Statement of Principles on Bosnia, International Conference on Former Yugoslavia (The London Conference)

• Country/entity

  Bosnia and Herzegovina
  Yugoslavia (former)
  
• Region

  Europe and Eurasia
  Europe and Eurasia
  
• Agreement name

  Statement of Principles on Bosnia, International Conference on Former Yugoslavia (The London Conference)
• Date

  27 Aug 1992
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Interstate/intrastate conflict(s) ( Balkan Conflicts (1991 - 1995) (1998 - 2001) )
• Stage

  Pre-negotiation/process
• Conflict nature

  Government/territory
• Peace process

  Bosnia peace process
• Parties

  This was convened by Great Britain, which held the presidency of the EC at the time. The Participants were: The SFRY republics, the EC countries, the USA, China, Russia, Japan, Canada, The Republic of Czechoslovakia (as a state which held the presidency of CSCE – Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe) and the neighboring countries: Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania
• Third parties

  -
• Description

  This short agreement contains principles for a political settlement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including: cessation of hostilities; recognition of independence; rights for national minorities; assistance for return of those forcibly expelled; and grouping of all heavy weaponry under Bosnian Serb control.

• Agreement document

  BA_920827_Statement on Bosnia.pdf | Download PDF

Groups

Gender

State definition

Governance

Power sharing

Human rights and equality

Rights related issues

Rights institutions

Justice sector reform

Socio-economic reconstruction

Land, property and environment

Security sector

Transitional justice

Implementation

The London Conference

STATEMENT ON BOSNIA

LC/CS (FINAL)

27 August 1992

The participants in the London Conference on the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia condemn the continuing violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the attempts to gain territory by the use of force.

They reject as inhuman and illegal the expulsion of civilian communities from their homes in order to alter the ethnic character of any area.

They welcome the adoption by the United Nations Security Council of Resolution 771

and other Security Council Resolutions.,

and the Resolution of the UN Com.mission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the territory of the former Yugoslavia.

They undertake to collate substantiated information on violations of international humanitarian law and to make this infor:

mation available to the United Nations.

They reaffirm that persons who commit or order the commission of grave breaches of the Geneva

Conventions are individually responsible in respect of such breaches.

A political settlement in Bosnia and Herzegovina must include the following provisions:

a) a full and permanent cessation of hostilities and an end of all violence and repression, including the expulsion of populations;

b) recognition of Bosnia-Herzegovina by all the former Yugoslav Republics;

c) respect for the integrity of present frontiers, unless changed by mutual agreement;

d) implementation of guarantees for the rights of persons belonging to all national communities and minorities in accordance with the UN Charter and CSCE provisions;

e) just and adequate arrangements for people who have been forcibly expelled from their homes including the right to return and compensation for their losses

f) democratic and legal structures which properly protect the rights of all in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including national communities and minorities;

g) assurances of non-intervention by outside military forces whether formed units or irregulars, except as provided for in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions;

h) respect for all international Treaties and Agreements;

i) restoration of trade and other links with neighbouring countries.

Further urgent steps are now required to achieve a settlement.

The participants in the London Conference urge all parties immediately and without preconditions to resume negotiations on future constitutional arrangements within the framework of the Conference.

All parties involved must participate in these negotiations with a genuine will to secure peace and a respect for the interest of the other parties.

The negotiations will also need to cover the following arrangements:

a) a genuine and lasting end to the conflict throughout the Republic, and return of territory taken by force;

b) the cessation of all outside interference, in termss of personnel or material support, in the present conflict;

c) the grouping of heavy weaponry under international control;

d) the demilitarisaion of major towns and the monitoring of them by international observers;

e) the establishment of refugee and relief centres for those citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina who have lost or been expelled from their homes, pending their return;

f) the extension of humanitarian relief to all areas of Bosnia-Herzegovian where supplies are needed, with the cooperation of local parties;

g) an international peacekeeping force under UN auspices may be created by the UN Security Council to maintain the ceasefire, control military movements, and undertake other confidence building measures.

As and when parties are ready to reach a settlement on the above basis, the International Community will join with them in a major reconstruction programme to cope with humanitarian needs and to restore economic activity.

At a meeting with FCO Minister of State Douglas Hogg, Drs Karadzic and Koljevic representing the Bosnian Serbs signified their agreement to the following:

i That the Bosnian Serb side would notify to the UN within 96 hours the positions of all heavy weaponry to be grouped around the 4 towns of Sarajevo, Bihac, Goradze and Jajce, this grouping to be completed within a period of 7 days.

The weaponry once grouped would be put under the continuous supervision of permanent UN observers.

The Bosnian Serb side would expect the Bosnian Government to take reciprocal action, but would not impose this as a precondition for their own action, which would be unilateral.

The Bosnian Serb side further undertook with immediate effect not to initiate fire from any of this heavy weaponry.

ii That the Bosnian Serb side recognised that in negotiations between the three Bosnian parties, they would agree to withdraw from a substantial portion of territory now under the control of their forces.