Declaration on Implementation of the Washington Agreement
Export agreement coding (PDF)Country/entity
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Yugoslavia (former)Region
Europe and Eurasia
Europe and EurasiaAgreement name
Declaration on Implementation of the Washington AgreementDate
22 Jul 1995Agreement status
Multiparty signed/agreedInterim arrangement
YesAgreement/conflict level
Intrastate/intrastate conflict ( )Stage
Implementation/renegotiationConflict nature
Government/territoryPeace process
Bosnia peace processParties
Dr. Franjo TUDJMAN, President of the Republic of Croatia; Alija IZETBEGOVJC, President of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Kresimir ZUBAK, President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Haris SILAJDZIC, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bosnia and HerzegovinaThird parties
-Description
This declaration on the implementation of the Washington agreement includes commitment to continued cooperation between the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council against Serb and Montenegrin forces, and calls on the Republic of Croatia to provide military assistance.
Agreement document
Groups
- Children/youth
No specific mention.
- Disabled persons
No specific mention.
- Elderly/age
No specific mention.
- Migrant workers
No specific mention.
- Racial/ethnic/national groupGroups→Racial/ethnic/national group→RhetoricalPage 1, Untitled Preamble
Confirming their strong commitment and political will to strengthen the cooperation and alliance of the Croatian and Bosniac nations in these fateful moments for the survival of both nations, faced with the increasing violence in the occupied territories of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the uncertainty of the peace process and the inefficacy of the international community;
Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Having established that the continued aggression and violent attempts to keep control of the occupied territories in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, as well as the inadequate results of the peace process, command the leaders of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to fully examine the situation in the region from the stand- point of safeguarding the national survival of the Croatian and Bosniac people and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Convinced that such a strong, internationally established, territorially viable, economically developed and democratically organized Federation is an irreplaceable governmental and political framework, the historical interest and the safest form of security and realization of equal national, political and other interests of the Croatian and Bosniac nations;
Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Convinced also that on the basis of the realization of such a Federation of the Croatian and Bosniac nations and with the assistance of the international community, a solution to the crisis can be reached and the ground laid for a new, balanced regional order as a guarantee of peace, stability, security and development; - Religious groups
No specific mention.
- Indigenous people
No specific mention.
- Other groups
No specific mention.
- Refugees/displaced personsGroups→Refugees/displaced persons→RhetoricalPage 2, 3.
Addressing an invitation for a meeting of the group of 22 member states of the "Friends of the Federation" on the highest level, in view of urgent donations and assistance in the face of the humanitarian and refugee catastrophe and to examine long-term joint reconstruction and development strategies. - Social class
No specific mention.
Gender
- Women, girls and gender
No specific mention.
- Men and boys
No specific mention.
- LGBTI
No specific mention.
- Family
No specific mention.
State definition
- Nature of state (general)Page 1, Untitled Preamble
Convinced that such a strong, internationally established, territorially viable, economically developed and democratically organized Federation is an irreplaceable governmental and political framework, the historical interest and the safest form of security and realization of equal national, political and other interests of the Croatian and Bosniac nations;
Page 1-2, Untitled Preamble
...Supporting the decision to send Rapid Reaction Forces and jointly establishing that all questions concerning their arrival, mandate and deployment must be organized by way of a special agreement in accordance with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Page 2, Untitled Preamble
Refusing ideas about renewing or creating any kind of new "Yugoslav" state community, considering them to be parallel and spare variations of Great-Serbian hegemony, and supporting normalization in the region on the basis of sovereignty independence and integrity; - State configurationPage 1, Untitled Preamble
...Expressing their irrevocable support to the implementation of the Washington Agreement on the establishment of the Federation, as well as its confederal linking to the Republic of Croatia; - Self determination
No specific mention.
- Referendum
No specific mention.
- State symbols
No specific mention.
- Independence/secession
No specific mention.
- Accession/unification
No specific mention.
- Border delimitationPage 1, Untitled Preamble
...Calling on the "FRY" (Serbia and Montenegro) to give up aggression with the aim of creating a "Great Serbia", to stop giving military assistance to the extremists in Knin and in Pale and to agree to the mutual recognition of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina within their internationally recognized borders; - Cross-border provisionPage 1, Untitled Preamble
Expressing their irrevocable support to the implementation of the Washington Agreement on the establishment of the Federation, as well as its confederal linking to the Republic of Croatia;
Page 2, 4.
Maintaining regular and constant political consultations aiming at the realisation of the principles and agreements of this Declaration, as well as the preparation of legal, political and other foundations for the establishment of confederal ties with the Republic of Croatia.
Governance
- Political institutions (new or reformed)
No specific mention.
- Elections
No specific mention.
- Electoral commission
No specific mention.
- Political parties reform
No specific mention.
- Civil society
No specific mention.
- Traditional/religious leaders
No specific mention.
- Public administration
No specific mention.
- Constitution
No specific mention.
Power sharing
- Political power sharing
No specific mention.
- Territorial power sharing
No specific mention.
- Economic power sharing
No specific mention.
- Military power sharingPower sharing→Military power sharing→ProportionalityPage 1, Untitled Preamble
...Calling on the Croatian Serbs to reexamine their current militant policy and to accept the peaceful reintegration in the constitutional order of the Republic of Croatia, and the Bosnian Serbs to accept the Contact Group plan;
Human rights and equality
- Human rights/RoL general
No specific mention.
- Bill of rights/similar
No specific mention.
- Treaty incorporation
No specific mention.
- Civil and political rights
No specific mention.
- Socio-economic rights
No specific mention.
Rights related issues
- Citizenship
No specific mention.
- Democracy
No specific mention.
- Detention procedures
No specific mention.
- Media and communication
No specific mention.
- Mobility/access
No specific mention.
- Protection measures
No specific mention.
- Other
No specific mention.
Rights institutions
- NHRI
No specific mention.
- Regional or international human rights institutions
No specific mention.
Justice sector reform
- Criminal justice and emergency law
No specific mention.
- State of emergency provisions
No specific mention.
- Judiciary and courts
No specific mention.
- Prisons and detention
No specific mention.
- Traditional Laws
No specific mention.
Socio-economic reconstruction
- Development or socio-economic reconstructionSocio-economic reconstruction→Development or socio-economic reconstruction→Humanitarian assistancePage 2, 3.
Addressing an invitation for a meeting of the group of 22 member states of the "Friends of the Federation" on the highest level, in view of urgent donations and assistance in the face of the humanitarian and refugee catastrophe and to examine long-term joint reconstruction and development strategies. - National economic plan
No specific mention.
- Natural resources
No specific mention.
- International fundsPage 1, Untitled Preamble
...Convinced also that on the basis of the realization of such a Federation of the Croatian and Bosniac nations and with the assistance of the international community, a solution to the crisis can be reached and the ground laid for a new, balanced regional order as a guarantee of peace, stability, security and development;
Page 2, 3.
Addressing an invitation for a meeting of the group of 22 member states of the "Friends of the Federation" on the highest level, in view of urgent donations and assistance in the face of the humanitarian and refugee catastrophe and to examine long-term joint reconstruction and development strategies. - Business
No specific mention.
- Taxation
No specific mention.
- Banks
No specific mention.
Land, property and environment
- Land reform/rights
No specific mention.
- Pastoralist/nomadism rights
No specific mention.
- Cultural heritage
No specific mention.
- Environment
No specific mention.
- Water or riparian rights or access
No specific mention.
Security sector
- Security GuaranteesPage 1, Untitled Preamble
...Calling on the "FRY" (Serbia and Montenegro) to give up aggression with the aim of creating a "Great Serbia", to stop giving military assistance to the extremists in Knin and in Pale and to agree to the mutual recognition of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina within their internationally recognized borders;
Page 2, Untitled Preamble
Underlying the common viewpoint that any decision on lifting of arms embargo must be applied simultaneously to Bosnia and Herzegovina and to Croatia; - Ceasefire
No specific mention.
- Police
No specific mention.
- Armed forcesPage 2, 1.
...In this respect, the Republic and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina have called upon the Republic of Croatia to extend urgent military and other assistance in the defence against aggression, especially in the area of Bihac, which the Republic of Croatia has accepted. Agreement has also been reached on the continuation of cooperation and constant coordination of defence activities between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Agreement has been reached as well as on the cooperation between the main headquarters of the Croatian Army and the joint headquarters of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council for the sake of co- ordination of defence activities in the areas of command, logistics, military-industrial production, communication systems, information and analytical needs and other areas. - DDR
No specific mention.
- Intelligence services
No specific mention.
- Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forcesPage 1, Untitled Preamble
...Having established that the occupying of and the attacks on the UN "safe areas" in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the joint operations by the Bosnian and Croatian Serbs against the UN "safe area" in Bihac, the armed provocations in other areas of Croatia and Bosnia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the refusal of all peace plans by the Bosnian and Croatian Serbs, are part of a unified and joint strategy of continuing aggression and attempt to maintain occupation of territories in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina with the aim to create a "Great Serbia", under the leadership and with the full responsibility of the political and army leadership of the "FRY" (Serbia and Montenegro);
Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Calling on the Croatian Serbs to reexamine their current militant policy and to accept the peaceful reintegration in the constitutional order of the Republic of Croatia, and the Bosnian Serbs to accept the Contact Group plan; - Withdrawal of foreign forces
No specific mention.
- Corruption
No specific mention.
- Crime/organised crime
No specific mention.
- Drugs
No specific mention.
- Terrorism
No specific mention.
Transitional justice
- Transitional justice general
No specific mention.
- Amnesty/pardon
No specific mention.
- Courts
No specific mention.
- Mechanism
No specific mention.
- Prisoner release
No specific mention.
- Vetting
No specific mention.
- Victims
No specific mention.
- Missing persons
No specific mention.
- Reparations
No specific mention.
- Reconciliation
No specific mention.
Implementation
- UN signatory
No specific mention.
- Other international signatory
No specific mention.
- Referendum for agreement
No specific mention.
- International mission/force/similarPage 1, Untitled Preamble
...Underlying in particular that any prolongation of the existing ineffectiveness UNPROFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the non-application of UNCRO mandate in Croatia will lead to the decision to call off the prolongation their mandate in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Page 1-2, Untitled Preamble
...Supporting the decision to send Rapid Reaction Forces and jointly establishing that all questions concerning their arrival, mandate and deployment must be organized by way of a special agreement in accordance with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina; - Enforcement mechanism
No specific mention.
- Related cases
No specific mention.
- SourceSnezana Trifunovska (ed.) Former Yugoslavia Through Documents: From its dissolution to the peace settlement (The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1999) pp.391-393
DECLARATION On Implementation of the Washington Agreement, Joint Defence against Serb Aggression and Reaching a Political Solution Congruent with the Efforts of the International Community
Split, Croatia, 22 July 1995
Confirming their strong commitment and political will to strengthen the cooperation and alliance of the Croatian and Bosniac nations in these fateful moments for the survival of both nations, faced with the increasing violence in the occupied territories of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the uncertainty of the peace process and the inefficacy of the international community;
Having established that the occupying of and the attacks on the UN "safe areas" in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the joint operations by the Bosnian and Croatian Serbs against the UN "safe area" in Bihac, the armed provocations in other areas of Croatia and Bosnia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the refusal of all peace plans by the Bosnian and Croatian Serbs, are part of a unified and joint strategy of continuing aggression and attempt to maintain occupation of territories in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina with the aim to create a "Great Serbia", under the leadership and with the full responsibility of the political and army leadership of the "FRY" (Serbia and Montenegro);
Having established that the continued aggression and violent attempts to keep control of the occupied territories in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, as well as the inadequate results of the peace process, command the leaders of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to fully examine the situation in the region from the stand- point of safeguarding the national survival of the Croatian and Bosniac people and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Expressing their irrevocable support to the implementation of the Washington Agreement on the establishment of the Federation, as well as its confederal linking to the Republic of Croatia;
Convinced that such a strong, internationally established, territorially viable, economically developed and democratically organized Federation is an irreplaceable governmental and political framework, the historical interest and the safest form of security and realization of equal national, political and other interests of the Croatian and Bosniac nations;
Convinced also that on the basis of the realization of such a Federation of the Croatian and Bosniac nations and with the assistance of the international community, a solution to the crisis can be reached and the ground laid for a new, balanced regional order as a guarantee of peace, stability, security and development;
Calling on the Croatian Serbs to reexamine their current militant policy and to accept the peaceful reintegration in the constitutional order of the Republic of Croatia, and the Bosnian Serbs to accept the Contact Group plan;
Calling on the "FRY" (Serbia and Montenegro) to give up aggression with the aim of creating a "Great Serbia", to stop giving military assistance to the extremists in Knin and in Pale and to agree to the mutual recognition of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina within their internationally recocognized borders;
Confirming their readiness to actively contribute to the efforts towards an urgent revival of the peace process on the basis of acceptance of the Contact Group Plan in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the peaceful reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories of the Republic of Croatia;
Underlying in particular that any prolongation of the existing ineffectiveness UNPROFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the non-application of UNCRO mandate in Croatia will lead to the decision to call off the prolongation their mandate in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Supporting the decision to send Rapid Reaction Forces and jointly establishing that all questions concerning their arrival, mandate and deployment must be organized by way of a special agreement in accordance with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Underlying the common viewpoint that any decision on lifting of arms embargo must be applied simultaneously to Bosnia and Herzegovina and to Croatia;
Convinced that the "FRY" (Serbia and Montenegro) carries a special responsibility for the continuation of the crisis and judging that it is necessary to maintain and reinforce the United Nations Security Council sanctions system;
Refusing ideas about renewing or creating any kind of new "Yugoslav" state community, considering them to be parallel and spare variations of Great-Serbian hegemony, and supporting normalization in the region on the basis of sovereignty independence and integrity;
Confirming their interest in the urgent implementation of the aforementioned principles of the Declaration, agreement has been reached on:
1. Widening and strengthening of the defence cooperation on the basis of the Agreement on friendship and cooperation between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina of July 21st 1992.
In this respect, the Republic and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina have called upon the Republic of Croatia to extend urgent military and other assistance in the defence against aggression, especially in the area of Bihac, which the Republic of Croatia has accepted.
Agreement has also been reached on the continuation of cooperation and constant coordination of defence activities between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Agreement has been reached as well as on the cooperation between the main headquarters of the Croatian Army and the joint headquarters of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council for the sake of co- ordination of defence activities in the areas of command, logistics, military-industrial production, communication systems, information and analytical needs and other areas.
2. Creation of a political-legal expert group with the duty to urgently analyse and submit proposals for the integration of the functions of the Republic and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities.
3. Addressing an invitation for a meeting of the group of 22 member states of the "Friends of the Federation" on the highest level, in view of urgent donations and assistance in the face of the humanitarian and refuge catastrophe and to examine long-term joint reconstruction and development strategies.
4. Maintaining regular and constant political consultations aiming at the realisation of the principles and agreements of this Declaration, as well as the preparation of legal, political and other foundations for the establishment of confederal ties with the Republic of Croatia.
Dr. Franjo TUDJMAN
President of the Republic of Croatia
Alija IZETBEGOVJC
President of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kresimir ZUBAK
President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Haris SILAJDZIC
Prime Minister of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina