The European Parliament resolution of 15 November on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to which the Deputy refers was noted by the General Affairs Council on 6 December. It will be duly taken into account by the Council in its deliberations.
The importance the Government and the EU attaches to full co-operation by all parties with the tribunal's activities has been reflected in a number of Government statements and EU Council Conclusions during Ireland's EU Presidency.
In a comprehensive EU policy paper drafted by the Irish Presidency and adopted by the Council of Ministers on 28 October, improved co-operation by all sides with the tribunal is identified as a key priority during the period ahead. Summing up the position of the Government and the EU at the meeting of the Peace Implementation Council in London on 4 and 5 December, I said:
full co-operation by all parties with the International Criminal Tribunal in the efforts to bring war criminals to justice is a fundamental obligation which must be honoured if genuine stability and lasting peace is to be consolidated. All parties must abide by the commitment they have made to hand over indicted suspects without delay. It is also important that the international organisations and agencies active on the ground should examine how they can make a more effective contribution to the efforts of the Tribunal in this regard.
The conclusions of the London conference, endorsed by the EU and all of its member states and the European Commission, state that the provision of economic reconstruction assistance is clearly linked to co-operation in this area. The authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the Republica Srpska leadership, have been reminded that their obligations under international law take precedence over any provisions in their national or local legislation.
Similarly, in the case of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Union has made clear that the development of relations between the Union and those countries will be influenced by their attitude towards co-operation with the Tribunal.
The Government fully shares the view expressed in the European Parliament Resolution on the importance of the role of the International Police Task Force. Ireland has demonstrated its commitment in this area in a number of ways, notably through our contribution of a contingent of 31 members of the Garda Síochána to the IPTF, including its Commissioner, Peter Fitzgerald, and also through hosting in September an International Conference on Law Enforcement Assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina, attended by representatives of some 40 countries, which resulted in significant pledges of training, financial and personnel support for that force.
The Government will continue to be a strong and unequivocal supporter of the International Criminal Tribunal and the effort to bring war criminals to justice. This support is demonstrated not only in political and diplomatic terms but also in very practical ways. In addition to previous voluntary contributions, and to payment of our annual assessed UN contribution for the running costs of the tribunal, the Government has in the past few weeks contributed a further $100,000 to assist the work of the tribunal.
