Situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Recommendation 1238 (1994)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 13 April 1994 (13th Sitting) (see Doc. 7065, report of the Political Affairs Committee, Rapporteur: Mr Reddemann; and Doc. 7066, opinion of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography, Rapporteur: Mr Flückiger). Text adopted by the Assembly on 13 April 1994 (13th Sitting).

Thesaurus

1. The Assembly welcomes the federation agreement signed between Bosnia's Croats and Muslims, as well as the agreement on a confederation between this proposed federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

2. It notes with satisfaction that these agreements also refer to standards set by the Council of Europe.

3. It welcomes the statement of the Committee of Ministers "that the Council of Europe is ready to contribute to a further process of reconciliation, of restoration and reconstruction of democratic institutions and mechanisms and of the rule of law in the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina".

4. The Assembly strongly condemns all violations of the safe area of Gorazde. It fully supports all measures, including air strikes, taken to ensure respect for the decisions of the United Nations Security Council.

5. It regrets that the Bosnian Serbs have so far refused to join the proposed federation and continue to insist on unification with Serbia. The Assembly appeals to them to reconsider their position.

6. Consequently, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

i offer expert assistance to the future federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

ii invite the future federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to adhere to those Council of Europe legal instruments in which it may express an interest;

iii invite the governments of member states:

a to take full advantage of the opportunity offered by the recently concluded cease-fire agreements to step up humanitarian assistance in Sarajevo and areas henceforth made more readily accessible;

b to maintain their pressure on the warring parties to guarantee safe passage for humanitarian assistance to areas still in conflict;

c to give their support to the proposal from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to establish a family reunion clearing house;

d to submit to the Social Development Fund and co-finance concrete projects, to be implemented as soon as the situation allows, for the resettlement and social and economic integration of refugees and displaced persons and guarantee such projects through the Fund's "emergency account".