Bosnia and Herzegovina

At the outset I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to the President on his well-deserved election. I also wish to express our sincere appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab for his devoted work, tireless efforts and dedication while successfully presiding over the fifty-fourth United Nations General Assembly. The Millennium Summit that concluded only a few days ago has reaffirmed the unanimous belief of the world leaders that only together, guided by the spirit and the objectives of the founding fathers of the United Nations and respecting the established system of principles, norms and standards of international relations and international law, can we successfully respond to the challenges of the twenty-first century. Despite its weaknesses, imperfections, inadequate efficiency and sometimes missed opportunities, the consequences of which were partly felt in my country, the United Nations succeeded in maintaining global security, in containing several local and regional conflicts, in preserving peace and in facilitating the normalization of life. It has been successful in offering relief and hope to the most unfortunate ones. Again, my country experienced this side of the United Nations as well. In this respect, we again welcome the Srebrenica Report and subsequent Brahimi Report. 28 If all this was achieved mostly under the conditions of the confrontations of the cold war, in a climate of mistrust and in the century during which humanity not only achieved the highest objectives but also touched the lowest depths, there should be no doubt that the United Nations can fulfil its new tasks. Addressing this Assembly on behalf of the country that in the memory of humankind is associated with the eruption of the First World War an event that was an early omen of the entire tragedy of the twentieth century I would like to express hope that at the very end of this century, after all the horrors of the Second World War and after the inconceivably tragic conflicts following the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina has exhausted all the misfortune of being at the epicentre of historic earthquakes. And I hope that, under the auspices of the United Nations, Bosnia and Herzegovina is ready to gain anonymity through a speedy recovery and blessed, long-lasting and happy progress. The United Nations through its activities has and will continue to influence the developments in the world. It has to follow the rapid and very often radical changes in international relations and to adjust accordingly and find the best ways to exercise its duties and its role. The reform of the United Nations no doubt is a very delicate issue. But its postponement and endless debates that only maintain the status quo are an even greater issue. Furthermore, these things bring into question the ability of the United Nations to modernize and democratize in order to improve its capacity and efficiency. An agreement has been reached on some of the most crucial issues regarding the reform of the Security Council, including the increase in its membership both its permanent and non-permanent seats to include the representatives of the developed and the developing countries and to provide more equitable geographical representation of the countries. I believe that by adopting this minimum of initial reforms of the Security Council and through continuous work on the other related issues such as the issue of the veto a favourable atmosphere would be created and this would positively influence relations within and all the activities of the United Nations. In our address to the General Assembly a year ago, our delegation announced that we would like to become a more active member of the international community, primarily of the United Nations. We said that we were determined to move from the position of the recipient of the concern and attention of the international organizations and forums a position in which we were placed for more or less well-known reasons to the position of a contributor to international efforts. The fact that we are in a position to consider the need or even the imperative of taking a more active and creative role, and thus a bigger share of responsibility, testifies to the trend of normalization of the situation in our country, which was ravaged by a war only five years ago. Although small in number, an integrated group of 13 policemen from both entities, comprising representatives of all three constituent peoples who only recently were fighting each other have been deployed with the international peacekeeping force in East Timor. Furthermore, with significant assistance from and the endorsement of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH), efforts to form a joint unit composed of the military from both entities are under way. Once established, the unit would be sent to a peacekeeping mission under the United Nations flag. We are considering very seriously the possibility of presenting the candidature of Bosnia and Herzegovina for a non- permanent seat in the Security Council after the year 2010. In this way, we are confirming our commitment to the stabilization and normalization of life in our country, and particularly our commitment to economic and democratic development. We are confident that, as early as 10 years from now, Bosnia and Herzegovina will succeed in becoming a member of the most important body of the United Nations. Although we display courage in expressing readiness to take a larger share of responsibility as a Member of the United Nations and of other regional organizations, we are fully aware that we still need the international presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that we still need its assistance and support in the normalization of life, in eliminating the consequences of war and in preparing ourselves for self-sustainable development and progress. Implementation of the Dayton/Paris Peace Agreement still remains the main focus of the activities of the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina at all levels. Its implementation is also the primary focus of the international community and its representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Imperfect as the Peace Agreement undoubtedly is, this cannot be an excuse for a lack of commitment to its implementation. For it is exactly its consistent implementation that can bring us closer to the point at 29 which it would be normal, and even unavoidable, to establish a new framework and new directions for Bosnia and Herzegovina's progress towards higher levels of development and higher living standards. However, this will only be possible when the common institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina become a place and an instrument for the realization of common interests and objectives of both of its entities and of all of its constituent nations and peoples instead of being a locus for very costly obstructions and confrontations to the detriment of all, in particular those who want to return to their homes. In many areas throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina in the past 12 months progress has been made. This is encouraging and indicative of the fact that in many fields of life things could advance faster and more successfully along the road towards desired and needed progress. The return of refugees and internally displaced persons still remains the priority. There continue to be cases in which returnees have to flee their only recently rebuilt homes when faced with brutal attacks by neighbours of different ethnicities or religions. But at the same time it is encouraging that more often the returnees are welcomed by their neighbours and offered assistance and support. During the first six months of this year three times more so-called minority returns were registered compared to the same period last year. However, the number of returns is considered to be even larger, since not all returns have been registered or have not been fully completed as yet. The other positive development noticed in the returns is the fact that among the returnees there are more and more young people and families with school-age children, which was not the case in the past, when only so-called elderly households returned to their homes. This progress, of course, may be the result of improved security conditions, freedom of movement, somewhat better infrastructure or offering assistance with the repairing of houses or apartments; but, above all, this progress is the result of a growing awareness on the part of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina that it is savage, illegal and inhuman to deprive people of their sacred rights to home, life and security. Returns were also significantly increased because indicted war criminals were more successfully brought to justice and because of a more independent, more reasonable and more constructive engagement on the part of the media. Still, the role of the international community in achieving all that has been mentioned in particular the role of the High Representative, the Peace Implementation Council, the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Stabilization Force, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is irreplaceable. In this context, I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the members of the Security Council for inviting the three members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina to New York last November on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the Dayton/Paris Peace Agreement. That visit resulted in the adoption of the New York Declaration. Implementation of the provisions of the Declaration brought about major achievements: the establishment of the State Border Service, the formation of the Secretariat of the Presidency and improvements that facilitated the functioning of this joint institution, the reconstruction and enlargement of the Council of Ministers, and the creation of conditions conducive to the return of refugees and internally displaced persons. Also, as a related activity, the first steps in organizing the battle against corruption have been taken. The decision of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the constituency of all the three nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina will have far- reaching consequences for overall developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This decision should reduce the unique ethnic and religious apartheid and disenfranchisement of citizens belonging to the so- called minority nations. Among the achievements that encourage and have a positive impact on the change of the overall climate in Bosnia and Herzegovina must be mentioned those made in the area of the judicial system. Those achievements are reflected in the professionalization of judges and prosecutors and in their modernization. Through the establishment of multi-ethnic police comprising uncompromised professionals, training and education of young policemen in police academies, composition of police forces that reflect the demographic picture of the local population, the space for abuses is thereby narrowed, and an environment favourable to arbitrary behaviour and unpunished harassment and oppression of citizens belonging to so called minority nations is eliminated. It is my pleasure to inform the Assembly that significant efforts are being made in the promotion and 30 protection of human rights and civil freedoms in Bosnia and Herzegovina in all fields. In the course of preparing for the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, we will request that government bodies, courts, the police force, schools and universities, non-governmental organizations, religious institutions and their leaders and distinguished individuals from different spheres of life, challenge those who still advocate and practise different forms of discrimination and intolerance and step on human rights, freedoms and human dignity. We, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are aware that healing the consequences of war and post-war stagnation and removal of impediments to faster stabilization and progress rests primarily with the domestic political leadership. We are also aware that the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina is in its integration into European and other institutions. The Stability Pact for south-eastern Europe has therefore been accepted as a framework conducive to regional cooperation, elimination of mistrust, strengthening of security conditions and for catching up with missed opportunities in the spheres of human rights and democratic emancipation and economic progress. Bosnia and Herzegovina wholeheartedly embraces the Stability Pact as the most important regional endeavour so far, convinced that, despite the slow realization of a number of projects and despite the slower inflow of contributions, its objectives are fully consistent with the objectives of Bosnia and Herzegovina's foreign policy. The achievement of these objectives would embark us on the road to faster integration into the Council of Europe, the European Union, the World Trade Organization and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. There is no doubt whatsoever that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) should participate in the Stability Pact, but we share the views of those who condition its participation on the necessary democratic changes in that country. At the same time, we consider that the other countries of the region should not be kept hostage by the FRY on their way to Euro-Atlantic integration. In this context, we would like to recall that, at the early stages of the establishment of the European Union, there was no waiting list for the present members of the Union and that they did not have to pass the entering examination successfully and simultaneously. At this point in time, the waiting lists and admission procedures could be counterproductive and could encourage those forces in the region, including in my own country, to persist in continuing the state of chaos and exclusion. At the beginning of this year, the situation in the neighouring Republic of Croatia has been significantly improved by the opposition victory in the elections. A number of issues that burdened the relations between the two countries have practically been resolved, since some of the issues were tackled in the bilateral meetings at the highest levels immediately after the elections. The change brought about by the elections also positively influenced the return of refugees, although more visible results in this area are still to come. However, regrettably, there is still no improvement in relations with the FRY and, at this point, it is still uncertain when the improvement might occur. For sure, without democratic changes in Serbia, the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the FRY could hardly occur. The democratic changes in the FRY certainly would positively reflect on the internal relations between the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as on overall relations in the region. The democratic changes in the Bosnia and Herzegovina neighbourhood have certainly cut off the influx of exported elements of destabilization and crisis. I have already referred to the positive example of changes in Croatia. We, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, must gather the courage and strength to face our reality and to choose the path and the direction that would lead us speedily towards the achievements that would compensate for the decade of suffering, deprivation and missed opportunities. In the process of making this clear and rational choice, we would like to count on the unreserved support of the international community, and on a rather sooner than later integration into Euro- Atlantic institutions. We have to say that this integration is already very much behind schedule and we do not have a lot of time to waste.