Croatia, 1997

It is a special privilege and

honour for me to address the General Assembly at the

beginning of its fifty-second session.

At the outset I would like to extend my sincere

congratulations to you, Sir, as the new President of the

General Assembly, confident that your extensive and

proven diplomatic experience and skills will play an

important role in the work of the Assembly.

I should also like to express our gratitude to the

President of the General Assembly at its fifty-first session,

His Excellency Mr. Razali Ismail, whose devoted and

vigorous work has shown that United Nations reform is

much more than mere rhetoric, and who set a new standard

of performance in the General Assembly.

As a Central European and Mediterranean country,

Croatia highlights as its strategic priorities overall stability

in the region, full integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions

and the assertion of its position in the new post-cold-war

Europe. Hence the special attention my Government pays

to the policy of good neighbourliness and the development

of stable relations with all neighbouring countries, based

on the principles of full respect for the existing

internationally recognized borders, for minority rights and

for the peaceful resolution of existing and possible

disputes in the spirit of the United Nations Charter. Today

I can point out with satisfaction that Croatia has

concluded dozens of bilateral agreements with its

neighbours, and relations with each of our immediate

neighbours are being fully regulated and are steadily

improving.

Croatia hosted two large-scale United Nations peace

operations: the United Nations Protection Force

(UNPROFOR) and the United Nations Confidence

Restoration Operation in Croatia (UNCRO). The United

Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia,

Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES), in the

Danubian area, and the United Nations Mission of

Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP) are still present. Croatia

has also played an important role in facilitating the

Stabilization Force (SFOR) operation in Bosnia and

Herzegovina.

I should like to take this opportunity to reiterate my

Government’s sincere gratitude for all the efforts that

were made by the United Nations to stop the war in

Croatia and alleviate its consequences, as well as to

express my country’s sincere sympathies to the families

of the “blue helmets” who have fallen while attending to

their lofty duties.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to express our

appreciation and thanks to the United Nations Secretary-

General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his peace efforts in Croatia.

As a United Nations official in the field and as Under-

Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations he made

a major personal contribution to overcoming the crisis.

Our great thanks go to UNTAES and Mr. Jacques Klein,

until recently Transitional Administrator in Eastern

Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium, whose vigorous

work, leadership skill and successful cooperation with the

Croatian Government have been instrumental in the

peaceful reintegration of these areas into Croatia.

During the many months of the United Nations

presence in Croatia and elsewhere in the area of the

former Yugoslavia, my country had a chance to see for

itself all the potential and the weaknesses of peacekeeping

operations. It has been proven beyond any doubt that a

peace operation can be successful only if its mandate is

clearly defined, in terms of its goal as well as its time-

frame, and if it is actively and fully supported by the

12

Security Council and the Secretary-General, and

spearheaded by an uncompromising leadership explicitly

determined to use all means required for the completion of

its mission.

This knowledge has been gained at a high political,

material and, worst of all, human price, so it is to be hoped

that it will be wisely exploited in the future. For its part,

Croatia is anxious to step out of its role as a country

hosting peacekeeping operations and instead assume the

role of an active participant in such operations elsewhere.

Here and now I can confirm the readiness of my country to

join the roster of United Nations Member States whose

troops participate in international peace endeavours.

The fifty-second session of the General Assembly is

taking place against a background of great obligations and

equally great expectations regarding the reform of the

United Nations system. The timely and far-reaching

proposals put forward by the Secretary-General have

opened the door for reforms. Croatia gives its firm support

to his proposals, and we are ready to render any assistance

needed in introducing the kind of changes we owe both to

those who laid the foundations of this Organization and to

future generations. As for the need to rationalize the work

of the General Assembly and reduce its huge agenda,

Croatia has put forward a proposal to delete the item on the

General Assembly’s agenda entitled “The situation in the

occupied territories of Croatia”, as its title and topic no

longer correspond to the situation on the ground, which

makes it obsolete.

In view of the geopolitical realities, Croatia advocates

an increase in the number of Security Council members,

both permanent and non-permanent. Half a century of old

stereotypes ought to be phased out. Croatia supports the

idea of granting permanent member status to Germany and

Japan, with the right to permanent membership being kept

in mind for those parts of the world, primarily Africa,

which for more than 50 years, without any justification,

have been deprived of permanent Security Council

representation. Furthermore, my country supports the idea

of assigning one more seat on the Security Council to the

Eastern European Group.

Croatia strongly supports the reaffirmation and full

implementation of the universality of the Treaty on the

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). My country

was pleased to note that during this year’s NPT Preparatory

Committee sessions some progress was achieved with

regard to the principle of non-first use, especially against

non-nuclear-weapon States, and it calls on the nuclear

States to give due consideration to proposals to have this

principle codified in a legally binding document.

In May 1996, the Review Conference of the States

Parties to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions

on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May

Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or To Have

Indiscriminate Effects amended Protocol II on landmines.

Croatia, which has played an active role during the

Ottawa process from the beginning, and which has

already put in place its own unilateral moratorium on

landmines, fully supports all the efforts which ultimately

led to the decision at the recent Oslo conference to adopt

the text of a global treaty banning anti-personnel

landmines.

Croatia’s preoccupation with the global landmine

problem is also motivated by personal affliction. Millions

of mines laid in the formerly occupied territories of

Croatia during the war continue to pose a direct threat,

especially to the most vulnerable: civilians. It is also a

great impediment to the reconstruction of war-affected

areas. The clearing of mines in these areas is a

painstaking process, and, in spite of our best efforts, it

will take many years to complete. Unfortunately, a lack

of specialized equipment means that the process cannot

move any faster. Having said this, allow me to take this

opportunity to express my gratitude to all those who have

thus far provided financial and other aid towards

alleviating the landmine problem in my country, and to

make a further appeal for any aid — material, financial or

professional — which could help us expedite the mine-

clearing process. In this context, I would like to express

my Government’s appreciation for the efforts of the

United Nations Mine Action Centre in Zagreb and the

United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs for

their efforts in helping us launch this process.

Quality of life, today and in the future, will greatly

depend on success in the protection of human rights it

both international and national levels. Protection and

promotion of human rights — a cause in which the

United Nations has played an indispensable role — is

necessary in order to guarantee international stability and

security. The Office of the High Commissioner for

Human Rights has successfully enhanced the role of the

United Nations in this important field and, at this

juncture, I would like, on behalf of the Croatian

Government, to congratulate Mrs. Mary Robinson upon

her appointment to this post. Because of her excellent

qualifications and personal integrity, we are confident that

she will perform her duties admirably.

Croatia’s own human rights situation should be

evaluated in the context of the exceptional circumstances of

its recent history. Despite the trying circumstances of its

inception, the Republic of Croatia has managed to build the

foundations of a democratic society based on respect for

human rights. In this regard, I can announce that in the

coming month of October Croatia will ratify the European

Convention on Human Rights. There are, of course, many

outstanding issues, largely stemming from the war of

aggression waged against Croatia. These include the return

of displaced persons and refugees; identification of missing

persons; the rights of ethnic Croats in neighbouring States;

and the return of all Croatian Serbs who left Croatia at the

instigation and under the orders of their leaders and who

wish to return to Croatia. The Government of the Republic

of Croatia intends to continue to deal with all these issues

in keeping with its international human rights obligations as

well as its legitimate concerns for the security of the State

and the safety and welfare of all its citizens.

As a victim of aggression, Croatia advocates the

need — and has even come up with its own initiatives —

to set up an international tribunal for the prosecution of war

crimes committed in Croatia and Bosnian and Herzegovina.

Croatia has been cooperating with the International

Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia since its

foundation. The Tribunal’s Office has opened in Zagreb.

The Croatian Government has established its own Office

for Cooperation with the Tribunal and appointed observers

to the Tribunal. Moreover, the Constitutional Law on

Cooperation with the International Tribunal has been

adopted. Croatia’s principled position is to cooperate with

the Tribunal within its obligations as defined in

international law and in accordance with the relevant

resolutions and the statute of the Tribunal adopted by the

Security Council.

However, Croatia cannot be completely satisfied with

the work of the Hague Tribunal to date. The charges raised

so far, and the ethnic composition of the persons being tried

in The Hague at present, do not properly reflect the

responsibility of the sides involved in the conflict or the

extent of the war crimes committed. On the other hand, by

trying to subpoena the States and their high officials, the

Tribunal has gone beyond its own statute and international

law.

Current peace operations in the territory of Croatia —

UNTAES and UNMOP — are considered successful by my

Government. Under the Basic Agreement signed between

the central authorities of the Republic of Croatia and the

Serbs from the Croatian Danubian region, and pursuant to

relevant Security Council resolutions, the two-year

UNTAES mandate expires on 15 January 1998. Croatia

holds that at this moment there are no reasons whatsoever

for any prolongation of the UNTAES mandate beyond 15

January 1998. We are also firmly convinced that this

mission will be fully completed on time and will go down

in history as one of the most successful United Nations

peacekeeping operations.

The results achieved under the auspices of the

United Nations and with the full cooperation of the

Croatian authorities can be described as highly

satisfactory. Demobilization has been completed. Local

elections have been held through which the Croatian

Danubian region has been reintegrated into the legal and

political system of the country. Local Government has

largely been transferred to the newly elected and

constituted bodies.

Rules have been defined and designed in cooperation

between the Republic of Croatia, UNTAES and UNHCR

to enable a dignified, safe and organized return of

displaced persons and refugees to their homes in and out

of the Croatian Danubian region. So far a total of 1,500

displaced Croats have returned to the Croatian Danubian

region, and a total of 8,000 Serbs have returned from the

region to their homes elsewhere in Croatia. The return of

displaced persons and the international presence will

continue after the departure of UNTAES. At the invitation

of the Croatian authorities, the Organization for Security

and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has undertaken to

monitor the developments in the Croatian Danubian

region after 15 January 1998.

The reintegration of the Croatian Danubian region

has never been an easy or simple process. The Republic

of Croatia and all its citizens, especially the population of

the Croatian Danubian region, including the persons

expelled from it, owe a debt of gratitude to UNTAES and

all the States whose troops have participated in this highly

successful operation.

The mandate of UNMOP, which has been given the

task of monitoring the demilitarization of the area from

both sides of the southernmost border between the

Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of

Yugoslavia, has been helpful in stabilizing security in that

area and in creating conditions for a lasting settlement

there through bilateral talks. The Republic of Croatia has

shown full understanding for the interests of the Federal

14

Republic of Yugoslavia with regard to the security of the

Boka Kotorska Bay, while being concerned for its own

security in the Dubrovnik hinterland. In this regard,

UNMOP has played an important role, but it will not be

possible to deal with the outstanding problems through

endless prolongations of the United Nations mandate.

With relief and satisfaction, Croatia welcomes the

easing of the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and remains

firmly committed to the principles and implementation of

the Washington and Dayton Accords. My Government

gives its active support to preserving the integrity of Bosnia

and Herzegovina, as well as to the consolidation of the

federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a foothold and

framework for the survival and well-being of the Croatian

people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The role of the international community, especially

that of the United Nations and the countries participating in

SFOR, in the creation of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina

is irreplaceable at this stage of the peace process. Too much

effort, resources and prestige have been invested in peace

in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and too much suffering has

been experienced by the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

to allow any risk which may undermine what has been

achieved in Dayton and in its wake. Croatia will persist and

persevere in its role as an active peace agent in the region,

expecting other parties involved in the peace process to

fulfil their obligations.

Those standing in the way of the Dayton Accords and

continuing to defy the integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina

as a community of two equal entities and three constituent

peoples have to be confronted with the same

uncompromising determination of the international

community, and, if required, with the same measures as

were earlier applied in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which

proved to be entirely necessary and productive. The

economic reconstruction of the country — in which the

international community should play an even more vital

role — is also of special importance.

The agenda of the fifty-second session of the General

Assembly is extensive, and a great deal of work lies ahead

of us. There is also an opportunity before us to have this

session of the General Assembly recorded in the annals of

the Organization as a landmark in the Organization's

development. Croatia will be only too glad to help make

this come true.