YouSaid · the spoken record

Ivan Šimonović

lines on the record: 34
first: 2020-05-06
most recent: 2021-05-04
sittings or episodes: 4
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“In the process, we will extend our full political support for and technical expertise and assistance to the country. A prosperous future for Bosnia and Herzegovina must be grounded on democracy and equality within its multinational society, on the rule of law and good governance, and on strong guarantees that human rights and freedoms will be enjoyed by all. In pursuing that noble cause, Bosnia and Herzegovina will always have friend and partner in neighbouring Croatia.”
2021-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/436 (2021) · source
“The successful completion of electoral reforms and the relaxation of political tensions can serve as a good foundation for shifting the country’s focus to building sound political, economic and demographic perspectives. In conclusion, Croatia strongly supports Bosnia and Herzegovina in fulfilling the 14 priorities defined by the European Commission and therefore its achievement of candidate status for EU membership. We also welcome the recent establishment of the Commission for Cooperation with NATO, which we see as evidence that solutions can be found and important steps made with regard to the country. As a member of the EU and NATO, Croatia will continue to strongly support Bosnia and Herzegovina in its ambition to integrate.”
2021-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/436 (2021) · source
“Unfortunately, in recent weeks, we have been witnessing dangerous and unacceptable attempts to destabilize the country’s already fragile political landscape. Speculation about border changes that create new fears of instability, ethnic division and possible war should be strongly and unanimously condemned. The responsibility for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s future primarily lies in the hands of its peoples, political leaders and institutions. We should encourage them to reach compromises that will result in a more stable and functional country. It is time for the country to take ownership of crucial reforms and show that it is capable of successfully tailoring its own destiny. Looking backward and keeping the unsatisfactory status quo is prompting thousands of young people to emigrate.”
2021-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/436 (2021) · source
“Furthermore, credible and impartial elections- administration institutions are crucial for conducting free and fair elections. There is clearly a need to restore the confidence of citizens in elections, which will also positively contribute to the legitimacy of electoral outcomes. In addition, it is imperative to ensure that future elections are conducted in line with European standards and on the basis of relevant recommendations of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Venice Commission. Ongoing attempts to shift focus from much-needed comprehensive reforms contributes to a deepening of the challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina. What the country needs today is much more cooperation and far less division.”
2021-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/436 (2021) · source
“If equality is not fully respected, it has the potential to be a source of tension, functional gridlock and political crisis. The equality of all citizens and constituent peoples can be ensured through the much-needed reform of the country’s electoral law. A reformed elections law needs to be adopted prior to the 2022 general election in order to ensure equality of all citizens and among constituent peoples and remove all forms of discrimination in the electoral process. It is therefore clear that the vast opportunity that the year 2021 presents needs to be seized. Given that the process is time-sensitive, an inter-agency working group must be promptly formed to tackle changes to the elections law that implement Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Constitutional Court rulings and to address rulings of the European Court of Human Rights.”
2021-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/436 (2021) · source
“We see this process as crucial for the long-term stability, security, prosperity and democratic transformation of the country. It is a challenging process, but it offers numerous benefits. Croatia remains a staunch supporter of and advocate for Bosnia and Herzegovina. A few weeks ago, the Croatian Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Mr. Gordan Grlić-Radman, visited Bosnia and Herzegovina as a show of Croatian help and support for Bosnia and Herzegovina both in meetings with political and religious leaders and in public appearances. He also announced that Croatia will donate anti-coronavirus vaccines to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The stability and functionality of the country also greatly depend on the equality of all its citizens and of its three constituent peoples — Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats.”
2021-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/436 (2021) · source
“Croatia aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its member States (annex XX). I would like to make some further remarks in my national capacity. I thank High Representative Inzko for his briefing today and for his recent comprehensive report. Croatia remains committed to closely working with the Office of the High Representative. Six months ago we marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Dayton-Paris Peace Agreement. Its major achievement was ending the war and achieving lasting peace and the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today, 25 years after Dayton, we believe the country is finally turning the page, embracing more ambitious peacetime goals and engaging with more determination in the reforms necessary for its Euro-Atlantic integration path.”
2021-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/436 (2021) · source
“Croatia remains a strong supporter of international criminal justice mechanisms and believes that the Mechanism and other international courts are crucial cornerstones of the international rules-based order. Therefore, we will continue to offer our full support to the remaining work of the Mechanism, with the hope that the long-overdue justice in remaining cases will be fully served soon.”
2020-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1236 (2020) · source
“The search for missing persons and mortal remains is one of Croatia´s top priorities. It is not just a political issue; it is a humanitarian imperative. After more than 25 years since the end of the war, Croatia is still searching for 1,869 missing persons. Strengthening cooperation among countries in the region with the aim of clarifying the fate of the missing persons is of the utmost importance. In recent years, certain steps forward have been made regarding the cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, but when it comes to the cooperation with Serbia there is still no real progress in resolving this open issue. We hope that the recent meeting of officials responsible for the search for missing persons in Croatia and Serbia is a step in the right direction towards more meaningful bilateral cooperation on this topic.”
2020-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1236 (2020) · source
“Croatia hopes to achieve the same progress with Serbia in due time as well. Croatia is still awaiting Serbia´s response to its invitation from September 2019 to the fourth and final round of negotiations, which we hope will result in the finalization of the draft text of a bilateral agreement on processing war crimes. The invitation was renewed in November this year. Croatia will continue its staunch support for the European and Euro-Atlantic perspective of the region, based on individual merit and fulfilment of all criteria. In that context, we underline the importance of effective handling of domestic war crimes cases without discrimination, including through meaningful regional cooperation and full cooperation with, and support to, the work of the Mechanism.”
2020-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1236 (2020) · source
“Verdicts in the Stanišić and Simatović and Mladić cases are the last opportunities to make it up to the extent possible. In addition, we would like to emphasize that, in the contempt of court proceedings against Petar Jojić and Vjerica Radeta, the latest decision by the Court, which was rendered only a few days ago, is clear. Serbia has to execute the arrest warrants and related transfer orders against the accused. And we underline once again the need for Serbia to fully cooperate with the Mechanism. Croatia remains committed to the continuing cooperation with other countries in the region on matters related to war crimes. In that respect, we appreciate the positive developments in cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which resulted in the transfer of some cases to the Croatian judiciary.”
2020-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1236 (2020) · source
“The commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide earlier this year reminded us all of the importance of holding its perpetrators to account. Croatia takes note of the progress described in the most recent reports and supports the ongoing efforts of the Mechanism to complete its remaining trials and appeals efficiently and thoroughly. We still await judgement in the trial of Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović, as well as appeal an judgement in the Mladić case. It is extremely important that the judgements in both cases not be delayed any further. The trial of Slobodan Milošević lasted so long that he died before a verdict could be rendered and contribute to a better understanding of the dominant role of his regime in conflicts and atrocity crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia.”
2020-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1236 (2020) · source
“I would like to thank The Honourable President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Judge Agius, as well as Prosecutor Brammertz for their briefings today and for their recent reports. I also congratulate them on their reappointment. The reporting period was marked by the coronavirus disease pandemic. We recognize that this global health crisis affected the Mechanism’s work and caused unfortunate delays to the estimated timetable. We wish to commend the Mechanism for remaining operational and continuing to carry out its mandate, while safeguarding the health and safety of its staff members, non-staff personnel and those in detention facilities. However, the important work of the Mechanism in bringing justice to thousands of victims is not yet complete.”
2020-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1236 (2020) · source
“To that end, strengthening cooperation among countries in the region is of the utmost importance, which includes the opening of all archives — something for which Serbia still does not show readiness. Some progress in this area has been achieved with Bosnia and Herzegovina and with Montenegro. We find the Mechanism to be well placed to play a supportive role in that regard. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that Croatia will continue to support the Mechanism in its future activities.”
2020-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/527 (2020) · source
“It is also clearly pointed out in the declaration that the credibility of that commitment depends on the implementation of the necessary reforms. Croatia welcomed the adoption of Council’s first-ever resolution on missing persons in armed conflicts in June last year (resolution 2474 (2019)), which reaffirms the obligations on that subject that flow from international humanitarian law and human rights law. The issue of missing persons and shedding light on their fate remains one of our top priorities, and we continue to address it on every occasion. That is of regional and global significance, and also improves the prospects of lasting reconciliation.”
2020-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/527 (2020) · source
“Croatia strongly supports the EU aspirations of the countries of the Western Balkans based on their full compliance with all established criteria, which include full cooperation with the Mechanism. In this regard, we would like to recall that, under the Croatian presidency of the Council of the European Union, the EU-Western Balkans Zagreb Summit took place on 6 May 2020 via video-teleconference due to the COVID-19 pandemic. EU leaders agreed on the Zagreb declaration, with which the Western Balkans partners have aligned themselves. In the Zagreb declaration, the EU once again reaffirmed its unequivocal support to the European perspective of the Western Balkans, and the Western Balkans partners reiterated their commitment to the European perspective as their firm strategic choice.”
2020-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/527 (2020) · source
“This is of crucial importance for ensuring justice for victims because delays always increase the risk that proceedings will not end with final judgement, as was the case with Slobodan Milošević. We therefore urge the Mechanism to increase its efforts in this regard. Croatia welcomes the February 2020 decision of the Appeals Chamber in the contempt of court case against Petar Jojić and Vjerica Radeta, which confirmed Serbia’s obligation to fulfil the Mechanism’s order for the arrest and extradition of the accused. We would like to seize this opportunity to recall that full cooperation with the Mechanism is one of the conditions in Serbia′s negotiation process with the European Union (EU), and to call upon the Government of Serbia in this regard to respect and implement that decision.”
2020-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/527 (2020) · source
“Croatia is still waiting for Serbia´s response to our invitation of September 2019 to the fourth and final round of negotiations, which we hope will result in the finalization of the draft text of a bilateral agreement on processing war crimes. Regarding cases currently before the Mechanism, we are fully aware of possible difficulties that the COVID-19 pandemic may cause to regular activities and work, and regret that the Mechanism will not be in position to conclude ongoing proceedings in the appeal case against Ratko Mladić and the trial case against Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović by the end of this year, as previously planned. We stress once again the importance of the timely conclusion of all pending cases.”
2020-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/527 (2020) · source
“Along with cooperation with the Mechanism, Croatia also attaches significant importance to continued cooperation with other countries in the region in matters related to war crimes. However, constructive cooperation is possible only if all parties are willing and ready to actively and openly engage. In that respect, we appreciate positive developments in cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which resulted in the transfer of some cases to the Croatian judiciary, not all of them category II cases. Croatia hopes to achieve the same progress with Serbia in due time as well, because, regrettably, the current level of cooperation is not satisfactory.”
2020-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/527 (2020) · source
“Unfortunately, after almost 30 years, a significant number of victims and their families still have not found long-awaited justice. Croatia therefore fully supports the Mechanism and its continued efforts to bring to justice the most prominent perpetrators of the horrible crimes committed during the 1990s on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. The forthcoming commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica reminds us once more of the important and significant task and work the Mechanism performs. Croatia maintains good cooperation with the Mechanism and regularly answers its requests for assistance, as in the instance of the Prosecutor’s requests in the case against Serbian nationals Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović.”
2020-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/527 (2020) · source
“I would like to thank the honourable President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Judge Agius, as well as Prosecutor Brammertz, for their briefings today and their recent reports (see S/2020/309 and S/2020/416). Today the whole world is faced with unprecedented challenges caused by our joint enemy, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has already claimed many lives. We extend our sympathy to all victims of COVID-19 and their families. But with thoughts of them and of all others who are endangered by the pandemic and its consequences, it is our common responsibility never to forget the victims of the brutal aggression of the 1990s, including against Croatia, during which numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed.”
2020-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/527 (2020) · source
“We support it and help it on its path to EU integration, and help it fulfil all the requirements in that regard. Reforms usually breed adversaries since they tackle narrow, specific interests. Fighting for a better past is useless and irrational. The one thing worth fighting for is a better future for all and the broader common good. We encourage our friend and neighbour to find the internal strength and wisdom to proceed, without delay, with a comprehensive set of reforms as a path towards a better tomorrow.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“In the meanwhile, the Republic of Croatia has been providing ongoing technical, expert and financial assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Recently, the Croatian Government took two decisive measures to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in fighting COVID-19 and mitigating its consequences. In these challenging times for my country, as it is stricken with the pandemic and a devastating earthquake that caused severe damage to its capital, Zagreb, Croatia is contributing more than €5 million to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s health-care system and is sending the country protective equipment to help prevent the spread of the virus. Let me conclude by stressing that Croatia has always been ready to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina and remains its biggest supporter.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“This is becoming an even more pressing issue with local elections taking place in the autumn, and it remains the basic precondition for accelerating progress towards a fully functional country focused on its future rather than its past. Alongside these structural issues, Bosnia and Herzegovina also faces new challenges. The migration wave along the Western Balkan route and in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina increased significantly in 2019, and the EU’s longest external land border is under significant pressure from illegal migration. On top of that, the COVID-19 pandemic represents an additional burden on the country’s already scarce resources and limited capacities as it increases pressure on local communities and institutions and heightens political frictions and instabilities.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“That was in 2016. It is therefore of key importance to embark urgently, without further delay, on the reform of the election law, pursuant to the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Ljubić case and on the city of Mostar. Such a reform is needed in order to implement the decisions of the Constitutional Court, strengthen the rule of law and prevent future electoral engineering. That should enable the full implementation of the principle of equality of the three constituent peoples — Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs — and their right to legitimate representation, which remains a key element of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s internal political stability.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“People today — especially young and educated people — are voting with their feet. The last general elections, in autumn 2018, were held without prior changes to the provisions of the Election Law, which Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional. For the third time, the flawed Election Law allowed for majority constituent peoples to both elect their own candidate and to impose on the Croats a candidate of their choice to the country’s collective Head of State, the three-member Presidency. The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina confirmed that legitimate and proportional representation of the three constituent peoples at all levels of Government is the basic principle enshrined in the country’s Constitution, thus tasking the State Parliament to harmonize the Election Law with the Constitution.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“The growing tendencies of unitary domination, on the one hand, and separatism, on the other, are both destructive for Bosnia and Herzegovina, its integrity, functionality and, as a result, its future. In that regard, Croatia would like to echo the European Parliament’s resolutions on the country’s progress in 2015, 2016 and 2017. They note that Bosnia and Herzegovina will not be a successful candidate for EU membership until appropriate institutional conditions have been established on the basis of the principles of federalism, decentralization and legitimate representation. In the long-term, citizens are fleeing to European countries due to political apathy, as they cannot adequately participate in political and social processes. That problem is exacerbated by the poor economic situation and overall lack of perspective.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“It must arise from agreement reached among the legitimate political representatives of all three constituent peoples, as set out in the Dayton-Paris Accords, and must be predicated on the principle of equality among them. Bosnia and Herzegovina today needs far less divisive and inflammatory rhetoric and actions that trigger a spiral of distrust. Instead, it needs many more reforms aimed at strengthening institutions and their functionality, in general, and the rule of law and the judiciary, in particular. Too often, policies towards Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the country itself have been limited to the two extremes of centralism or divisionism.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Croatia, was the first foreign minister to travel to Sarajevo after the confirmation of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s new Council of Ministers in December. In doing so, he expressed the support of Croatia and the European Union for the reform processes ahead. The Council of the EU also expressed its support for those reforms at the end of last year. In that connection, it is evident that Bosnia and Herzegovina will need to invest enormous efforts and undertake significant political, institutional and economic reforms. Those complex reform processes must be homegrown and can be achieved only through a rational and inclusive internal consensus-based process in an environment of compromise and reconciliation.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“A stable, peaceful and prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina, progressing steadily along its path to EU membership in a country where constitutional equality among its three constituent peoples and the rights of all the citizens are guaranteed, can play a pivotal role in the stability of the Western Balkans, Europe and the world as a whole. The political impasse in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the standstill in the formation of institutions after the October 2018 elections were finally resolved in December when the new Council of Ministers was formed. As the biggest supporter of the country’s path to EU membership, Croatia welcomed that step in the hopes that it would untangle political knots and allow for much-needed reforms to be delivered. Mr.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“We are not losing focus or allowing important issues to be left unaddressed. Croatia, for its part, has provided its partners from the Western Balkans with an extraordinary opportunity. The holding of the EU-Western Balkans summit and the decision to open membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia speak volumes of Croatian engagement with the Western Balkans. We hope that the Zagreb summit will be a catalyst for encouraging Bosnia and Herzegovina’s internal work on its EU agenda and related reforms.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“Today, as we debate this issue in the Chamber, thanks to modern technology, another important debate for the future of the Western Balkans is taking place via video-teleconference — a summit of 27 EU and 6 Western Balkans leaders. Under the helm of the Croatian presidency of the Council of the EU, the EU-Western Balkans summit was to be held in Zagreb in May. As an in-person summit could not be organized due to restrictions introduced to fight the coronavirus pandemic, at the initiative of Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, EU leaders agreed that the EU-Western Balkans Zagreb summit would be held via video-teleconference, with the participation of all EU member States and the six Western Balkan countries. Even in these extremely challenging times we are doing our best to support the Western Balkans.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“The unprecedented circumstances brought on by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic is forcing the world of diplomacy and international politics to find new ways of doing things — some never tested — and to adjust its working methods in order not to lose sight of important strategic issues. For us, the topic on the Council’s agenda today is critical. We have stressed on many occasions the importance that Croatia attaches to the territorial integrity, stability, functionality and prosperity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. And, on many occasions and even in the worst of times, we have demonstrated that in word and deed.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“At the outset, allow me to welcome High Representative Valentin Inzko. I thank him for his comprehensive briefing today on his Office’s latest report (S/2020/345, annex). Croatia fully aligns itself with the statement made by the observer of the European Union (EU), and I would like to take this opportunity to make some remarks in my national capacity. Croatia has consistently participated in these semi-annual Council debates on Bosnia and Herzegovina and we welcome — even more so in these unprecedented circumstances — this opportunity to discuss the situation in the country.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source