nations has been widely identified with its

peacekeeping role. Nowadays, as we approach the end of

the active and, by general estimation, highly successful

United Nations peacekeeping presence in Croatia, the

Croatian Government and people feel very strongly that

the time has come for Croatia to pay back in kind some

of the good deeds bestowed on us by the United Nations

community. It was with a sense of pride and

responsibility that I submitted a letter to the SecretaryGeneral earlier today, formally notifying him of Croatia’s

readiness to join the ranks of peacekeeping contributor

countries.

Disarmament and international security issues are

critically important in our efforts to preserve peace and

enhance stability in the increasingly volatile world.

Croatia is particularly concerned about the problem

of landmines. We still suffer from the consequences of

more than 2 million mines scattered all over our country

during the imposed war. A lot of work has been done to

36

alleviate the problem, but many areas have not yet been

cleared. This situation adversely affects the process of

return of displaced people and refugees and slows down

economic reconstruction and development. The sheer

magnitude of this problem requires a more forceful and

resourceful global response, be it financial or technical.

Croatia ratified the Ottawa Convention in May 1998 and

strongly supports the efforts in the Conference on

Disarmament to start negotiations on a global ban by

building on the achievements of the Ottawa process.

The developments in disarmament, non-proliferation

and international security since our last session can be a

cause of great concern. International terrorism is another

threat to security and peace in the world. Croatia joins

others in unequivocally condemning all forms of terrorism,

regardless of their motives or origin. Croatia also supports

the strengthening of international cooperation in order to

bring those responsible to justice and prevent further

abhorrent acts of violence. My Government has ratified all

major anti-terrorist treaties and actively participates in the

current work on a nuclear terrorism convention.

Croatia joins the rest of the world in commemorating

the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of

Human Rights. In the past 50 years it has become obvious

that we should all work hard to establish efficient

mechanisms for the protection of human rights. More

objective criteria must be developed for their evaluation in

order to avoid politicization and establish a universal

standard in human rights.

In November 1997, Croatia ratified the European

Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and

Fundamental Freedoms, and accepted the competence of the

European Court of Human Rights and the European

Commission of Human Rights to deal with individual cases.

Croatia has also ratified the Framework Convention for the

Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter

for Regional or Minority Languages.

Croatia welcomes the results of the Rome Conference

on the establishment of an International Criminal Court, and

thanks the host country, Italy, for its generous hospitality.

Although not all aspirations could be fully accommodated

in Rome, the establishment of an efficient, permanent

International Criminal Court will be a milestone in the

march towards the universal protection of human rights and

the rule of law. Croatia intends to sign and ratify the

Statute of the court in the near future and calls on other

States to do the same.

The role of the United Nations remains of vital

importance for the world today. Under its auspices, many

praiseworthy achievements have been made in various

fields. The United Nations has played an important role

in Croatia, in time of war as well as now, when its two

missions are about to complete their mandates. The

United Nations presence in Croatia will continue at a

level of partnership in addressing social and, especially,

development questions. Only a strong and reformed

Organization will be able to adequately meet the

increasing and changing needs of its Member States.

In conclusion, therefore,I would like to say again

that values do matter. We the peoples are capable of truly

reforming the United Nations. We both need and deserve

a United Nations that is able and equipped to meet the

challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century.