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STORY: UN / BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
TRT: 3:50
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 15 MAY 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
15 MAY 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Various shots, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Schmidt, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina:
“To seize the opportunities Bosnia and Herzegovina must counter threats, restore stability and broaden and accelerate reforms. The starting point is the peace agreement. It must be respected and fully implemented. It is the basis on which we built.”
4. Various shots, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Schmidt, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina:
“The peace agreement safeguards sovereignty, integrity and internal structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This includes the unwavering commitment to maintaining stability and fostering respectful coexistence of both entities and the Brčko District that condominium between both. The peace agreement is the underpinning of the achievements that have laid the ground for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU accession path.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Schmidt, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina:
“The way forward starts from the understanding that the Dayton and EU reform path reinforce rather than contradict one another. They are complementary, not competing. Everybody has to acknowledge and respect the symbol axiom that no one demolished the foundations of the house while attempting to build it. The way forward also calls for unity and decisiveness in using available instruments.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Schmidt, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina:
“Denying the genocide of Srebrenica and other war crimes and glorifying war criminals are not problems only in and of themselves. They have become the instrument of politics of a narrow party calculation that coming to terms with the past is an act of acceptance of collective guilt. First, it is a historical fact that a genocide was committed in Srebrenica in July 1995. This was legally established by the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia in 2004. And by the International Court of Justice in 2007. This is not a matter of opinion.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Denis Bećirović, Chairman of the Presidency, Bosnia and Herzegovina:
“For humanity, it will be significant that the UN General Assembly adopts a resolution on reflection and commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica. This resolution is of the highest importance for spreading the truth and awareness about genocide committed against Bosniaks. It is an important civilizational step forward in the fight for the truth and justice.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Stavros Lambrinidis, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations:
“Working together towards EU accession is key to live up to the aspirations of the citizens of Bosnia Herzegovina to be part of the European Union. The European Union is seriously concerned about legislation and initiatives in the Republika Srpska entity that run counter to the EU path of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They include secessionist rhetoric and questioning the Constitution order of the country, such as the laws on elections on referenda and on immunity.”
14. Wide shot, Security Council
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Stavros Lambrinidis, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations:
“The European Union urges all political actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina to refrain and renounce provocative divisive rhetoric and actions, including questioning the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the country and to end the glorification of convicted war criminals as well as genocide denial, and to actively promote reconciliation.”
16. Wide shot, Security Council
Christian Schmidt, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina told the Security Council, “Bosnia and Herzegovina must counter threats, restore stability and broaden and accelerate reforms. The starting point is the peace agreement. It must be respected and fully implemented. It is the basis on which we built.”
The High Representative addressed the Council today (15 May) in New York.
On the Dayton peace agreement, Schmidt reiterated that it “safeguards sovereignty, integrity and internal structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This includes the unwavering commitment to maintaining stability and fostering respectful coexistence of both entities and the Brčko District that condominium between both.”
“The peace agreement is the underpinning of the achievements that have laid the ground for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU accession path,” he added.
The High Representative also said, “The way forward starts from the understanding that the Dayton and EU reform path reinforce rather than contradict one another. They are complementary, not competing.”
He added, “everybody has to acknowledge and respect the symbol axiom that no one demolished the foundations of the house while attempting to build it. The way forward also calls for unity and decisiveness in using available instruments.”
Schmidt also highlighted, “Denying the genocide of Srebrenica and other war crimes and glorifying war criminals are not problems only in and of themselves. They have become the instrument of politics of a narrow party calculation that coming to terms with the past is an act of acceptance of collective guilt.”
“First, it is a historical fact that a genocide was committed in Srebrenica in July 1995. This was legally established by the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia in 2004. And by the International Court of Justice in 2007. This is not a matter of opinion,” he added.
Denis Bećirović, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina also briefed the Council.
He reiterated, “For humanity, it will be significant that the UN General Assembly adopts a resolution on reflection and commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.”
“This resolution is of the highest importance for spreading the truth and awareness about genocide committed against Bosniaks. It is an important civilizational step forward in the fight for the truth and justice,” he concluded.
Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, Stavros Lambrinidis, said, “Working together towards EU accession is key to live up to the aspirations of the citizens of Bosnia Herzegovina to be part of the European Union.”
He continued, “The European Union is seriously concerned about legislation and initiatives in the Republika Srpska entity that run counter to the EU path of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They include secessionist rhetoric and questioning the Constitution order of the country, such as the laws on elections on referenda and on immunity.”
Ambassador Lambrinidis also urged “all political actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina to refrain and renounce provocative divisive rhetoric and actions, including questioning the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the country and to end the glorification of convicted war criminals as well as genocide denial, and to actively promote reconciliation.”
