Mr. President,
Less than three years ago, Bosnia and
Herzegovina was a country in flames. In the summer of 1995 intense fighting was going on
in large parts of Bosnia, the policy of ethnic cleansing showed its ugly face in Srebenica
and the shelling of innocent civilians reached a horrible climax at the Sarajevo market.
Since then, Bosnia and Herzegovina and
its people have come a long way. The Dayton Peace Agreement laid the foundation for a
better future. In implementing this agreement, day by day, step by step, the hope for a
peaceful, democratic and prosperous Bosnia is steadily growing.
So far, progress has been made possible
by the strong support, and often active intervention, of the international community. It
is now time for the current political leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as for
those who aspire to be elected in September, to rid themselves of their old way of
ethnic-oriented thinking and to make the necessary compromises in a spirit of democracy
and pluralism.
Mr. President,
The international community has made a
long-term commitment to peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The resolution we are about to
adopt today, extending the authorization of the international stabilization force and the
mandate of United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the International
Police Task Force, is a clear demonstration of this commitment. As indicated in paragraph
10 of the draft resolution, the Council stands ready to extend the autorization of SFOR
further, in the light of developments.
SFOR and UNMIBH/IPTF both have key roles
in the peace implementation process. The SFOR military presence is absolutely crucial in
providing the secure environment necessary for all civilian efforts. The IPTF's work to
restructure local police and to build a democratic Bosnian public security capability,
will in time reduce the need for international security presence. The two missions are
complementary in a truly multidimensional peace-keeping effort. Their fruitful
cooperation, in close coordination with the High Representative, is commendable.
This cooperation will be particularly
important during the forthcoming period, which will be marked by the return of refugees
and displaced persons to so-called minority areas.
Another important aspect of
peace-building in Bosnia is the programme for judicial reform coordinated by the High
Representative. In this context, Sweden supports the recommendations of the
Secretary-General and the High Representative concerning an UNMIBH-led court monitoring
programme. We look forward to the Council expeditiously returning to this issue, as stated
in its resolution 1168.
Mr. President,
Sweden will continue to support fully the
peace implementation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This will be done nationally, through the
European Union and the United Nations, and not least by the continued participation of
some 500 Swedish soldiers in SFOR and 50 civilian police in the IPTF.
Finally, Sweden welcomes the fact that
Bosnia and Herzegovina has started on a path leading towards closer integration into
European structures. But the process is still very fragile and developments in Bosnia will
merit close attention. The democratic elections in September, under OSCE supervision, will
be an occasion to lay the ground for taking this process further. We urge the leaders and
the people of Bosnia to seize this opportunity.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Permanent
Mission of Sweden to the United Nations