Security Council

5713^th Meeting (PM)

SECURITY COUNCIL AGREES TO APPOINTMENT OF SLOVAKIA’S MIROSLAV LAJČÁK

AS NEW HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

 

The Security Council today welcomed and agreed to the designation by the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board of Slovakia’s Miroslav Lajčák as the next High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Unanimously adopting resolution 1764 (2007), the Council paid tribute to the efforts of his predecessor, Christian Schwarz-Schilling.  It also took note of the Steering Board’s 19 June decision that the Office of the High Representative would continue to carry out its mandate with the aim of closing by 30 June 2008.

Further by the text, the Council reaffirmed the importance of the High Representative in pursuing the implementation of the Peace Agreement, giving guidance to and coordinating the activities of the civilian organizations and agencies involved in assisting the parties to implement it.

Speaking after the vote, the representative of the United Kingdom expressed strong support for the responsibilities of the High Representative and his additional role as the European Union’s Special Representative.  The United Kingdom would support the High Representative designate as he discharged his responsibilities under the Dayton Peace Agreement and subsequent Peace Implementation Council decisions, and worked alongside partners on the ground to advance Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Euro-Atlantic integration.

While the Council’s formal agreement was not necessary, the United Kingdom welcomed its support for the decisions of the Peace Implementation Council, she said.  It was to be hoped that leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina would see the resolution’s adoption as the international community’s firm backing of the Office of the High Representative and its future decisions.  However, the United Kingdom had been disappointed by the nationalist sentiments expressed recently by some Bosnian leaders, which served only to retard the reform process and hinder the building of a multi-ethnic, democratic and prosperous country on the verge of entering Europe.

She said the United Kingdom understood that nothing in the text impacted in any way other Balkan issues before the Council.  The Peace Implementation Council would review the situation in October 2007 and again in February 2008, and those assessments would naturally take into account the security and stability situation in the region.  Hopefully, security and stability would be well established and irreversible by that point.

The representative of the Russian Federation, the resolution’s main sponsor, welcomed its adoption, which corresponded to previous agreements and resolutions concerning the Office of the High Representative.  The new High Representative would continue the productive approaches of his predecessor aimed at helping the Bosnian parties reach a compromise decision through constructive dialogue.

Beginning at 1:14 p.m., the meeting ended at 1:20 p.m.

Resolution

The full text of resolution 1764 (2007) reads as follows:

“The Security Council,

“Recalling all its previous relevant resolutions

“Recalling also the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Annexes thereto (collectively the Peace Agreement, S/1995/999, Annex), and the conclusions of the Peace Implementation Conferences held in Bonn on 9 and 10 December 1997 (S/1997/979, Annex), Madrid on 16 and 17 December 1998 (S/1999/139, appendix) and Brussels on 23 and 24 May 2000 (S/2000/586, annex) as well as the Declaration by the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council on 19 June 2007,

“1.   Welcomes and agrees to the designation by the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council on 19 June 2007 of Mr. Miroslav Lajčák as High Representative in succession to Mr. Christian Schwarz-Schilling;

“2.   Pays tribute to the efforts of Mr. Christian Schwarz-Schilling in his work as High Representative;

“3.   Reaffirms the importance it attaches to the role of the High Representative in pursuing the implementation of the Peace Agreement and giving guidance to and coordinating the activities of the civilian organizations and agencies involved in assisting the parties to implement the Peace Agreement;

“4.   Reaffirms also the final authority of the High Representative in theatre regarding the interpretation of Annex 10 on civilian implementation of the Peace Agreement;

“5.   Takes note of the decision of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council on 19 June 2007 that the Office of the High Representative will remain in place and continue to carry out its mandate and that the aim is closure of the Office of the High Representative by 30 June 2008;

“6.   Decides to remain seized of the matter.”

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For information media • not an official record