S/PV.3746 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Croatia 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 to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, 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.

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 the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium, document S/1997/148. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to document S/1997/188, which contains the text of a letter dated 4 March 1997 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 members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council has considered the report of the Secretary-General of 24 February 1997 (S/1997/148) on the United Nations Transitional “The Security Council shares the observation contained in the report of the Secretary-General that, with the full cooperation of the parties, 13 April 1997 is a realistic and achievable date for the holding of free and fair elections in the region. “The Security Council underlines that it is in the best interests of the members of the Serb community to collect their citizenship documents, to participate fully in those elections, and to take part in Croatian political life as equal citizens on the basis of the implementation of the rights and guarantees contained in the letter of 13 January 1997 from the Government of Croatia (S/1997/27, annex). The Council deplores disruptive activities by some elements of the Serb community in the region creating an atmosphere of political agitation and uncertainty. It calls upon all residents of the region to follow wise leadership, to stay in the region, and to take up their future as citizens of the Republic of Croatia. “The Security Council stresses that the holding of the elections will also depend on the readiness of the Government of Croatia to meet all preconditions, including the issuance of documents, provision of data and timely completion of the technical arrangements required for certification. The Council acknowledges the encouraging progress the Government of Croatia is making in this respect. It is, however, concerned that implementation of these procedures has been uneven. The Council urges the Government of Croatia to redouble its efforts to ensure the completion of the necessary technical preparations for the holding of elections. “The Security Council strongly urges the Croatian Government to issue, as a gesture towards reassuring the Serb community, formal public confirmation of the oral guarantees made to UNTAES as specified by the Secretary-General in his letter of 21 January 1997 (S/1997/62) and to reaffirm its obligations as referred to in paragraphs 28 and 29 of the report of the Secretary-General. It “The Security Council shares the serious concern, as stated in the report of the Secretary-General, that no progress has been made concerning the future of displaced persons in the region and the establishment of equal treatment with respect to housing, access to reconstruction grants and loans and property compensation, in accordance with the Basic Agreement on the Region of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (S/1995/951) and Croatian law. The Council reaffirms the right of all refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes of origin throughout the Republic of Croatia and to live there in conditions of security. It welcomes the proposal elaborated by UNTAES and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) concerning the return of displaced persons and urges the Government of Croatia to pursue discussions on that proposal without delay, to cooperate closely with UNTAES and UNHCR in implementation, and to make a clear and unambiguous public statement and undertake concrete actions confirming the equal rights of all displaced persons regardless of their ethnicity. “The Security Council recalls its resolution 1079 (1996) of 15 November 1996 and expresses its intention to consider recommendations, to be submitted by the Secretary-General as soon as possible after the successful holding of elections, concerning the further United Nations presence consistent with the fulfilment of the Basic Agreement. “The Security Council requests the Secretary- General to keep it regularly informed of the situation. It will remain actively seized of the matter.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1997/10. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda.