YouSaid · the spoken record

Kusljugie

lines on the record: 75
first: 2002-07-10
most recent: 2005-06-13
sittings or episodes: 7
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

“I also ask them in particular to think, on 11 July, the tenth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, about their responsibilities regarding the ICTY's success.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“The fact that Karadzic and Mladic are still at large is also a major impediment to starting the process of facing the truth about our past - a process which should enable us to find a common narrative about the events that took place in our country between 1992 and 1995. I am convinced that, without the Council's determination to support the ICTY's completion strategy, the remaining fugitives will not be apprehended. I agree with the Chief Prosecutor that, if they are not arrested, the work of the ICTY, in spite of the results already achieved, will be an unfinished job in, I will add, an unfinished peace. I would also ask the current representatives of the States members of the Council to think about the victims, the survivors and their families while deliberating on their future activities in that regard.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“It is my firm conviction that the goal of a sustainable State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as lasting peace and stability in the region, cannot be achieved until the major fugitives - above all, Karadzic and Mladic - are apprehended and brought to justice before the ICTY. Karadzic and Mladic are symbols of a political project that led to genocide in Srebrenica. The fact that they are still at large after 10 years encourages the designers and followers of that project to pursue its further realization, now using different, non-military means, primarily obstructing cooperation with the ICTY.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“This is my last appearance before the Council, since in mid-July my tenure as the Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina will come to an end. I have addressed this body many times in the past four years on agenda items referring to reports of the Secretary-General, the Special Representatives, the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the President and Chief Prosecutor of the ICTY. In general, it is evident that some progress - many will argue, substantial progress - has been achieved in peacebuilding in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, it is also clear that Bosnia and Herzegovina still has to become a sustainable State.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“Let me assure the Council that the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina are aware of the fact that meeting those requirements and standards is primarily in our own interest. One day, the international community will scale down its engagement, the ICTY will close out its cases and archive them for history, and we will have to carry on, living our lives in a community that is built on a solid foundation and that has shed the burdens of the past, in a Europe without borders - a Europe to which we want to belong not only geographically but also in terms of our democratic and educational standards, our culture of tolerance and all the values that characterize the family of European nations. Finally, I should like to speak in my personal capacity.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“The authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have always been aware of the obligation to cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal, regarding the implementation of both the Dayton Peace Accord and the decisions of the Security Council. We are fully aware that cooperation with the Tribunal is one of the major conditions for Bosnia and Herzegovina to become a member of the Partnership for Peace programme and other Euro-Atlantic structures, and especially for the conclusion of a stabilization and association agreement with the European Union. On our way towards membership of the Partnership for Peace programme and towards association with the Euro-Atlantic structures, a whole range of conditions have been set for Bosnia and Herzegovina which need to be fulfilled, along with a range of standards to be met.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“I would like to draw attention to the problem of financing the work of the special War Crimes Chamber of the State Court. Since the donor conference held last year, a little less than half of the resources necessary for the establishment of the Court have been collected. Those funds were subsequently spent on arranging a courtroom, a prison unit and the office of the Registrar. However, in Bosnia and Herzegovina there is a general problem regarding prison capacities for serving sentences, especially for prisoners convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Therefore, I would like to renew the plea to donor countries to further commit the funds necessary for the work of the War Crimes Chamber.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“With the establishment of the War Crimes Chamber within the court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is now possible for the International Criminal Tribunal to delegate a certain number of cases to the court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to enable the ICTY to carry out its completion strategy. It is anticipated that the War Crimes Chamber of the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina will process two categories of delegated cases. These are, first, cases under rule 11 bis of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the ICTY for confirmed indictments, and, secondly, cases in various stages of investigation. The court of Bosnia and Herzegovina will also process domestic cases of war crimes and "road map" cases, which constitute a third category.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“The ICTY sent two requests to the Republika Srpska Secretariat for Relations with the ICTY concerning the collection of contact data aiming at securing the presence of six persons from Republika Srpska on charges brought by the International Criminal Tribunal at The Hague. In cooperation with the Republika Srpska Ministries of the Interior and of Defence and the Office of the District Attorney of Banja Luka, as well as the Commission for Finding Missing and Arrested Persons, the required data have been delivered to the Office of the Prosecutor at the Hague Tribunal.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“On 29 March 2005, Ljubomir Borovcanin agreed to voluntarily surrender to the Republika Srpska authorities; and, with the cooperation with Republika Srpska and Republic of Serbia authorities, Milorad Trbic and Vujadin Popovic surrendered to The Hague on 7 April and 14 April respectively. As far as providing data and evidence is concerned, in the period from 1 January to 31 May 2005, the Republika Srpska Secretariat for Relations with the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague and War Crimes Research received eight requests for assistance. In cooperation with the republic's administrative authorities and with the judicial organs, the Republika Srpska Secretariat for Relations with the ICTY fulfilled all eight requirements.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“On 11 March 2005, based on his voluntary surrender, Mico Stanisic, accompanied by officials from the Minister of the Interior of Republika Srpska, was transferred from Belgrade to The Hague for pre-trial confinement. On 14 March 2005, upon establishing contact in Moscow, the Ministry of the Interior of Republika Srpska organized the transfer to The Hague of Gojko J ankovic, who also surrendered voluntarily. On 15 March 2005, Dragon Nikolic was transferred from Belgrade, Serbia, to The Hague; he too surrendered voluntarily. On 23 March 2005, Vinko Pandurevic surrendered voluntarily; he was transferred from Belgrade to The Hague for pre-trial confinement, escorted by the Minister of the Interior of Republika Srpska.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“Other measures and activities related to the conduct of all investigations have been undertaken regarding collecting and providing data on war crimes, and the serving of court summonses for persons from Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina to appear at the court as witnesses or suspects. The most significant activities undertaken in the aforementioned period with respect to finding and arresting persons indicted for war crimes were as follows. On 15 January 2005, Savo Todovic registered at The Hague Tribunal for public indictment. With his family's help, he had surrendered voluntarily to the Ministry of Interior of the Republika Srpska.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“There is a tradition of good cooperation on the part of the Office of the Prosecutor of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the ICTY, particularly when it comes to serving the indictments and delegating cases to the local courts with ICTY consent in order to avoid impunity. In addition, I would like to underline the activities of the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities, particularly of Republika Srpska, in the period from lJanuary to 31 May 2005, aimed at identifying, locating and arresting persons indicted for war crimes. Investigations and negotiations for voluntary surrender have been undertaken concerning persons indicted for war crimes about whom information exists regarding the fact that they are currently outside Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“Both Bosnia and Herzegovina entities have laws on cooperation with the ICTY, thus creating the legal framework for better cooperation in the apprehension and transfer of the accused to the Court and in providing legal assistance, data collection, summoning witnesses, etc. Bosnia and Herzegovina has passed and adopted the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, providing definitions and penalties for the criminal acts of war crimes. The Office of the Prosecutor of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina were established in 2003.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“Hopefully, all of those activities will gradually lead to the re-establishment of trust among the peoples, the strengthening of security in the region, post-conflict reconciliation and a better future for our children. According to positive legislation, the cooperation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the ICTY has mainly been under the jurisdiction of the entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, namely, Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially with regard to the arrest of those indicted for war crimes and access to documentation in archives and to witnesses. The establishment of the State Investigation and Protection Agency has recently resulted in transferring the responsibility for locating and apprehending those indicted for war crimes to the State level.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“Madam President, at the outset allow me to express my compliments on your country's presidency for the month of June. I would also like to express my gratitude for being given the opportunity to take the floor at today's meeting dedicated to the report of Judge Theodore Meron, President, and Ms. Carla Del Ponte, Chief Prosecutor, of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). I would like to express my gratitude for the comprehensive and informative reports of Mr. Meron and Ms. Del Ponte, as well as for the efforts that have been made in South-Eastern Europe, and Bosnia and Herzegovina in particular, in order to render justice for the victims of crimes and to bring the indicted war criminals to justice.”
2005-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5199 (2005) · source
“In that respect, it is very important to complete the process of staffing and budgeting for the special chamber for war crimes of the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, bearing in mind the considerable workload that would be placed before it in the near future. We also fully support the significant work being done by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission in the region to promote rule of law, including by strengthening national judicial systems and supporting police reform. Monitoring domestic war crimes trials constitutes an essential contribution in that context. We welcome proposals for greater involvement of the OSCE in supporting the ICTY completion strategy.”
2004-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5086 (2004) · source
“It will then be up to the domestic judicial and prosecutorial authorities to act on those cases. That will start happening next year and will represent a serious test of the maturity of the domestic courts. It is also an important step in the building of institutions of justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will contribute to significant progress in the creation of a society based on the rule of law and respect for human rights. Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes the cooperation of the ICTY and the Office of the High Representative in the process of the establishment of a special chamber for war crimes prosecutions in the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and calls upon Member States to provide the technical and financial support necessary for its functioning.”
2004-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5086 (2004) · source
“Thus, it is clear that the failure to cooperate fully with the ICTY is now the main obstacle to Bosnia and Herzegovina becoming a stable, peaceful and prosperous European democracy. Criminal files against some 5,908 persons have been submitted to the Prosecutor's Office for review, but only around 100 persons have been brought before the courts. Thus, hundreds 4 even thousands - of perpetrators of serious war crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina have not even been charged. They include community members, outsiders who may have contributed to the outbreak of violence, and bystanders who did not participate in crimes but did not intervene to stop them either. Based on its completion strategy, the ICTY intends to transfer to the domestic courts dossiers of unfinished investigations and investigative materials.”
2004-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5086 (2004) · source
“Let me cite what NATO leaders said about this in their Istanbul communique: "We are concerned that Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly obstructionist elements in the Republika Srpska entity, has failed to live up to its obligation to cooperate fully with [the] ICTY, including the arrest and transfer to the jurisdiction of the Tribunal of war crimes indictees, a fundamental requirement for the country to join the [Partnership for Peace]." The European Union too also emphasizes that full cooperation by the countries of the western Balkans with the ICTY remains an essential element of the European Union Stabilization and Association Process, underlining that failure to cooperate fully with the ICTY would seriously jeopardize further movement towards the European Union.”
2004-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5086 (2004) · source
“Such actions will continue until Republika Srpska's cooperation with the ICTY is deemed satisfactory." In spite of the evident progress achieved in cooperation with the Tribunal, many of the indicted war criminals have still not been apprehended; this creates a major obstacle to inter-ethnic reconciliation, since, for the country to come to terms with its tragic past and to move on, all indictees, especially the two most notorious, Radovan Karazdic and Ratko Mladic, must go to The Hague to face justice. The absence of full cooperation with the ICTY is also the reason that Bosnia and Herzegovina was denied membership in the Partnership for Peace at the NATO Istanbul Summit held in June.”
2004-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5086 (2004) · source
“Furthermore, on 15 November, special forces of the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska arrested eight persons indicted for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity: Veselin Cancar, Goran Vasic, Svetko Novakovic, Jovan Skobo, Momir Glisic, Zeljko Mitrovic, Dragoje Radanovic and Momir Skakavac. Warrants for their arrest were issued by the cantonal court in Sarajevo following investigations conducted in collaboration with the ICTY, and the indictees were handed over into the Court's custody. The action was accompanied by a statement of the Minister of Interior of the Republika Srpska, who said, "This is the first action taken to improve Republika Srpska's cooperation with the ICTY.”
2004-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5086 (2004) · source
“Therefore, it is not without disappointment that we learn that the most recent activities of the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in particular those of Republika Srpska, are not recognized by the ICTY, since the Chief Prosecutor still reports that "there is no cooperation on the part of Republika Srpska". On 11 October, the European Union took the decision to freeze all the assets and bank accounts of persons indicted by the ICTY. Just a few days later, the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina followed suit and imposed the same measure.”
2004-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5086 (2004) · source
“Bosnia and Herzegovina underlines in particular the role of the Tribunal in individualizing war crimes as a precondition for sustainable inter-ethnic reconciliation in the country and in the region as a whole. Notably, gestures made by indictees - who not only pleaded guilty but also expressed remorse to the Victims - represent the cornerstone of the reconciliation process. Bosnia and Herzegovina remains determined to continue meeting its obligations as regards cooperation with the ICTY. Our record with respect to the arrest and transfer of indictees still at large, requests for documents, access to archives and ready availability of witnesses has improved in the last year.”
2004-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5086 (2004) · source
“Fifty-two of them have received Trial Chamber judgement; 30 have received their final sentence and 10 convicts have already served their sentences. It is not without regret that we learn from the President, Honourable Judge Meron, that international financial assistance to the tribunal is evidently drying out, and therefore, I would like, on behalf of my country, to reiterate the appeal to the main contributors to continue their support for the Tribunal for as long as it is necessary. On a more optimistic note, it is commendable that, in the elections held last week, 12 out of the 16 permanent judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia were re-elected to serve until November 2009. That will enable the Court to carry on with the same consistency it has shown in the past.”
2004-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5086 (2004) · source
“Its role has been twofold: on the one hand, its historical role has been to set the record straight and individualize the responsibility for some of the most gruesome crimes against humanity, thus relieving the participants in the conflict of collective guilt; on the other hand, its second role has been to be a pioneer in international criminal justice, paving a path for establishment of the International Criminal Court. Prevention of impunity has in the meantime become a widely accepted international principle, and investigations, processes and verdicts of both Tribunals have become an important part of international jurisprudence. One hundred four accused war criminals have been brought before the Tribunal.”
2004-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5086 (2004) · source
“At the outset allow me to take this opportunity to thank the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Judge Theodor Meron, and Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte for their annual report and their very clear and straightforward messages in regard to the Tribunal's current problems. Bosnia and Herzegovina once again reaffirms its support for the Tribunal and commends its entire staff for their efforts to prevent impunity and bring justice to the victims of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, thus setting new milestones in international criminal justice. In the eleven years of its existence, the Tribunal has established itself as an impartial, professional and competent institution.”
2004-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5086 (2004) · source
“Dragan Cavic, President of Republika Srpska, and the reactions of the general public, lead us to believe that a turnaround is beginning to happen in the collective conscience of the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina: from total denial to acceptance of responsibility, from a priori blaming others to accepting blame oneself, and from general and impersonal remorse all the way to redemption and, eventually, catharsis.”
2004-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4999Resumption1 (2004) · source
“It would be unfair to them if I did not mention what is possibly the greatest joint achievement of the international community and local elected officials - one that marks a turning point in the post-war history of my country. The recent report of the Special Commission of the Government of Republika Srpska on the events in and around Srebrenica between 10 and 19 July 1995 - the Bosnian Srebrenica report - as well as the statement by Mr.”
2004-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4999Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Yet all these efforts are deemed to be insufficient by the international community, creating an insurmountable obstacle to our joining the Partnership for Peace and placing a colossal roadblock on our path towards membership in the European Union. Hence, we remain the hostages of Radovan Karadzic and the like, who see our difficulties as their strengths and our failures as their victories. The story of the ICTY is not only the story of indictments and arrests, sentences and appeals, closing statements, plea bargains and admissions of guilt - however significant and important those are in setting the record straight. The real drama unfolds in the minds and souls of ordinary people.”
2004-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4999Resumption1 (2004) · source
“There are countless examples of judicial assistance extended by the local courts of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Tribunal. Thousands of pages of relevant documents, including 16 crates of war archives from the Ministry of the Interior of Republika Srpska, were surrendered to the Tribunal. Not two months ago, the leading elected officials of the State and both entities signed a pledge of full and unconditional cooperation with the ICTY, naming it again as their number-one priority. In addition, several attempts to arrest indictees - some in cooperation with the Stabilization Force and some independent - have been made recently.”
2004-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4999Resumption1 (2004) · source
“According to last year's report of the State Prosecutor's office, 9,641 persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina were reported as potential suspects in war crimes: 7,120 in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 2,521 in Republika Srpska. Four thousand five hundred ninety-six cases were sent to The Hague for further assessment. In total, 350 persons were accused of war crimes. Out of that number, 127 persons, all of them from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, were tried and sentenced for war crimes. Six of the highest-ranked former officials of the so- called Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia have voluntarily surrendered to the Tribunal, even though - for whatever reason - their indictments were never served to the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2004-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4999Resumption1 (2004) · source
“All the required legislation is in place; both entities have laws on cooperation with the ICTY; the criminal code has been amended with a provision regarding war crimes; the Special Chamber of the State Court will be operational soon, pending the availability of the funds donated by the international community - and here I join the plea of Judge Meron for speedy completion of the financing requirement; and the newly established State Information and Protection Agency will be fully equipped and trained for apprehension of the war crime indictees who are at large and for witness protection. In short, all the institutional requirements are in place.”
2004-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4999Resumption1 (2004) · source
“This is neither the time nor the place to go on repeating our recent achievements and successes in implementing the Dayton Peace Accord, like a schoolboy trying to defend himself before his strict parents by bragging about his outstanding performance on the football field while having failed mathematics. But in all fairness, Bosnia and Herzegovina has done a lot when it comes to cooperation with the ICTY since the last report of the President and the Prosecutor of the Tribunal. The question here is: How much is enough? And can we make it on our own? In the years 2003 and 2004, cooperation with the ICTY has been the number-one priority of the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2004-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4999Resumption1 (2004) · source
“And it is fair to say that my Government never denied its obligations stemming from that agreement - just as it is fair to say that the international community never missed an opportunity to remind us of those obligations. Cooperation with the ICTY was always the first thing to be mentioned, whether as a condition for membership of the Partnership for Peace, as a requirement with regard to the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union, or as a mighty stick in the hands of the High Representative - a stick that certain elected officials feared most of all.”
2004-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4999Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Furthermore, we have nothing but praise for the results the Tribunal has achieved so far in tackling the nearly insurmountable task of individualizing and processing countless unspeakable crimes; this will eventually enable the peoples of my country to lay down the heavy load of the past in order to catch up with the far fitter and lighter remainder of Europe. The unprecedented international agreement known as the Dayton Peace Accord has been analysed and scrutinized ever since its conception. It has its friends and its foes; it has its up-sides and its flaws. But one simple fact has never been disputed: it is a powerful instrument of international law. It created obligations for the parties involved that have to be observed and obeyed.”
2004-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4999Resumption1 (2004) · source
“My delegation joins previous speakers in expressing deepest condolences to the families and the Governments of the United Nations personnel killed today in a tragic accident in Sierra Leone. It is my privilege to address the Council at such an important meeting. Allow me, before I go any further, to express the appreciation of my Government to the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the Honourable Judge Theodor Meron, and to the Prosecutor, Ms. Carla Del Ponte, for their comprehensive and detailed briefings. It is comforting to know that my Government and the two most important officials of the ICTY have almost identical views concerning the role, the purpose, the main goals, the obstacles and the closing-down strategy of the Tribunal.”
2004-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4999Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Catharsis can be achieved only by self-examination through the prism of objective and unquestionable facts - provided that all the other necessary conditions exist: an environment free of fear, xenophobia or collective guilt; an atmosphere of dialogue and understanding; and forgiveness, as the most noble of all human virtues. Truth and reconciliation commissions, international criminal tribunals, special national court chambers, and international and inter-religious institutions are merely the tools that can help achieve that ultimate goal.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The mandate of the first High Representative of the International Community to Bosnia and Herzegovina was one year, on the assumption that that was enough time for him to finish his job. Eight years later, the fourth High Representative has as much work to do as the first one did. The first United Nations peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina also had a one-year mandate. None of the other United Nations peacekeeping operations that followed ever thought that they could complete the mission within a year. Last but not least, countless examples from recorded history - including that of Bosnia and Herzegovina - teach us a single, valuable lesson: national reconciliation is not possible without a national catharsis.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Such undertakings are expensive and depend on the full political and financial support of the international community, as well as on the military and logistical support of the peacekeeping forces in the field. The process should be properly coordinated, thus avoiding overlapping mandates and providing adequate use of financial resources. Even though the process of tracing and identifying missing persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina is far from being completed, we would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to all the Governments - particularly to the Government of the United States of America - that have provided political and financial support to the process. Allow me to sum up by making two brief points. First, I cannot stress enough that reconciliation is a fragile, long-lasting and cumbersome process.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903Resumption1 (2004) · source
“One of the most tragic consequences of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as in other recent wars, is the vast number of missing persons, mostly civilians. Resolving the issue of missing persons is not only a humanitarian imperative but also a very important political issue, and it is one of the basic preconditions for establishing durable peace and stability. The primary responsibility for carrying out such tasks lies with the authorities under whose jurisdiction crimes may have been committed. However, if the authorities concerned are not willing to go forward with the excavation of possible mass graves and other investigative activities, the task will pass to international organizations and entities.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The role of the media, controlled and directed by non-democratic regimes in the region of the former Yugoslavia, was a crucial element in the process of manipulation and brainwashing that prepared the ground for the spread of ethnic intolerance and violence. Moreover, the role of the media in the post- conflict peace-building and reconciliation process is of the utmost importance. The various reconciliation programmes should concentrate on creating an environment that allows independent media to work unobstructed - media whose task will be, along with other civil society actors, to convey the truth about the past and to address the suffering of the victims of violence. Allow me to draw the Council's attention to one of the most important problems facing post-conflict reconciliation: the issue of missing persons.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903Resumption1 (2004) · source
“That report will, hopefully, provide us with many pieces of the puzzle, making clear the role of the United Nations during the war and in the context of the post-war recovery and setting the facts straight in an objective manner, thus helping local stakeholders to develop a dialogue built on the foundation of the impartial truth. We eagerly await that report. If we examine the roles of the key players in the war, we can see that one of the very few shortcomings of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, compared with the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, was that it did not identify and punish those media representatives who incited ethnic hatred.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Its main task is to prosecute persons responsible for war crimes, thus individualizing responsibilities and absolving nations of potential collective guilt. Its second main task is to establish the facts and set the historical record straight, since, as we established earlier, there was no winner to write the history of that war. Searching for the truth is like putting together a gigantic jigsaw puzzle - there are so many pieces, and each has to fit in its place. Operative paragraph 17 of General Assembly resolution 57/10 calls for the Secretary-General "to submit a report on United Nations activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the period from 1992 to 2002, in view of the experience gained and lessons learned, as a positive contribution to future United Nations operations".”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903Resumption1 (2004) · source
“There are differences of opinion in various parts of the country as to its origin, but, as trials progress at the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, the evidence presented and the verdicts delivered are leading to the conclusion that the totalitarian regime of then-President Milosevic devised a plan to divide Bosnia and Herzegovina by force, annexing the half, more or less, of Bosnian territory that contained his own nationals. The Tribunal epitomizes the role of the United Nations in the process of post-conflict national reconciliation in Bosnia.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903Resumption1 (2004) · source
“With respect to lessons learned, we are certain that everyone will agree that the prevention of conflict and the development of efficient early-warning procedures are among the most important tasks facing the United Nations. The Dayton Peace Accords brought peace but failed to distinguish between the aggressor and the victim. Since that time, we have been methodically examining facts and figures related to the war. The first fact - perhaps the only one every Bosnian citizen will agree upon - is that there was no winner. Rather, we all lost - each to a different extent, of course, but who can establish an objective measure of a personal loss? Another fact that almost all parties to the conflict will agree on is that the war was imported to Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of a broader conflict in the region.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903Resumption1 (2004) · source
“They differ in many ways: their nature, their goals, the causes that triggered them, how they ended, and their consequences. Yet they have one thing in common that should serve as a clear warning: they can happen anywhere, and to anyone. Fifteen years ago, living carefree lives in a prosperous country in the heart of Europe, none of us would have believed that a war of such proportions could occur. Yet it did, and it went on uninterruptedly- before the eyes of the entire world- for three and a half years, until the international community decided to put to an end to the suffering of civilians in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to enforce the peace.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Thank you, Madam, for giving me the opportunity to make a statement on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina on such an important issue. As members are aware, Bosnia and Herzegovina is still going through the process of post- conflict national reconciliation - a process in which the United Nations, together with the Peace Implementation Council and the Office of the High Representative, played a key role. The topic of war and post-war reconciliation, though painful and somewhat embarrassing for us, is one that compels us to speak our mind. The topic is still so controversial that it is difficult for us to agree among ourselves, even though we have aligned ourselves with Ireland's statement on behalf of the European Union. However senseless, devastating and tragic wars may be, they all are different.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Bosnia and Herzegovina expresses its hopes that the international community will, as part of the completion strategy, assist the national judicial system in improving its capacity to prosecute cases transferred to it from the ICTY. We also expect that that the ICTY will further develop and improve their outreach programmes. The war criminals who remain at large present a source of continued instability in the region. We underline that a lasting and stable peace in the region will not be achieved unless all suspected war criminals, including the two most notorious, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, are brought to justice.”
2003-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4838 (2003) · source
“However, we expect that the apprehension and trial of the most notorious offenders will remain the continuing responsibility of the United Nations and the international community. Bosnia and Herzegovina expects the ICTY to take all possible measures to complete its investigations by the end of 2004, all trial activities at first instance by the end of 2008, and to complete all work in 2010, as decided in Security Council resolution 1503 (2003). In order to better meet the requirements of the Security Council resolutions with regard to the work of the ICTY, especially those of resolution 1503 (2003), Bosnia and Herzegovina is fully committed to fulfilling all its obligations and is ready to cooperate with the responsible authorities of the countries in the region in apprehending all remaining at-large persons indicted by the ICTY.”
2003-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4838 (2003) · source