Office of the High Representative Documents


Peace Implementation Conference

Bosnia & Herzegovina 1997: Making Peace Work

London, Lancaster House, 04-05 December 1996

Summary of Conclusions

  1. The future of Bosnia and Herzegovina is as an independent and democratic state within internationally recognised borders, with guaranteed human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, and with a restructured market-oriented economy, a commitment to free trade, strong economic and political relations with its neighbours, and developing links with the European Union. Meeting in London on 4 and 5 December 1996, the Peace Implementation Council reaffirms its commitment to these objectives, to be achieved through full implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its Annexes (the 'Peace Agreement'). It recalls the conclusions of the PIC Review Conference in Florence on 14 June 1996 and of the Ministerial Meeting of the Steering Board with the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Paris on 14 November 1995, and welcomes the substantial progress made in the past year. In particular:

    • peace has taken root: in 1996, no Bosnian has died in military conflict;

    • elections have been held, with the participation of 2.4 million citizens;

    • barriers to freedom of movement have begun to be dismantled;

    • the establishment of the new multi-ethnic common institutions, most recently the setting up of the Council of Ministers, has begun;

    • reconstruction is underway.

  2. The next stage is to build upon the achievements of the past twelve months: to consolidate peace; to encourage reconciliation and economic, political and social regeneration; to take the radical steps necessary to restore a multi-ethnic Bosnia and Herzegovina to economic health and prosperity and to enable it to take its place in the region and in Europe.

  3. These objectives require the full commitment of all the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its two Entities (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska). There are important areas of the Peace Agreement where little progress has been made. Of the 2.1 million citizens who have been displaced or become refugees, only 250,000 have returned. Human rights abuses continue: people are still being expelled from their home areas for ethnic reasons and homes are still being destroyed. People are still being harassed when exercising their right to move freely around the country. Progress in reconstruction has been hampered by the failure of the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to provide all the necessary mechanisms and structures to maximise the effectiveness of the international community's efforts. Some of the new common institutions have not yet been constituted. Persons indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia have not been surrendered to stand trial in The Hague. Agreed weapons reductions have still not been implemented. Mines have not been cleared.

  4. While the Peace Implementation Council is committed to the peace process, responsibility for reconciliation lies with the authorities and citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who must progressively take charge of their own affairs. The Council's willingness to devote human and financial resources is dependent upon a strengthened commitment from the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to implementation of the Peace Agreement. Specific criteria for this conditionality are set out in the texts following this summary. The Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as parties to the Peace Agreement and immediate neighbours, must continue to work for a peaceful, united and stable Bosnia and Herzegovina and for a normal and constructive relationship between themselves and with Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the early establishment of diplomatic relations. In particular the Council expects full cooperation from them on regional stabilisation, human rights, indicted persons and refugee return.

  5. Following the development in Paris on 14 November 1996 of guiding principles for the two-year civilian consolidation plan, the Peace Implementation Council has approved at this conference the following Action Plan for the coming twelve-month period:

    Regional stabilisation:
    continuing substantial progress in the implementation of confidence- and security-building measures (Article II Agreement) and ensuring full implementation of the Agreement on sub-regional arms control (Article IV) by the agreed deadlines, including full implementation of the baseline validation inspections, correct reporting, proper application of counting rules and completion of first phase reductions by 31 December 1996 and second phase reductions by 31 October 1997, in close cooperation with the Personal Representatives of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office for both Agreements;

    Human rights:
    respecting the highest level of internationally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms and ensuring that the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina cooperate fully with the Ombudsman and the Human Rights Chamber and implement their conclusions and decisions;

    War crimes:
    ensuring that all states and Entities concerned execute arrest warrants against indictees and surrender them to the Tribunal without further delay; injecting extra resources into the Tribunal to improve its investigative capacity; insisting on full cooperation with Tribunal investigations and requests for information; insisting on full compliance with the 'Rules of the Road' agreed in Rome on 18 February 1996;

    Democratisation:
    setting up effective institutions without delay; amending laws inconsistent with the Constitution; creating the conditions for a viable and democratic civil society;

    Refugees and displaced persons:
    creating and maintaining conditions to encourage the return of refugees and displaced persons to places of their choice in either of the two Entities;

    Freedom of movement:
    creating urgently an integrated strategy and a task force to secure full compliance with the freedom of movement requirements of the Peace Agreement; encouraging full respect for the 'rules of the road'; elimination of laws and regulations which inhibit free movement; establishment of a national number-plate system; extension of cross-Entity road and rail services; agreement on a linked telecommunications system and a commonly-administered airspace for Bosnia and Herzegovina;

    Elections:
    holding municipal elections by summer 1997, supervised by the OSCE; promoting a politically open electoral environment, including full participation by opposition parties and equitable access to mass media;

    Policing:
    improving the effectiveness of the International Police Task Force (IPTF) by allowing it to investigate or assist with investigations into allegations of misconduct by police and to propose the sanctioning of offenders; ensuring police reform and providing material and financial support conditional upon implementation of democratic policing principles and cooperation with the IPTF; obtaining additional resources from the international community;

    Market economy:
    constructing a market economy based on respect for free market and open trading principles; instituting a legal framework including passage of central and Entity budgets; agreeing an IMF stabilisation programme;

    Reconstruction:
    insisting on continued linkage between the provision of reconstruction assistance and the authorities' commitment to implementation of the Peace Agreement; giving high priority to those reconstruction projects which link and integrate the Entities, foster refugee return and create jobs; ensuring action by the authorities to enable early agreement on an IMF stabilisation programme which will encourage both substantial debt relief by the Paris and London Clubs and a positive response from the international community and the international financial institutions at the 1997 donors' conference; the distribution of aid on an equitable basis consistent with real needs throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, conditional upon support for implementation of the Peace Agreement; recognition of the need for quicker disbursement, including disbursement of the vast majority of 1996 pledges by June 1997, and rapid commitment of 1997 pledges with disbursement of a significant percentage of these by the end of 1997, provided the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina cooperate;

    Central Bank:
    ensuring that the Central Bank is operational by early 1997; adoption of legislation and agreement on the practical arrangements for the new currency;

    Mine removal:
    ensuring that the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina commit resources, waive taxation on humanitarian assistance and cooperate by providing complete information to the United Nations Mine Action Centre; implementing as soon as possible in 1997 an effective and extensive civilian mine clearing operation;

    Reconciliation:
    adoption of legislation and other measures to encourage tolerance and equality and to secure basic rights; adoption of a Bosnia and Herzegovina flag and symbols; agreement on all Ambassadors representing Bosnia and Herzegovina;

    Media:
    developing a media regulatory framework consistent with OSCE standards; providing the necessary licences and facilities to enable the Open Broadcast Network, TV-IN, as well as other independent broadcasters, to operate free of arbitrary interference;

    Education:
    the restoration of educational systems and their transformation into systems which are open and non-discriminatory, teach democratic values and respect for human rights and recognise and respect the cultural heritage of all the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

    Brcko Area:
    re-commitment of the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to unequivocal support for the arbitration of the Brcko Area and the Tribunal process, and to full implementation of the arbitration decision;

    Customs:
    adoption of a customs law and a customs tariff law, coordination of customs procedures and administration between the Entities and removal of internal barriers to trade; facilitation of external trade through establishment of border crossing points along the entire state border line where appropriate.

  6. The authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina acknowledge their individual responsibilities to fulfil their obligations, and accept that any failure to do so by another party does not release them from these obligations.

  7. The Peace Implementation Council, recognising Bosnia and Herzegovina's wish for a close relationship with the European Union, welcomes the European Commission's intention to consider proposing a contractual relationship between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

  8. The Council also confirms the continuation of the mandate of the High Representative, with reinforced co-ordination structures, including in the field of reconstruction.

  9. The texts following this summary set out more detailed goals and targets for peace implementation, agreed by Bosnia and Herzegovina and the two Entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Federation) and Republika Srpska (referred to throughout these Conclusions as 'the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina'), and endorsed by the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The texts also contain detailed commitments of support from the Peace Implementation Council, conditional upon continued adherence by the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to the full implementation of the Peace Agreement. A further meeting of the Peace Implementation Council will be held towards the end of 1997, with a review at mid-term.

  10. Recognising the fundamental importance of a secure environment to the task of civilian implementation during 1997, the Council, including the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, welcomes the decision made in principle by NATO members, in cooperation with other states participating in IFOR, to provide a smaller multinational stabilisation force (SFOR) in 1997 under the same robust rules of engagement as IFOR. By contributing to a secure environment for the Action Plan set out in these Conclusions, SFOR will make a vital contribution to the peace process in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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