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Location: Bosnia and Herzegovina Headquarters: Sarajevo Date of establishment: 21 December 1995 Duration: Initial period of 12 months Authorized strength: UNIPTF 1,721 civilian police Strength as of 15 August 1996: 1,697 police Other international civilian staff: 382
Mission UpdateOn 21 December 1995, as the UN Protection Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNPROFOR) formally handed over responsibility to the multinational Implementation Force (IFOR) led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United Nations Security Council endorsed a new civilian UN operation in the country. The new mission's two principal components the United Nations International Police Task Force (UNIPTF), and a UN Civil Affairs office were created to help implement the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (also referred to as the Dayton-Paris Agreement or the Peace Agreement). According to Security Council resolution 1035 (1995), these UN components were to be "under the authority of the Secretary-General and subject to coordination and guidance as appropriate" of the High Representative appointed to oversee the Dayton-Paris Agreement's implementation, Mr. Carl Bildt (Sweden). In February 1996, the Secretary-General appointed Mr. Iqbal Riza as his Special Representative and Coordinator of UN operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The new mission was formally designated the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH). The Peace Agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina assigned the UN two principal responsibilities: UNMIBH's efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina complement those of UNHCR, the Office of the High Representative, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations involved in the complex task of implementing the civilian aspects of Dayton-Paris Agreement. In addition to the activities of UNIPTF and UNHCR, UN involvement focuses on promoting respect for human rights, building confidence, restoring civilian life to normalcy and paving the way to economic reconstruction. One of UNMIBH's main objectives is to help create a climate conducive for holding elections, to be held under OSCE supervision throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina on 14 September 1996. Mr. Iqbal Riza has been serving as Assistant Secretary-General in the Department of Peace-Keeping Operations since March 1993. Before that he served from 1991 to 1993 as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Chief of the UN Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL). Prior to that he was Chief of the UN Transition Team in El Salvador; Chief of the UN Observer Mission for verification of the electoral process in Nicaragua; Director of the Division of Political and General Assembly Affairs; and Director of the Office for Special Political Affairs. Before joining the United Nations in 1978, he served with Pakistan's Foreign Service from 1958 to 1977. Mr. Riza is a national of Pakistan.
Annex 11 of the Dayton-Paris Peace Agreement specifies that the International Police Task force under the UN is to: UNIPTF police monitors have expanded their operations to both sides of the Inter-entity Boundary Line (IEBL), between the area controlled by the Federation (the Bosniac-Croat entity) and that of the Republika Srpska (the Bosnian Serb entity). Difficulties persist over freedom of movement, both within the Federation and between the Federation and the Republika Srpska, but UNIPTF monitors now have access to more information in order to assess the situation on the ground and to respond to incidents. Although some individuals and families are able to safely cross the IEBL for visits, incidents of harassment continue. In close cooperation with the UN Centre for Human Rights, the UNIPTF has conducted human rights and humanitarian law orientation programmes for some 900 police monitors. The course has increased the Task Force's ability to monitor and improve respect for human rights by local police. In response to a request from the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNMIBH is also responsible for establishing a Mine Action Centre (MAC) to help deal with the estimated 3 million land-mines scattered throughout the country. The MAC opened in Sarajevo on 20 May 1996. IFOR's land-mine database is being transferred to the Centre. The parties themselves have a mine-clearance capacity within their military, police and civil defence forces. To date mine-clearance has been largely confined to limited operations by the military forces of the parties, with detection and safety equipment provided by the European Union. Operational teams are being trained at a former military training facility to work with the MAC's regional offices. The first four teams recruited from the Republika Srpska completed training in early June. It is hoped that the Centre will be used by personnel from both entities. Once the programme is well under way, the United Nations will transfer full responsibility for de-mining to the Bosnian authorities.
The report pointed out that "Among the most difficult tasks in the peace process is to assuage the intense and widespread fear and desire for retribution resulting from a vicious conflict in which civilians were the principal targets and victims". UNIPTF's efforts to shape a new concept of policing for the common good can help improve this situation. But the Secretary-General has cautioned that the UNIPTF's efforts "can produce results only if the police forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina are receptive to the advice and training offered", noting that if local police forces "continue to discriminate against, harass and intimidate citizens who are not of their own ethnicity, the efforts of IPTF will have little chance of success." He concluded that "the crucial question is whether the signatories to the Agreement remain committed to their undertakings..." In signing the Agreement, the three Balkan States undertook a broad commitment to: conduct their relations in accordance with the UN Charter, to fully respect the "sovereign equality of one another", to settle disputes by peaceful means, and "to refrain from any action against the territorial integrity or political independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina or any other State". The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Bosnia and Herzegovina recognized each other as "sovereign, independent States within their international borders". On behalf of the Republika Srpska, the Bosnian Serb entity, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia signed those parts of the accords that concerned that party. The 11-article agreement with its 11 annexes covered a broad range of issues including: The parties agreed to a cease-fire which had begun on 5 October 1995, withdrawal of the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) and deployment of a NATO-led multinational Implementation Force, to be known as IFOR. All final decisions concerning military aspects of the implementation were to be made by the IFOR Commander. Full cooperation was pledged with "all entities involved in the implementation plan", including the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) located at The Hague. The parties requested designation of a High Representative, who was to mobilize and coordinate all civilian activities and be the final authority regarding civilian implementation of the peace settlement. Mr. Carl Bildt (Sweden) was appointed as the High Representative for the Implementation of the Peace Agreement on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The parties called for the Security Council to create a UN
International Police Task Force (UNIPTF), to monitor law
enforcement activities and facilities, advise and train law
enforcement personnel, and respond to requests for assistance.
A Peace Implementation Council was set up composed of all
States and international organizations and agencies attending the
London Conference to subsume the earlier International Conference
on the former Yugoslavia, whose objectives had been met with the
signing of the Peace Agreement. A Review Conference to evaluate
progress was held in Florence (Italy) on 13-14 June 1996.
The parties to the Dayton-Paris Agreement were to be held "equally responsible" for compliance and "equally subject to such enforcement action by IFOR as may be necessary" to ensure implementation of the accords. IFOR's components, drawn from NATO and non-NATO nations, were to be assured security and freedom of movement. In that regard, the Council recognized the Force's right to take "all necessary measures to defend itself from attack or threat of attack". The 60,000 strong, well-armed IFOR was commanded by Admiral Leighton Smith of the United States, who was succeeded by US Admiral Joseph Lopez.
On 21 December, the Security Council voted by Resolution
1035 (1995) to set up a UN civilian police monitoring operation
known as the International Police Task Force, as called for in
the Peace Agreement, and a UN Civil Affairs Office for Bosnia and
Herzegovina. These components were later designated as the UN
Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH).
A major difficulty confronting the OSCE was addressed on 19 July. It was announced that Mr. Karadzic, leader of the Bosnian Serbs and former head of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), who has twice been indicted as a war criminal by the ICTY, had confirmed that he would step down from public office, effective immediately, and that he would not contest the elections. The Secretary-General welcomed this development on the principle set out in the Peace Agreement that persons indicted by the ICTY chould not participate in elections or hold public office. "The relinquishing of his positions of power is another step on the road to The Hague, to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia", the United Nations stated. "Only The Hague can ensure justice, and only with justice can peace be durable." Local Election Commissions have been set up in most locations and voter registration is under way. Arrangements to ensure that all refugees will be able to participate are being developed; the Peace Agreement provided that all voters could register to vote in the area where they lived in 1991. Party registration was completed by 14 June. The Provisional Election Commission has approved registration applications from 49 parties and 33 independent candidates. Freedom of movement between the entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and access to the state media for parties contesting the election will be main areas of concern for the international community.
The municipal elections held in Mostar in June under
European Union auspices were a test-case of some of the problems
that may be encountered in September when nation-wide elections
take place. The results were announced on 12 July. As expected,
the vote proceeded predominantly along ethnic lines.
Upholding the right of displaced persons and refugees to return to their homes is a major objective of the Peace Agreement. More than half Bosnia's pre-war population falls into one of these two categories. Of 2 million refugees and displaced persons, approximately 70,000 have returned home, virtually all of them to areas where their community is in the majority. Guidelines for displaced persons to visit their home areas and to travel across the IEBL have been developed in consultation with the Office of the High Representative (OHR), IFOR and UNIPTF. UNHCR is attempting to arrange family visits in order to build confidence among communities. These visits are, however, frequently obstructed, particularly by the Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Croat authorities.
Inadequate cooperation of the parties, a climate of
uncertaintyl and slow progress toward reconstruction are
hindering implementation of a UNHCR repatriation and
reintegration Action Plan. A Repatriation Working Group is,
however, addressing operational aspects of return movements. A
Commission on Real Property Claims for Refugees and Displaced
Persons has also been created in Sarajevo with the help of the
International Organization for Migration (IOM).
On 21 December 1995, the Security Council adopted resolution 1034 (1995) condemning all violations of international humanitarian law and human rights committed by the Bosnian Serb and paramilitary forces in the areas of Srebenica, Zepa, Banja Luka and Sanski Most, which showed a "consistent pattern of summary executions, rape, mass expulsions, arbitrary detentions, forced labour and large-scale disappearances". The Council demanded that the Bosnian Serb parties "give immediate and unimpeded access" to UNHCR, the ICRC, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights. The Council also called upon all States, particularly in the region of the former Yugoslavia, as well as all parties to the conflict, to cooperate fully and in good faith with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, which had issued indictments against the Bosnian Serb leaders, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.
The President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia, Judge Antonio Cassese, has also stressed that
all States in the region "including self-proclaimed entities
exercising de facto governmental functions - must comply with
their legal obligation to cooperate with the Tribunal."
On 14 August Sarajevo's airport opened for commercial
flights after four years. The EBRD is loaning half of the $26.7
million required for the reconstruction project which will repair
the main airport buildings, runway and taxiways and passenger
parking areas. New navigation, communication and weather
forecasting and recording equipment will be bought and installed.
Grants from European Union member states and the European
Commission will finance the other half of the project, which is
expected to be completed by mid-1997.
Peace-keeping operations deployed: 16 The Secretary-General on UN Peace-keeping ((SG/SM/5932))
"In the field of peace-keeping, the Secretary-General acts in
concert with the Security Council, there is no doubt about
that... In a few years, the Security Council has embarked on
many initiatives, it has entered into areas which, in the past,
it had nothing to do with and it has adopted new measures and
created original institutions... It has also decreed coercive
measures, which had never before been used."
"It is clear that, in recent years, we have sent our Blue Helmets
into several theatres of operation with the mission of keeping
the peace when there was no peace to keep. Our soldiers,
therefore, found themselves cast into the storm with a mandate
that was not suited to the reality they were to encounter. They
came thinking of peace and were confronted with a situation where
everyone was thinking of war."
"It is essential that the political will of States should be
clear and determined. It is also essential that the mandates
assigned to the Blue Helmets should be realistic and coherent.
But above all it is vital to be able to guarantee the solidity
and sustainability of their financing."
"There is a risk that certain conflicts may be ignored by the
international community, not because they do not cause terrible
suffering, but because they take place in regions which do not
command the attention of the world." For more information, contact:
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