Reinforcing Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina -- The Way Ahead
Annex: The Peace Implementation Agenda

I) RETURN OF REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS

1.The Council reaffirms the right of all refugees and displaced persons freely to return to their homes of origin and to have restored to them property of which they were deprived in the war.

2.The Council welcomes the over 140,000 returns to and within BiH that have taken place in 1998. But only 35,000 to 40,000 of these were minority returns. The Council strongly regrets that this number was much lower than anticipated. There remain almost 31,000 refugees from BiH in Croatia, 210,000 refugees from BiH in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), as well as some 130,000 refugees in Western Europe. And there are some 860,000 displaced persons in BiH.

3. The Council is resolved to support every effort to create the conditions for a major step forward on returns to own homes in 1999 for those who wish to exercise this right.

4. The Council takes the view that large-scale returns require a more assertive approach and greater commitment by the local authorities, supported by the international community. It denounces the wanton obstructionism by many local officials at all levels. It strongly condemns violence associated with returns as crimes against peace, and urges that those responsible be brought to justice.

5. The Council recalls the unfulfilled obligations of the parties under Annex 7 of the Peace Agreement to create suitable conditions for return in co-operation with UNHCR.

6. The Council notes that many tens of thousands have so far expressed a wish to return home immediately to minority areas.

7. The Council notes the disappointingly small numbers of returns to RS. It urges the authorities in the RS to create the conditions to make returns possible. It is also notes the disappointing level of returns within the Federation, and calls on the authorities there to live up to the commitments which they have made.It draws particular attention to the importance of returns to Sarajevo as the capital of BiH, with its obligation to set a positive example for the rest of the country.

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