S/PV.3333 Security Council

As this is the first meeting of the Security Council for the month of February, I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute on behalf of the Council to His Excellency Mr. Karel Kovanda, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations, for his service as President of the Security Council for the month of January 1994. I am sure I speak for all members of the Security Council in expressing deep appreciation to Ambassador Kovanda for the great diplomatic skill and unfailing courtesy with which he conducted the Council’s business last month. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA The agenda was adopted. THE SITUATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA LETTER DATED 28 JANUARY 1994 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA TO THE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL (S/1994/95)

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Sacirbey (Bosnia and Herzegovina) took a place at the Council table.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in response to the request contained in a letter dated 28 January 1994 from the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina addressed to the President of the Security Council, transmitted by a letter of the same date from the Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Nations, addressed to the President of the Security Council, contained in document S/1994/95. Members of the Council have before them the letter dated 1 February 1994 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council, document S/1994/109. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to documents S/1994/101 and S/1994/110, letters dated 30 January and 2 February 1994, respectively, from the Permanent Representative of Croatia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council. Following consultations among members of the Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: "The Security Council is deeply concerned that the Republic of Croatia has deployed elements of the Croatian Army (HV) along with heavy military equipment in the central and southern parts of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as described in the Secretary-General’s letter of 1 February 1994 (S/1994/109). "The Security Council strongly condemns the Republic of Croatia for this serious hostile act against a Member State of the United Nations, which constitutes a violation of international law, the Charter of the United Nations and relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular resolution 752 (1992), in which the Council demanded an immediate end to all forms of interference and full respect for the territorial integrity of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. "The Security Council demands that the Republic of Croatia withdraw forthwith all elements of the Croatian Army (HV) along with military equipment and fully respect the territorial integrity of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. (The President) "The Security Council once again reaffirms the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the unacceptability of the acquisition of territory by force or ’ethnic cleansing’, and condemns such acquisition as well as the practice of ’ethnic cleansing’ by whomsoever committed. "The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to monitor closely the situation and report to the Security Council within two weeks from the date of the present statement on progress towards the complete and full withdrawal of all elements of the Croatian Army (HV), as well as military equipment, from the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. "The Security Council will consider other serious measures if the Republic of Croatia fails to put an immediate end to all forms of interference in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. "The Security Council reiterates its statement of 7 January 1994 (S/PRST/1994/1), in which it expressed its deep concern at the continuing widespread hostilities in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Security Council calls once more on all the parties to cease hostilities throughout the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to honour the commitments they have entered into and refrain from actions which escalate or widen the conflict. It calls upon them to negotiate in earnest in the framework of the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia to achieve an early settlement. "The Security Council will remain seized of the matter." This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1994/6. (The President) The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter. The meeting rose at 9.05 p.m. (The President)