I propose to take Questions Nos. 2, 20 and 24 together.
The agreement concluded at Dayton, Ohio, by the Presidents of Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia and Serbia on 21 November constitutes a framework for lasting peace and stability in a country which has been ravaged by war for almost four years. It is to be signed formally at a peace conference in Paris on 14 December.
I warmly welcome this agreement. If the fragile peace in Bosnia-Hercegovina is to be consolidated, the Dayton Agreement must be fully implemented. It is essential that there should be a well co-ordinated international effort to assist the peoples of the region in the difficult tasks of democracy-building, reconciliation and reconstruction which lie ahead.
The Dayton Agreement is lengthy and complex. Some of its more important elements are: the maintenance of Bosnia-Hercegovina as a single multi-ethnic state within its internationally recognised borders; an over-arching central presidency with representatives from each of the three ethnic groups, a council of ministers and a central parliament; underneath the central structures there will be two entities, the Federation and the Republika Srpska; elections will be held next year for the central presidency and parliament, and for the institutions of both of Bosnia's entities — the OSCE has been given the task of supervising these elections; special arrangements have been agreed to encourage refugees and displaced persons to return voluntarily and in safety to their homes; and the Security Council has been invited to authorise the deployment of an international force to supervise the withdrawal of armies to the agreed zones.
The parties agreed at Dayton that the central structure of the state will retain responsibility for foreign policy, foreign trade, monetary and customs policy, immigration and asylum matters, international and inter-entity law enforcement, air traffic control and inter-entity transportation. It is clear, therefore, that the central institution of Bosnia-Hercegovina will have real powers and responsibilities.
On 4 December, the European Foreign Ministers reconfirmed their commitment to make a substantial contribution to the implementation of the Dayton Agreement. To this end, the union will work to support the federation and to strengthen the central structures of Bosnia-Hercegovina by promoting constructive Bosnian Serb participation in these structures.
Implementation of the Dayton Agreement will have both military and civil dimensions. Regarding the former, the Security Council is expected to authorise the deployment of a multinational force when the peace agreement has been signed and to withdraw UNPROFOR. To maximise the effectiveness of the international community's support for the implementation of the civil aspects of the agreement, new and more effective co-ordinating structures will need to be created. Tomorrow, I will be in London to attend the peace implementation conference which will begin to give shape to these. I expect that there will be agreement on the role and functions of a high representative who will be entrusted by the Security Council with a pivotal role in co-ordinating civilian implementation.
The holding of free and fair elections is, in many ways, the keystone for the development of a democratic society and is therefore crucial to the prospects for the overall success of the agreement. The OSCE has been given the task by the parties to the Dayton Agreement with the responsibility for supervising these elections. These could be held next year during Ireland's Presidency. We will at that time have the leading role in the European Community Monitor Mission which will provide the OSCE with valuable support in preparing for and supervising the elections.
I very much welcome the agreement of the Bosnian parties to secure for all persons in their jurisdiction the highest level of internationally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms. The European Union will do its utmost to ensure that this commitment is honoured. It is being made clear to the parties that support for reconstruction and the development of longer-term relations between the states in the region will be subject to respect for human and minority rights and for the right of all refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes.
I attach the highest importance to the work which is to be undertaken by the UNHCR in support of an early and orderly return of refugees. The UNHCR has been entrusted by the UN Secretary General with the role of co-ordinating the repatriation and relief of refugees and displaced persons. The Government will continue to liaise closely with the UNHCR and to assist that agency in its work in this area.
At Dayton the parties agreed on the establishment of an independent Commission for Refugees and Displaced Persons which will include representatives appointed by the European Court of Human Rights. This body will work closely with the UNHCR to ensure that the parties co-operate fully in facilitating the return of refugees and displaced persons. The new structures which will be established to monitor and co-ordinate the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, and in which the European Union will be represented, will have a role in ensuring that the parties honour the commitments which they have made in this area.
I am under no illusions as to the enormity of the task which the implementation of the Dayton Agreement involves. In this regard, I should emphasise that the primary responsibility rests with the parties themselves who must honour their commitments. If there is goodwill and a genuine effort by all to implement the agreement, the international community will be able to provide substantial support for their endeavours and advance reconciliation. The Dayton Agreement is clearly an essential step towards a comprehensive solution to the problems of the region. That is why the Security Council has recently suspended the economic sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia which had been imposed on account of that state's support for the war aims of the Bosnian Serbs. However, there are a number of important issues such as human rights violations in Kosovo and elsewhere in Serbia which are not addressed in the Dayton Agreement on Bosnia-Hercegovina.
I consider that the violations of the most fundamental human rights in Kosovo are entirely unacceptable. Belgrade's policies in this regard also run the risk of destabilising the southern Balkan region by precipitating a Serbo-Albanian conflict. Ireland, with its European Union partners, will continue to make it clear to Belgrade that human and minority rights must be respected throughout the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and that a large degree of autonomy must be restored to Kosovo. We are also insisting that Belgrade must permit the immediate redeployment of the long-term missions of the Organisation for Security Co-operation in Europe — (OSCE) — to monitor the human rights in Kosovo, Sandjak and Vojvodina.
Belgrade is well aware of the priority the European Union attaches to the immediate and full respect of human rights in Kosovo, as well as the rights of the minorites in Sandjak and Vojvodina. The EU Council of Ministers on 30 October made clear that a solution to these issues is essential for the full integration of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia into the international community and for the stabilisation of the region as a whole.
I hope the Agreement in Dayton will encourage Belgrade to end human rights violations in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and to restore Kosovo's autonomy. Ireland, with our European Union partners, will continue our efforts to achieve these vital goals.
