STATEMENT
by H.E. M.Sc. Husein Zivalj, Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Head of the Delegation

Doha, November 2000

Honourable President,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Allow me at the outset to greet you with the celestial greeting of peace: Asselamu Alleikum Wa Rahmetuallah Wa Berekatuhu.
We express our sincere thanks for the invitation, in our capacity as an observer, to address this honourable gathering and we congratulate the host country - State of Qatar for excellent organisation and for warm hospitality.
We are fully aware of the challenges the Islamic Ummah and you, representing your peoples and governments, are faced with. We, also, know that so highly figuring topic on Bosnia and Herzegovina on your agenda proves your care and comprehension for the suffering of our people that are still confronted with challenges, too.
Our brothers in Palestine, courageous and peaceful, are still suffering. They deserve full support on the route for a just and durable peace. And, we sincerely wish them success in their long and painful struggle for dignity, peace and prosperity.
The contemporary world, still unfortunately predominantly guided by the aims and inspirations of the real-politic, avoiding profound reforms of the world order and working mostly on crises management policy, has been producing more and more imbalances and, consequently, facing with more and more crises, inflicting interests of many Muslims states and communities.
We in Bosnia and Herzegovina still feel double betrayed by the position hold last years of the key factors of the world: first, by preventing us to defend our state and our people and, second, by the missed opportunity to collectively defend us as an UN member country.
After a compromise in Dayton that left unpunished most of actors of genocide and aggression, thus creating the most complex climate for reconciliation and normalisation of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we have been still confronted with huge problems.
Almost five years elapsed since the Dayton Peace Accord has been signed. Physical peace in B&H has been established. But, the preconditions for sustainable peace and normality are not yet reached.

Since a year or little more time a clearer strategy for B&H has been established by the Peace Implementation Council. The three priorities are now figuring on the agenda in our country, namely:
a) strengthening and better functioning of the State institutions on all level.
(The aims are: a multicultural society of democratic citizenship and functional and efficient state of law);
b) revival of economy and remodelling of the economic system.
(The aims are: a modern, open and liberal market economy); and
c) to accelerate the process of return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes of origin.
(The aims are: a sustainable return and full respect of property rights). Too good to be realistic and fully implemented, having in mind prevailing hidden agendas of those who are still working on partition of our sovereign country.
Of course, Mr. President and distinguished delegates, all patriotic democrats in B&H are in favour of a new strategy. The Bosniaks-Muslim leadership is mostly supporting these aims and objectives of the international community in our country.
B&H is historically predestined to be in Europe, to be part of European democratic and prosperous integration. And, we fully support the aims and objectives of the recently initiated Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe.
We know that our friends in the OIC families understand our choice and we endeavour to become a normal, European state and multi-ethnic society. All resolutions of the member countries of the OIC stipulated these basic aspirations of the peoples of B&H.
However, Mr. President, there are still signals that are creating a shadow over the above mentioned strategy for B&H. Allow me to indicate some of our doubts and even our fears.
First, there is still a tendency to equate those who defend the unique value of our multi-ethnic society, and who were victims of those who committed crime. It seems, that equating victims and aggressors became a political strategy of the some international representatives in order to hide the real truth during the terrible time of our fighting for survival.

Second, when the security and political conditions for the return has been improved, there is phasing out of the financial support to the sustainable return. All external observers confirm that the biggest problem is return in the predominant Serb’s entity - Republica Srpska from which among others are expelled hundreds of thousands of the Bosniaks Muslims. The most critical example is Eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina (what is subject of special Project which will be submitted during Ministerial Meeting in the Frame of Action Programme on Bosnia and Herzegovina). Keeping in mind that only 5% of Bosniak Muslims are returned to their homes is evident prove that the project of ethnically cleansed areas of Muslims is being tolerated. Milosevic has been removed from power, but his genocidal project unfortunately is still alive.
Third, the process of building a normal state - a functional and efficient one - is hesitant and slow; we are waiting, for example, the establishment of Border Control Service and Custom control already two years.
This is the background of the real situation in B&H that makes us obliged to kindly ask your understanding and assistance to resolve the problems we are faced with in B&H and to adopt the decisions of the Senior Officials, particularly:
- Resolution on Situation in B&H,
- Resolution on Action Program for Bosnia and Herzegovina and
- Special Declaration relating to redefinition of the mandate of the AMG,
including the establishment of the Trust Fund for B&H for urgent return of
Refugees and Displaced Persons to their homes of origin.Dear sisters and brothers,Allow me once again to express our profound gratitude for all what your peoples and governments have been doing to the people and State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, since the beginning of conflict and through the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement.Let Almighty Allah bless all of you and thank you for your attention.