Croatia, 1995

Let me first extend my heartfelt

congratulations to Mr. Freitas do Amaral of Portugal on his

election to the distinguished office from which he will

guide the work of the fiftieth session of the United Nations

General Assembly. I am confident that his experience and

commitment to the noble principles of the United Nations

Charter will guarantee that this session will be marked by

new vigour, commitment and determination. I wish to

express our gratitude also to his predecessor, Mr. Amara

Essy, for the fine, skilful manner in which he presided over

the work of the last session of the General Assembly.

The world we live in has been deeply and positively

affected by the end of the cold war and national

emancipation in Central and Eastern Europe, and Western

Asia. Many hotbeds of crisis have been extinguished or are

on the way to being resolved, from Eastern Asia and South

Africa to the Middle East.

However, many problems having a negative impact on

international relations remain unresolved, including the

crisis in south-eastern Europe. Most disquieting are the

dangers of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,

especially nuclear weapons. The world is still faced with

various forms of terrorism. There is a grave danger

resulting from the illicit trade in narcotics. Widespread

abuses of human rights continue as do the problems of

racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and national and

religious intolerance. The solution to the problem of

underdevelopment requires more concerted and coordinated

efforts.

In order to be able to deal with the many problems

facing the world, it is necessary to have a vital and efficient

United Nations.

Following the end of the cold war there was a period

of optimism, renewed hope and expectation that the United

Nations would finally play the role which had been

envisaged for it at the time of its founding, almost 50 years

ago. However, we have recently experienced severe

disappointment at the inability of the United Nations to

fulfil all these expectations; this has resulted in the loss of

credibility by the United Nations.

The causes for its loss of credibility are many and

varied, and among the most important is the failure of

many United Nations peace-keeping operations to achieve

their assigned goals. This is not to say that there have not

been successful United Nations peace-keeping missions; this

is evident from the operations in Cambodia and southern

Africa.

One way in which the peace-keeping or

peacemaking missions of the United Nations could be

improved is by the establishment of a United Nations

military force of a more permanent nature or one that

could be assembled quickly, consisting of contingents

from specific countries or regional arrangements. Such a

force should be constructed in such a way as to make

sure that its national contingents acted to implement

Security Council resolutions and not to promote the

policies of their States. In this regard I wish to express

the Republic of Croatia’s interest in providing troops for

United Nations peace-keeping operations.

However, in order to make the peace-keeping

functions of the United Nations more effective it is

necessary to reform the body which is primarily

responsible for the maintenance of international peace and

security — the Security Council. It is also important that

the composition of the Security Council reflect the new

political and economic realities which have emerged since

its formation after the Second World War. Due regard

must also be given to proper geographical balance as well

as to the increase in the membership of the United

Nations. Making the Security Council more representative

and democratic will also enhance its credibility as it will

then be a more legitimate body representing the will of

the international community. This will no doubt serve to

facilitate the implementation of its resolutions.

In this regard, the Republic of Croatia supports an

increase in the number of both the permanent and

non-permanent members of the Security Council to a

point which will not negatively affect its effectiveness. I

wish to reiterate Croatia’s support for the admission of

Germany and Japan as permanent members of the

Security Council due to the actual, as well as potential,

contribution of these two countries to the cause of

international peace and security and to other aspects of

the work of the United Nations. Additionally, serious

consideration should be given to the possibility of one or

more developing countries from Asia, Africa or Latin

America being granted permanent-member status.

Despite the various setbacks which I have already

referred to, the United Nations still has a critical role to

play in resolving many of the world’s problems,

especially in regard to the environment and sustainable

development.

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In addition to economic well-being, equal attention

should be paid to respect for the human rights of each and

every individual. In this regard, Croatia reiterates its

support for the work of the High Commissioner for Human

Rights, Mr. José Ayalo Lasso, and commends the manner

in which he has been performing his duty. As a further

method of combating gross violations of human rights and

international humanitarian law, Croatia supports the

establishment of an international criminal court in the form

of an apolitical legal organ of the international community.

By its geographical position, history, socio-cultural

features, and political and economic orientation, the

Republic of Croatia is a part of both Central Europe and

the Mediterranean. As a European country in transition,

Croatia has already achieved significant progress in the

development of democratic institutions and adherence to

internationally accepted standards concerning the rule of

law and protection of human rights. It is also worth noting

that the economic situation has been stabilized and even

improved during the past two years, despite the extremely

difficult conditions caused by Serbian aggression. Our

national development strategy is outward-oriented, while the

social policies and legal framework are based on the

principles of pluralistic democracy, including an

open-market economy.

As a country of European civilization and tradition,

Croatia’s strategic, political, economic and social orientation

is clearly focused on active participation in the process of

European integration. Croatia’s harmonization with

European legislation and criteria represents a crucial part of

its national development. While Croatia is already a

member of various European intergovernmental and

interregional organizations, the forging of closer relations

with the European Union, as well as full membership in the

Council of Europe, are the basic pillars of Croatia’s

European policy. However, Croatia will seek to adopt an

approach to reflecting a balance between its European

orientation and its wider global cooperation on a

multilateral and bilateral basis.

The Republic of Croatia endeavours to contribute to

lasting peace and durable stability in south-eastern Europe,

which can be achieved only by the normalization of

relations among all States based on full and strict respect

for and adherence to the principles of the inviolability of

international borders, the territorial integrity of all States

and the rights of minorities.

Croatia has effectively assumed its role as an

indispensable factor in the search for peace, stability and

security. In this sense, Croatia will continue to cooperate

constructively with the relevant international forums and

leading institutions or countries with a view to finding a

political solution to the present crisis in the region.

In this respect — and bearing in mind the nature of

the crisis and that its underlying cause has been and

remains Serbian aggression — Croatia will continue to

cooperate closely and coordinate its political, military and

diplomatic activities with the Republic and Federation of

Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the basis of the Washington

Agreements and other bilateral agreements and

arrangements such as the Split Declaration. This is

because one of the prerequisites for ensuring long-term

stability and progress for Croatia is the settlement of the

crisis in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Thanks to the clarity and transparency of its national

agenda, the decisiveness of its political leadership and its

cooperation with the international community in pursuit

of its vital national interests, Croatia has succeeded over

the course of several years in reintegrating most of its

occupied territories, paving the way for the return of

some 110,000 displaced persons and refugees to their

homes, as well as in revitalizing energy and transport

communications throughout the country.

Croatia has also managed in very difficult

circumstances to reach reasonable stability and to enjoy

increased prospects for further development and the

strengthening of the democratic system and institutions,

combined with a significant level of economic

stabilization.

Since the outbreak of the crisis in south-eastern

Europe Croatia has constantly advocated a negotiated

peaceful solution, with the active support and full

participation of the international community, and on the

basis of the principles of the United Nations Charter and

international law.

Special emphasis has been placed on the imperative

of fully regulating and normalizing Croat-Serb relations.

Future relations between these two States are of

paramount importance for lasting stability in south-eastern

Europe. At the same time, Croatia is actively contributing

to the quest for a solution to the issue of the

Bosniac-Muslim people, one that would ensure their

national rights and provide stability for the region.

Furthermore, in the interests of ensuring long-term

security and stability, Croatia has advocated the need for

the introduction of the confidence- and security- building

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measures of the Organization for Security and Cooperation

in Europe (OSCE).

Croatia has always done its utmost to enable the

international community to pursue its peace efforts and has

consistently demonstrated utmost restraint in resorting to the

use of force. When we had to use force, our military

always strove to minimize the loss of life and the extent of

destruction and to enable the international community to

pursue its peace efforts. Croatian military operations have

always been in self-defence and in response to the

intransigence and non-cooperation of the rebel Croatian-

Serb leadership, to the inability of the United Nations

peace-keeping forces to fulfil their mandate, to complete

deadlock in international mediating efforts, or to direct

provocations and terrorist attacks against civilians from the

rebel Serb side.

In the aftermath of the liberation of almost one fifth of

our country in August, isolated instances of unlawful

behaviour and human rights abuses have been recorded. My

Government strongly condemns all such individual acts and

has initiated proceedings against the perpetrators.

Croatia believes that its military operations during the

first week of August, on both sides of the Croatian-Bosnian

border, have substantially changed the balance of power

and in so doing have created a window of opportunity for

revitalization of the ongoing peace process. Croatia is of the

opinion that the joint effects of Operation Storm, the

coordinated activities of the army of Bosnia and

Herzegovina and HVO (Croatian Defence Council) units,

and the actions of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

(NATO) rapid reaction force against the Bosnian Serbs,

coupled with diplomatic efforts, have finally opened the

way to serious and comprehensive peace negotiations,

which will eventually lead to a realistic, balanced and

lasting solution to the crisis.

Croatia fully supports the current United States peace

initiative and the increased decisiveness of the international

community, manifested particularly by the United Nations

and NATO rapid-reaction force operations and pressure

against the Bosnian Serbs.

Croatia’s major interest with regard to Bosnia and

Herzegovina is in achieving a lasting peace and just

settlement of the conflict that would be satisfactory to the

constituent peoples and that would ensure stability along

Croatian borders; the survival, safety and dignified life of

the Bosnian Croats; and mutually beneficial relations and

cooperation between the two friendly neighbouring

countries.

Therefore, Croatia strongly supports the

implementation of the Washington Agreements and the

Split Declaration and the strengthening of the Federation

of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its association with

Croatia at various levels and in various areas of

cooperation.

The prerequisites for lasting stability, security and

cooperation in the region include a just and lasting

solution to the crisis, reconstruction and development of

the countries in the region, normalization of relations

between all successor States of the former Yugoslavia on

the basis of equal succession and introduction of a new

regional order as an integral part of the new European

security system.

It is Croatia’s firm position that the solution for the

peaceful reintegration of the remaining occupied

territories of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western

Srijem and the former United Nations Confidence

Restoration Operation in Croatia (UNCRO) Sector East

must be an integral part of the overall peaceful resolution

of the crisis in the region, in both Bosnia and

Herzegovina and Croatia, within the time-frame of the

current peace initiative and the expiration date of the

UNCRO mandate. Without progress in the solution of this

issue, progress in the settlement of the crisis in Bosnia

and Herzegovina cannot be envisaged, and neither can

any real stabilization of the situation in south-eastern

Europe.

Deeply committed to peaceful reintegration, Croatia

is willing to immediately open meaningful and

constructive talks with the representatives of the Serb

population in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western

Srijem that should lead to the re-establishment of

Croatia’s full sovereignty, the return of forcibly displaced

persons to their homes and respect, in accordance with

high European standards, for the minority rights of the

Serbs and other minority ethnic or national

communities — Slovak, Hungarian, Ukrainian and

others — in this area.

To this end Croatia has already proposed to the local

Serbs and the Government of the Federal Republic of

Yugoslavia, through the good offices of the international

mediators, a comprehensive, elaborate and concrete peace

plan in the form of a draft agreement on the peaceful

reintegration of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western

19

Srijem into the constitutional and economic system of the

Republic of Croatia.

Implementation of the proposed agreement must begin

with the immediate withdrawal of all military and

paramilitary groups not originally from this region, to be

followed by the disarming and disbanding, under UNCRO

supervision, of the military and paramilitary groups

composed of persons who reside in the area.

Upon signing the agreement on the peaceful

reintegration of the remaining occupied areas, the Federal

Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Croatia would

recognize each other within their internationally recognized

borders and diplomatic relations between these two States

would be established at the ambassadorial level. This would

be followed shortly by the reopening of the Zagreb-

Belgrade highway and railways, the river traffic along the

Danube and Sava rivers, the Adriatic pipeline’s outlet to

Serbia and telecommunications between Croatia and the

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

The proposed draft agreement provides ample evidence

of Croatia’s sincere will and disposition to find a negotiated

and just solution to the reintegration of the remaining

occupied territories, providing for the legitimate rights of

Croatia as a sovereign State and of all its citizens, including

its minorities. Along these lines, Croatia participated in the

Contact Group negotiations in Geneva and New York.

Following these negotiations, I am moderately optimistic

that the resolution of the crisis and peace in the region can

be achieved in the near future.

However, there is no doubt that progress towards a

lasting, just and comprehensive peace is contingent on the

continued, determined and coordinated efforts of the

international community in the maintenance of a global

approach to the current peace initiative and the continuation

of the international sanctions against the Belgrade regime.

In the next several weeks the parties and the international

community have to work out a framework, in the form of

a package, for the peace accord, which should include

several interrelated steps: a solution for Bosnia and

Herzegovina; a resolution of the issue of Eastern Slavonia

leading to its reintegration into Croatia; mutual recognition,

within their international borders, between Bosnia and

Herzegovina, Croatia and the Federal Republic of

Yugoslavia; and changes in the sanctions regime against the

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as the international

community deems appropriate. Upon the acceptance of such

a plan, the road to lasting peace and stability will be

opened.

On behalf of my Government, I would like to thank

again all the countries contributing troops to the UNCRO

operations in Croatia and underscore our appreciation of

their efforts to aid the peace process. Croatia deeply

regrets the loss of life and the injuries sustained by

members of the United Nations force during their mission

in Croatia. Their noble sacrifice will always be

remembered and cherished by the Croatian people.

In the name of my Government, I am particularly

proud to thank the General Assembly for having

supported the cause of Croatia, most of all by adopting

resolution 49/43, concerning the occupied territories of

Croatia. I kindly ask the Assembly to remain steadfast in

the contribution it has made through this important

resolution and through the individual and collective

engagement of most Members’ Governments to the search

for a just and lasting peace for Croatia and Bosnia and

Herzegovina, as well as for the whole of south-eastern

Europe.