01 February 2005

Declaration on Refugee Returns in the Balkans Welcomed
Signed by ministers from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro

The signing of a declaration on refugee return in South Eastern Europe by ministers responsible for refugee issues from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia and Montenegro has been welcomed as “a step in the right direction."

The declaration, which was signed in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, January 31, confirms the commitment of the three countries to create adequate conditions to enable refugee return in the region and to support refugees who choose to stay in their host countries.

Officials from the European Commission (EC), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees reiterated their support for the three governments in their efforts to enable refugee return in the region and thus to fulfill their responsibilities to the Dayton Peace Accord, according to an OSCE press release.

Following are two OSCE press releases on the declaration and reaction to it:

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Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
February 1, 2005

OSCE, UNHCR, EC PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR REFUGEE RETURN IN SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

SARAJEVO, 1 February 2005 - The principals of the European Commission (EC), the OSCE and the UNHCR [U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees] in Bosnia and Herzegovina reiterated their support for the governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia and Montenegro in their efforts to enable refugee return in the region, and thus fulfil their responsibilities to the Dayton Peace Accord, at a conference held in Sarajevo yesterday.

Participating in the Regional Ministerial Conference, hosted by BiH Prime Minister Adnan Terzic, international community representatives were encouraged by the willingness of the three governments to openly discuss achievements and the outstanding challenges to conclusively tackle the remaining population displacement between these three countries.

"Even though we recognise the enormous progress that has been achieved over the past nine years in stabilizing population movements in the region, we must not forget that over 300,000 refugees are still seeking durable solutions in the region," said Udo Janz, the UNHCR Representative in BiH.

"It must be our common goal to tackle the outstanding obstacles for refugees to return to their original pre-war habitat in safety and in dignity," concluded Janz.

"The Declaration that was signed yesterday by the Ministers of the three countries is a step in the right direction," said Ambassador Douglas Davidson, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH.

"It allows the three countries to come to a mutual agreement on how to resolve outstanding issues on refugee return."

The UNHCR, the EC and the OSCE underline the importance of proceeding with the implementation of the Declaration adopted yesterday, within the timeframe agreed, and look forward to continuing our involvement in this process.

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OSCE CROATIA MISSION WELCOMES DECLARATION ON REFUGEE RETURN IN SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

ZAGREB, 1 February 2005 - The OSCE Mission to Croatia has welcomed the declaration on refugee return in South Eastern Europe by 2006, which was signed yesterday in Sarajevo by ministers responsible for refugee issues from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia and Montenegro.

The document confirms commitment of the three countries to create adequate conditions to enable refugee return in the region, and to support those refugees who would choose to stay in their host countries.

In Croatia, this requires further efforts in order to provide housing for all those who want to return.

"It is important that all those who were affected by the war should receive a fair deal, and that the refugee issue be removed from the list of political problems of the countries in the region to ensure that it does not remain a source of instability in the long term," said Ambassador Peter Semneby, Head of the OSCE Mission to Croatia.

"This is the first time since the Dayton Accord that these three countries have come together at such a high level and agreed to draft a Road Map to close the chapter on return."

He also said that an intergovernmental task force will be set up within the next couple of months to commence drafting the Road Map on Return.

The prime ministers of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia and Montenegro are expected to discuss the issue of refugee return at a regional summit in Sarajevo in October on the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Peace Accord.

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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