YouSaid · the spoken record

Lajcak

lines on the record: 43
first: 2008-12-05
most recent: 2019-03-07
sittings or episodes: 2
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

“Mr. Lajcak: I would like to thank all members of the Security Council for their statements and expressions of support for our chairmanship-in-Office and its priorities. It is very encouraging to us. I am also grateful for their assessment of the state of play on different issues and challenges in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. We have duly taken good note of them and will use them in our future work. They are very valuable to us. I am also grateful for the interactive approach of the Ambassador of Germany, and we will provide answers to his questions outside the Chamber. I would like to wish Council members every success in their work because that is what we all need - the successful work of the Security Council. I am very much looking forward to our cooperation throughout our chairmanship.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“My team has also ramped up coordination with the United Nations Liaison Office in Vienna, and there is ongoing discussion about options for deeper cooperation on the ground. The more we work together, the closer we will get to our shared goals. I am confident that today's briefing is another step along the way.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“I came here to New York to talk to the Council's about the priorities of Slovakia's OSCE chairmanship and to focus on opportunities for stronger United Nations-OSCE cooperation in bringing these priorities to life. I thank Council members for the attention they have given me today, but before I finish I want to make one more thing clear. This briefing alone will not change anything. It will not change anything in our work and it will not change anything in the lives of people. That is why it is so crucial that our words today be followed up by action. We are willing to do our part. I have already reached out to the Secretary-General and other high-level United Nations officials to invite them to participate in various OSCE events this year.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“This includes operational readiness, capacities and capabilities at various stages of the conflict cycle, as well as training and expertise across a wide range of themes and issues. But the OSCE has a lot to give too - from tailored regional knowledge and niche expertise to lessons learned from the ground. Moreover, in this climate of eroding global arms control, the OSCE can be a platform for confidence-building and increased transparency. I think we could and should see even more engagement in the coming months and years, because there is absolutely no alternative when it comes to the legitimacy the United Nations brings and the reach it allows. And when it comes to the OSCE'S 57 members, there is absolutely no alternative to local know-how and field presence. When mobilized effectively and pulled together, the results can be historic.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“Working together and using multilateral platforms is not a luxury we can afford to opt out of; it is our only choice. We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, in working together. Our people have everything to gain. Fortunately, when it comes to the United Nations and the OSCE, we are mindful of that. There is strong cooperation between the OSCE and the United Nations entities in Vienna, with crucial projects taking place on the ground. Our field missions, including the Special Monitoring Mission, have benefited from United Nations expertise and support, and we have more memoranda of understanding and letters of agreement than ever before. The OSCE has a lot to earn from closer United Nations engagement.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“It appears the world has started to forget the very urgent role played by multilateralism - this fundamental problem-solving and war-preventing tool in international relations. Some in the Chamber are from countries that are thousands of miles outside the OSCE area, but we are not as far apart as it may seem. In fact, many of the challenges those here face are also being seen within the 57 participating States of the OSCE. For the spectrum of challenges is global: climate change and its effects on the most vulnerable societies; poverty and hunger, which can fuel migration; and growing inequalities and how they fan the flames of conflict and radicalization. Those challenges are completely resistant to any unilateral solutions.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“The twentieth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) is approaching. As it does, I urge us to look at more ways by which we can reinforce and support each other's activities. The same goes for youth and peace and security. The narrative has been completely imbalanced for too long. Young people were seen as risks, rather than assets, in the context of peace and security. We are changing that. I see many opportunities for cooperation as resolutions 2250 (2015) and 2419 (2018) are implemented. But ifwe are to make any visible progress in any of those areas, we must band together. I suppose members know where I am going with this. I want to conclude my briefing today by outlining our third priority, one that is particularly close to my heart: effective multilateralism.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“Terrorism and violent extremism are not exactly new phenomena, but they pose bigger threats than the founders of our organizations could ever have anticipated. I was extremely glad to hear that a memorandum of understanding had been signed between the OSCE and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism. Prevention mechanisms are key. The more we work together, the more people we can reach. Another opportunity for enhanced cooperation lies within the women and peace and security agenda. Both the United Nations and the OSCE are doing valuable work on the ground. We are both supporting women peacebuilders. We are both advocating for inclusive peace processes. We are both mainstreaming gender throughout our field missions. And we are both working to turn the tide on conflict-related sexual violence.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“Again, it is something we can, and must, work on together. The United Nations took steps to tailor its agenda in 2016, when the Security Council adopted the sustaining peace resolution to try to better address the cycle of peace (resolution 2282 (2016)) - not waiting until conflict has hit to react but, instead, removing the conditions in which it can flourish. That means pooling our capacities in the areas of sustainable development, institution-building, the rule of law and good governance. That is fully aligned with the comprehensive approach of the OSCE to security. As we all work to make sustaining peace a reality, the OSCE's conflict cycle toolbox and related work can offer some lessons from the ground. Let me mention just a few examples, starting with the counter-terrorism portfolio.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“Later on the OSCE grew out of Cold War divisions. They both channelled power through systems of agreed rules, principles and norms, which gave everyone a stake in the running of international affairs. They both envisaged new forms of cooperation between decision-makers, so that life could be better for people on the ground. They both aimed to create dialogue in places where there had been none. Now our two organizations face a similar challenge. We are learning how to deal with issues the founders could scarcely have imagined, from climate change to cyberterrorism and violent extremism That is why we have chosen the theme "A Safer Future" as our second priority. The security landscape is changing. Unpredictability is increasing. Our institutions need to adapt to suit a young century.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“No matter what terms we use - frozen, protracted, dark spots - we cannot escape an undeniable fact, namely, that they have gone on for far too long. Until they are resolved, there is always a risk of escalation. Until they are resolved, people will continue to suffer. And, until they are resolved, they need our attention and our cooperation. United Nations-OSCE engagement must be part of that. There is already constructive dialogue between my special representatives and United Nations envoys and representatives. There are some very positive, concrete projects being implemented on the ground. I think there is still room for more, and that is what I am here to explore today. Therefore, for my second point, I want to talk about what lies ahead. The United Nations was born from the ashes of the Second World War.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“Their closure creates daily obstacles for the local population, such as limited access to health care. In that connection as well, we aim to focus on projects that could bring about small but concrete results and an improvement of the situation for people on the ground. There have been some steps forward in Nagorno Karabakh, but we need to see more positive developments. I returned from Azerbaijan two days ago, where I welcomed the intensification of talks and a reduction in ceasefire violations. I will also travel to Armenia next week. Further trips to the Western Balkans and Central Asia are planned. On those and all of my other trips we are following the same strategy, that is, to open up new space for dialogue and practically address the challenges we face right on the spot. There is a lot of debate about what to call those conflicts.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“The OSCE International Observation Mission has issued a statement of preliminary findings about the conduct of the elections. I fully support it and want to underline more broadly the crucial role of OSCE election observation, which consolidates democracy in the OSCE region. That is why OSCE participating States must do everything possible to allow those missions to work unimpeded. Let me now turn to Georgia, where our chairmanship fully backs existing formats and remains committed to the Geneva international discussions and the incident prevention and response mechanisms. I visited the administrative boundary line with South Ossetia, where I saw for myself the urgent need to reopen the crossing points that had been closed for a few weeks.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“The organization works towards conflict resolution and mediation in Transnistria, Georgia and Nagorno Karabakh. I am glad we can turn the spotlight of the Council on those contexts today as well. Let me start with the Transnistrian settlement process, where we have seen some real momentum. That momentum needs to keep building. During my trip to the Republic of Moldova in January I stressed the need for progress on the package of eight measures to continue. Next steps could focus on public transport and telecommunications. With political will and real dialogue, tangible results for the benefit of the people on both banks of the Dniester can be achieved. We are also prepared to host a 5+2 meeting in Bratislava, depending upon further developments following the recent parliamentary elections.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“I therefore hope we can work to bring those proposed steps forward in the coming months. I also want to use the opportunity today to express my sincere gratitude to the brave men and women of the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. They are the eyes and ears of the international community on the ground. They are operating with great risk and deserve our support. I know that some people have been talking about a United Nations mission in Ukraine. I want to point out that that is not a new discussion. There is nothing I can add to it today except to reaffirm that we stand ready to engage on any concrete proposals or decisions coming from this body. While the crisis in and around Ukraine occupies much of our attention, there are still other dark spots of conflict in the OSCE area.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“They suffer and feel hopeless, neglected and abandoned because the commitments are not upheld, the trust keeps eroding and space for real dialogue is disappearing. We have been brainstorming since my trip on concrete proposals that could bring about tangible improvements for people on the ground. Some of the measures we have identified include humanitarian demining and repairing the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. Those measures, and more, have come about through the close engagement with the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, the Project Coordinator in Ukraine, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the European External Action Service and the United Nations Development Programme. I had a chance to discuss them separately last month with Ministers Klimkin and Lavrov. I did not hear "no" a single time.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“We must be very clear from the start - there is no alternative to the Minsk agreements. That is why we strongly support existing formats, in particular the Normandy format and the Trilateral Contact Group. But we cannot simply wait patiently for progress. There are too many people suffering as we speak. I saw that suffering at first hand when I travelled to the country in January. It was my first trip as Chairperson-in-Office and it is not one I will forget. In the Luhansk region, elderly women and men on sticks or in wheelchairs are forced every day to make the risky journey across the only open entry-exit point - a bridge on the line of contact in Stanytsia Luhanska that has been severely damaged by the conflict. More than 10,000 people cross daily.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“I believe that we need to continue working together, perhaps even more than we are doing now, because the stakes are quite high and they concern the issues that are at the core of the Council - peace and security, or, in the words of the mandate governing this very Organization, to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. As Chair of the OSCE, I will give the Council a rundown of our priorities and activities through three main points and will then listen carefully to any ideas Council members may have on the way forward. First, I want to talk about preventing and resolving conflicts and mitigating their impact on people, because that is our top priority. I will start with what is happening in and around Ukraine, which is, frankly, unacceptable. The crisis goes against everything the OSCE and the United Nations stand for.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“Mr. Lajcak: It is a great honour for me to address the Security Council today as Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). This meeting attests to the excellent relations that the United Nations and the OSCE have built on both the political and operational levels. As the world's largest security organization under Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, the OSCE is committed to supporting the United Nations global mandate at the regional level. I have a very simple message to deliver today.”
2019-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8479 (2019) · source
“Two weeks ago we marked the thirteenth anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement. In this context, we need to ensure that the nature and level of our engagement are appropriate for a country in this stage of its post-war recovery and European integration. The end State that we all wish to see is clear: Bosnia and Herzegovina as a peaceful, viable State irreversibly on course for European integration. The citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina deserve a European future. They must have full confidence that we are here to help now and will remain with them to see the job through to the end.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“A stronger engagement on our part represents our best chance to complete the work plan of the Office of the High Representative and to move towards stronger European Union engagement in the country. However, we must look beyond our day-to-day activities and plan ahead for the European Union's future role in the country. In the weeks and months ahead, the European Union will be working hard to develop a coherent and robust strategy in anticipation of the period following the presence of the Office of the High Representative and the continuing challenges that will bring. The question of transition is not about the administrative issues of the transfer of power from the Office of the High Representative to the European Union Special Representative. Rather, it is about ensuring the lasting stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“As soon as the political situation allows it, EUFOR ALTHEA will be transformed into a smaller, non-executive military mission. As to the future, it is important that, in order to ensure progress, we maintain the momentum that we have achieved in the past weeks. Let me stress once again that the wider international community needs to continue to give the necessary attention to Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this way, we can help the country to achieve political stability and to progress on the path towards Euro-Atlantic integration. It is also important that we recognize the improvement in the atmosphere in the last few weeks and build on the emerging readiness to compromise. The goodwill is fragile. That is why it is all the more important to safeguard it, in order to deliver the concrete results that are needed.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“Finally, I consider the adoption of resolution 1845 (2008) on 20 November for the purposes of extending the mandate of the European Union-led peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUF OR ALTHEA) for an additional year to be another strong commitment and a Sign of unity from the international community, for which I would like to express my appreciation. It is appropriate to say that the presence of EUFOR ALTHEA is welcomed by all three constituent peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 5 The new Security Council resolution on Operation ALTHEA, together with last month's commitment by the European Union Foreign and Defence Ministers to maintain EUFOR at its current strength is an important aspect of the European Union's overall strategy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“This report will serve as a basis for elaborating a renewed European Union strategy for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the coming weeks and months. I would stress once again how important it is for the international community to give Bosnia and Herzegovina the attention it deserves. Recent focus on the country has resulted in a series of high-level discussions on Bosnia and Herzegovina and a number of high-level visits there, both of which have clearly made an impact. Undoubtedly, these developments have contributed to the political agreement reached by the largest political parties on 8 November. It is important that the United Nations, the European Union and the wider international community ensure a proper follow-up. We have our responsibility in Bosnia and Herzegovina and we must live up to it.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“This approach, together with the European Union's readiness to assume a greater role in Bosnia and Herzegovina after the closure of the Office of the High Representative, has been welcomed by the Peace Implementation Council. It will now be important for the European Union to have a detailed and convincing strategy in place when the time comes for transition. Such a strategy will greatly facilitate decision-making on the transition and on the way ahead. On 10 November, the European Union ministers for foreign affairs gave a clear signal of their determination to move forward in this direction and welcomed a joint report by High Representative Solana and Commissioner Rehn on a stronger and more robust European Union engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the future.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“The recent Peace Implementation Council meeting also marked the beginning of the discussion of the overall architecture of the international community's future engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina. All the capitals of the members of the Peace Implementation Council share the assessment that we must fully focus on our re-engagement in the country in order to fulfil our mission. In this respect, our 08-63546 priority focus will have to be delivery of the work plan of the Office of the High Representative. But at the same time, it is clear that the international community, and the European Union in particular, will need to start preparing for the next step.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“It agreed to strongly engage in efforts to resolve both these issues in the weeks and months to come by supporting the Office of the High Representative with a view to reaching solutions by spring. It will not be easy to reach this goal, but it remains a prerequisite for transition that all Peace Implementation Council Steering Board members agree to. Accordingly, the Office of the High Representative will continue to carry out its mandate under the Dayton Peace Agreement into 2009. The next Peace Implementation Council meeting, at which the future of the Office of the High Representative shall be considered, will be held on 25 and 26 March 2009.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“Overall, the Peace Implementation Council has taken the view that there has been progress in implementing the conditions for transition from the Office of the High Representative to a European Union Special Representative, but a lot still remains to be done by the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to complete the work. At the Peace Implementation Council meeting on 19 and 20 November, the members stressed that further efforts are particularly required for resolving the issues related to State and defence property and the future status of the Brcko district before it can take a decision on the transfer of authority from the Office of the High Representative to the European Union Special Representative.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“In addition to these objectives, the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board agreed that two conditions need to be met: the signing of the 08-63546 Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union and the positive assessment of the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board. Even though all of these priority reform areas were established some time ago, and all of them were previously recognized by the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina as their obligations, achieving these objectives has not been easy. The Peace Implementation Council Steering Board has met twice since I was last here in May, first on 25 and 26 June, and then, more recently, on 19 and 20 November.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“Council members will recall that in February this year the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board set five objectives that will need to be met by the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are, first, acceptable and sustainable resolution of the issue of apportionment of property between State and other levels of government; secondly, acceptable and sustainable resolution of defence property; thirdly, completion of the Brzcko Final Award; fourthly, fiscal sustainability; and finally, fifthly, entrenchment of the rule of law.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“In November, the Council of Ministers decided to increase the guarantees for bank deposits to â‚¬l0.000. Secondly, the State and the entities have stepped up their efforts to better coordinate their fiscal policies. Despite this good news, we must remain focused on the big picture. The positive steps that we have seen in the last few weeks can easily be unravelled with new negative rhetoric and unilateral actions by any of the political leaders. My primary task in the reporting period has been to facilitate the achievement by the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina of the five objectives and the two conditions set for the transition of the Office of the High Representative to a reinforced office of the European Union Special Representative.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“Another important event during the reporting period was the arrest of Radovan Karadz'ic' in July. That arrest and the earlier apprehension of Stojan Zupljanin, to which the law-enforcement agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina contributed, is a sign of Bosnia and Herzegovina's willingness to move forward in that regard. The country has made significant efforts to maintain satisfactory cooperation with the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Another area I would like to mention is the economy. Bosnia and Herzegovina will, like most countries, face significant challenges on the economic front in 2009. All political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina are aware of that and have shown a readiness to take measures to address the situation.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“That is a positive agreement and was rightly welcomed by the European Union Foreign Ministers on 10 November and by the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council on 20 November. Overall, the joint statement offers the potential to break the current political deadlock. It is now important that the proposals of the joint statement are put into concrete form, discussed and adopted by the relevant institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In that respect, the decision by the Council of Ministers, shortly after the agreement, to concretely address those issues is an encouraging development. The role of the international community should be to support the political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina in those efforts. Ultimately, domestic-based compromise and consensus are the best, if not the only, way forward for Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“However, while it is clear, that the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to be difficult and fragile, it is also important to underline that we have seen some encouraging signs in the past few weeks. On 8 November, the presidents of the largest Bosniak, Bosnian-Serb and Bosnian-Croat parties agreed to a joint statement on a number of issues, many of which are of key importance for the future of the country. The three political parties agreed on a way forward on the objectives that were set for the transition of the Office of the High Representative to stronger European Union engagement, as well as on constitutional reform and a population census. Many of those issues, including the latter two, have been political stumbling blocks for months, even years.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“There has also been very little progress in addressing the European Partnership priorities. In particular, the State-level institutions have suffered in that environment. The Parliamentary Assembly has clearly been underworked and has only adopted 22 new laws in the first two years of its mandate. The Council of Ministers and the Presidency have also suffered from inter-ethnic tension and mistrust. Let me underline that Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to move forward towards Euro-Atlantic integration, will need to change the way it conducts politics. Zero-sum politics will need to be replaced by a politics based on compromise and a readiness to meet other parties half way. I cannot overemphasize that point. That is fundamental for a stable and forward- looking country.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“His unwillingness to respect the constitutional arrangement of Bosnia and Herzegovina was also reconfirmed in his recent letter to the heads of State of the European Union and NATO countries. Such an attitude only contributes to Republika Srpska's suspicions regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina and will not help the country. All those events and the negative political climate have resulted in a marked decline in addressing reform. In particular, since the start of the municipal election campaign in the summer, there has been little progress in delivering the five objectives and the two conditions that were set by the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) to allow for the closure of the Office of the High 3 Representative and transition to a stronger engagement by the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“In that respect, I would like to remind the Council that my Office has employed citizens of 37 countries over the past 13 years. It is their commitment, but also that of other countries, that has made progress possible in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is our responsibility not to allow the legacy of the Office of the High Representative to be undermined. But challenges and negative rhetoric have come from all sides. In particular, Haris Silajdzic, a member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency, has been continuously advocating his private political agenda, using his office and international forums, such as the United Nations General Assembly, to question the right of Republika Srpska to exist.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“The difficulties my Office has encountered with Republika Srpska a number of times, with regard to cooperation with the High Representative, as required by Annex 10 of the Dayton Peace Agreement, are also of concern. Repeated refusals to hand over requested documentation again involve a very straightforward issue, namely, that of respecting and meeting legal obligations stemming directly from the Dayton Peace Agreement. The recent criminal action initiated by the Republika Srpska Government against a number of local and international officials, including my Principal Deputy, alleging a conspiracy to destroy that entity, is another case in point. That represents a move against the action of the Office of the High Representative in particular, and against the international community as a whole.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“We have also seen political games being played at the direct expense of the rule of law, with the Republika Srpska Government officially denying the obligation of administrative bodies in that entity to cooperate with the State's law-enforcement and judicial bodies, in particular in a case where they were conducting a pre-investigation related to some contracts awarded by the Republika Srpska Government. Although the Republika Srpska, after too many weeks, eventually delivered in that case, those challenges are serious and require our full attention, since the rule of law is one of the pillars of a 08-63546 democratic State. In that respect, all individuals and all institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina must cooperate with the State law-enforcement and judicial bodies without conditions.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“Such attitudes directly impact on the political situation by undermining inter-ethnic trust and making compromises even more difficult. That needlessly slows down Bosnia and Herzegovina's path towards Euro-Atlantic integration. The municipal elections in October showed further hardening of positions on all sides. Let me offer concrete examples. Over the past months, the Republika Srpska authorities have challenged the institutions, competencies and laws of the State on numerous occasions. The details were listed in the report I presented to the Council (S/2008/705, annex). In mid-October, the Republika Srpska National Assembly restated its conclusions of February 2008, whereby it considers that that entity, Republika Srpska, has the right to hold a referendum on secession from the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“However, the nationalist and ethnic agendas have continued to prevail over the one that actually should matter, namely, the Euro-Atlantic agenda. As a result, the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, progress towards visa liberalization with the European Union and the decision by NATO to begin an intensified membership dialogue with Bosnia and Herzegovina have not delivered the change in approach we need and have not resulted in the much-needed momentum for reforms. In the past months, we have seen that negative and nationalist rhetoric from all quarters continues to be the norm, rather than the exception. There have been numerous challenges to the Dayton Peace Agreement, both against the State and its structures and against the existence of Republika Srpska as one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“It is the first ever contractual relationship between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union. It provides an opportunity for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina to put their tragic recent history behind them and build a peaceful and prosperous future, inside the European Union. However, despite progress on the Euro-Atlantic agenda, the political situation remains difficult, as the old and fundamental challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina are still in place. There is still not enough understanding of the need to engage in dialogue, to compromise and to meet each other half way, so that the country can move forward. Naturally, it is of some comfort to note that that has not spilled over onto the 08-63546 security situation, which remains stable.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source
“Mr. Lajcak: I would like to thank the Council for giving me the opportunity today to present my third report as the High Representative since taking up my duties in July 2007. I hope that my update will give Council members a better understanding of the overall situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where we now stand and what challenges we will be facing in the period ahead. When I spoke to the Council in May, Bosnia and Herzegovina had, after lengthy delays and much international engagement, adopted the long-awaited police reform laws that were the key condition for the country to sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union (EU). The signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement on 16 June was an important milestone on Bosnia and Herzegovina's journey towards the European Union.”
2008-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6033 (2008) · source