S/PV.3663 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/1996/319, which contains the text of a letter dated 24 April 1996 from the President of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia addressed to the President of the Security Council. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to the following other documents: S/1996/300, letter dated 19 April 1996 from the Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council; S/1996/306 letter dated 19 April 1996 from the Permanent Representative of Croatia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council; and S/1996/339, letter dated 8 May 1996 from the Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Permanent Mission of Yugoslavia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council. Following consultations among the members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council expresses its profound concern at recent instances of failure to cooperate with the International Tribunal established pursuant to resolution 827 (1993) of 25 May 1993, and in particular the failure of cooperation by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia described in the letter of “The Security Council recalls its decision in resolution 827 (1993) that all States shall cooperate fully with the International Tribunal and its organs in accordance with that resolution and the Statute of the Tribunal and that consequently all States shall take any measures necessary under their domestic law to implement the provisions of the resolution and the Statute, including the obligation of States to comply with requests for assistance or orders issued by Trial Chamber under Article 29 of the Statute. The Council underlines the importance of these obligations, as well as the obligations undertaken by the parties to the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the annexes thereto (the Peace Agreement, S/1995/999, annex) to cooperate fully with the International Tribunal. “The Security Council deplores the failure to date of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to execute the arrest warrants issued by the Tribunal against the three individuals referred to in the letter of 24 April 1996, and calls for the execution of those arrest warrants without delay. “The Security Council calls upon all States and others concerned to comply fully with their obligations with respect to cooperation with the Tribunal, and in particular their obligation to execute arrest warrants transmitted to them by the Tribunal. It recalls the provisions of its resolution 1022 (1995) of 22 November 1995 which notes inter alia that compliance with the requests and orders of the Tribunal constitutes an essential aspect of implementing the Peace Agreement. The Council calls upon all States which have not already done so to make provision in their domestic law enabling them to comply fully with their obligations with respect to cooperation with the Tribunal. “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/1996/23. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter.