Declaration on Implementation of the Washington Agreement

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Country/entity: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Yugoslavia (former)
Region: Europe and Eurasia
Agreement name: Declaration on Implementation of the Washington Agreement
Date: 22 Jul 1995
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Balkan Conflicts (1991 - 1995) (1998 - 2001)
Former Yugoslavia

The disintegration of former Yugoslavia post cold war saw conflicts which became mediated and produced peace agreements in Slovenia (where the brief independence conflict was mediated by the EC Troika in 1991), Croatia (between Croatian and Serb populations 1991-1995), in Bosnia (between Croatian, Serb and Bosniak populations 1992-1995), in Macedonia (where mediation played a key pre-emptive role in preventing large scale conflict in 2001), in Kosovo (between Kosovar Albanians and Serbian population and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), but also between FRY and NATO, 1998-1999), and a conflict in the Presevo Valley (between Albanians in South Serbia and FRY, 2000-2001). The continued fall-out of the disintegration of former Yugoslavia also saw mediated agreement and ultimate dissolution of the Union between Serbia and Montenegro.

Bosnia-Herzegovina

In 1991, after nationalist parties won the first multi-party elections in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a violent process of disintegration commenced. With its mixed population, Bosnia-Herzegovina became the centre of the following civil war that began in 1992 between the newly formed army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (mostly Muslim Bosniacs), and the parastatal forces of self-declared Bosnian Croat (Herzeg-Bosnia) and Bosnian Serb (Republika Srpska) entities within Bosnia-Herzegovina, supported by Croatia and Serbia, with various, often short-lived, coalitions. The General Framework Agreement (Dayton Peace Agreement), signed in 1995, split the country into two ethno-federal entities, the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the Republika Srpska, and included continued peacekeeping and institutional administration by international actors.

Kosovo

The conflict between Serbs and Kosovar Albanians has a long history and always involved territorial disputes as well as ethno-political, cultural and linguistic factors. The most recent phase of the conflict began in November 1997 when the Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA or UCK) began their campaign for the independence of Kosovo from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY – then Serbia and Montenegro). The subsequent war lasted until the NATO intervention, which undertook bombing campaigns of Belgrade and other places in Serbia during spring 1999. The main agreements solving the conflict were internationally driven and, finally, a UNSC resolution imposed a post-conflict arrangement in the wake of what was essentially a NATO military victory. In February 2008, Kosovo’s parliament declared independence, but independence is still internationally disputed.
Stage: Implementation/renegotiation
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Bosnia peace process
Parties: Dr. Franjo TUDJMAN, President of the Republic of Croatia; Alija IZETBEGOVJC, President of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Kresimir ZUBAK, President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Haris SILAJDZIC, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Third parties: -
Description: This declaration on the implementation of the Washington agreement includes commitment to continued cooperation between the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council against Serb and Montenegrin forces, and calls on the Republic of Croatia to provide military assistance.

Agreement document: BA_950722_Declaration on Implementation of the Washington Agreement.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: Groups→Racial/ethnic/national group→Rhetorical
Page 1, Untitled Preamble
Confirming their strong commitment and political will to strengthen the cooperation and alliance of the Croatian and Bosniac nations in these fateful moments for the survival of both nations, faced with the increasing violence in the occupied territories of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the uncertainty of the peace process and the inefficacy of the international community;

Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Having established that the continued aggression and violent attempts to keep control of the occupied territories in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, as well as the inadequate results of the peace process, command the leaders of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to fully examine the situation in the region from the stand- point of safeguarding the national survival of the Croatian and Bosniac people and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Convinced that such a strong, internationally established, territorially viable, economically developed and democratically organized Federation is an irreplaceable governmental and political framework, the historical interest and the safest form of security and realization of equal national, political and other interests of the Croatian and Bosniac nations;

Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Convinced also that on the basis of the realization of such a Federation of the Croatian and Bosniac nations and with the assistance of the international community, a solution to the crisis can be reached and the ground laid for a new, balanced regional order as a guarantee of peace, stability, security and development;
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: Groups→Refugees/displaced persons→Rhetorical
Page 2, 3.
Addressing an invitation for a meeting of the group of 22 member states of the "Friends of the Federation" on the highest level, in view of urgent donations and assistance in the face of the humanitarian and refugee catastrophe and to examine long-term joint reconstruction and development strategies.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): Page 1, Untitled Preamble
Convinced that such a strong, internationally established, territorially viable, economically developed and democratically organized Federation is an irreplaceable governmental and political framework, the historical interest and the safest form of security and realization of equal national, political and other interests of the Croatian and Bosniac nations;

Page 1-2, Untitled Preamble
...Supporting the decision to send Rapid Reaction Forces and jointly establishing that all questions concerning their arrival, mandate and deployment must be organized by way of a special agreement in accordance with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Page 2, Untitled Preamble
Refusing ideas about renewing or creating any kind of new "Yugoslav" state community, considering them to be parallel and spare variations of Great-Serbian hegemony, and supporting normalization in the region on the basis of sovereignty independence and integrity;
State configuration: Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Expressing their irrevocable support to the implementation of the Washington Agreement on the establishment of the Federation, as well as its confederal linking to the Republic of Croatia;
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Calling on the "FRY" (Serbia and Montenegro) to give up aggression with the aim of creating a "Great Serbia", to stop giving military assistance to the extremists in Knin and in Pale and to agree to the mutual recognition of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina within their internationally recognized borders;
Cross-border provision: Page 1, Untitled Preamble
Expressing their irrevocable support to the implementation of the Washington Agreement on the establishment of the Federation, as well as its confederal linking to the Republic of Croatia;

Page 2, 4.
Maintaining regular and constant political consultations aiming at the realisation of the principles and agreements of this Declaration, as well as the preparation of legal, political and other foundations for the establishment of confederal ties with the Republic of Croatia.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: Power sharing→Military power sharing→Proportionality
Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Calling on the Croatian Serbs to reexamine their current militant policy and to accept the peaceful reintegration in the constitutional order of the Republic of Croatia, and the Bosnian Serbs to accept the Contact Group plan;

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: Socio-economic reconstruction→Development or socio-economic reconstruction→Humanitarian assistance
Page 2, 3.
Addressing an invitation for a meeting of the group of 22 member states of the "Friends of the Federation" on the highest level, in view of urgent donations and assistance in the face of the humanitarian and refugee catastrophe and to examine long-term joint reconstruction and development strategies.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Convinced also that on the basis of the realization of such a Federation of the Croatian and Bosniac nations and with the assistance of the international community, a solution to the crisis can be reached and the ground laid for a new, balanced regional order as a guarantee of peace, stability, security and development;

Page 2, 3.
Addressing an invitation for a meeting of the group of 22 member states of the "Friends of the Federation" on the highest level, in view of urgent donations and assistance in the face of the humanitarian and refugee catastrophe and to examine long-term joint reconstruction and development strategies.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Calling on the "FRY" (Serbia and Montenegro) to give up aggression with the aim of creating a "Great Serbia", to stop giving military assistance to the extremists in Knin and in Pale and to agree to the mutual recognition of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina within their internationally recognized borders;

Page 2, Untitled Preamble
Underlying the common viewpoint that any decision on lifting of arms embargo must be applied simultaneously to Bosnia and Herzegovina and to Croatia;
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: Page 2, 1.
...In this respect, the Republic and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina have called upon the Republic of Croatia to extend urgent military and other assistance in the defence against aggression, especially in the area of Bihac, which the Republic of Croatia has accepted. Agreement has also been reached on the continuation of cooperation and constant coordination of defence activities between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Agreement has been reached as well as on the cooperation between the main headquarters of the Croatian Army and the joint headquarters of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council for the sake of co- ordination of defence activities in the areas of command, logistics, military-industrial production, communication systems, information and analytical needs and other areas.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Having established that the occupying of and the attacks on the UN "safe areas" in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the joint operations by the Bosnian and Croatian Serbs against the UN "safe area" in Bihac, the armed provocations in other areas of Croatia and Bosnia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the refusal of all peace plans by the Bosnian and Croatian Serbs, are part of a unified and joint strategy of continuing aggression and attempt to maintain occupation of territories in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina with the aim to create a "Great Serbia", under the leadership and with the full responsibility of the political and army leadership of the "FRY" (Serbia and Montenegro);

Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Calling on the Croatian Serbs to reexamine their current militant policy and to accept the peaceful reintegration in the constitutional order of the Republic of Croatia, and the Bosnian Serbs to accept the Contact Group plan;
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: Page 1, Untitled Preamble
...Underlying in particular that any prolongation of the existing ineffectiveness UNPROFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the non-application of UNCRO mandate in Croatia will lead to the decision to call off the prolongation their mandate in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Page 1-2, Untitled Preamble
...Supporting the decision to send Rapid Reaction Forces and jointly establishing that all questions concerning their arrival, mandate and deployment must be organized by way of a special agreement in accordance with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Snezana Trifunovska (ed.) Former Yugoslavia Through Documents: From its dissolution to the peace settlement (The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1999) pp.391-393

DECLARATION On Implementation of the Washington Agreement, Joint Defence against Serb Aggression and Reaching a Political Solution Congruent with the Efforts of the International Community

Split, Croatia, 22 July 1995

Confirming their strong commitment and political will to strengthen the cooperation and alliance of the Croatian and Bosniac nations in these fateful moments for the survival of both nations, faced with the increasing violence in the occupied territories of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the uncertainty of the peace process and the inefficacy of the international community;

Having established that the occupying of and the attacks on the UN "safe areas" in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the joint operations by the Bosnian and Croatian Serbs against the UN "safe area" in Bihac, the armed provocations in other areas of Croatia and Bosnia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the refusal of all peace plans by the Bosnian and Croatian Serbs, are part of a unified and joint strategy of continuing aggression and attempt to maintain occupation of territories in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina with the aim to create a "Great Serbia", under the leadership and with the full responsibility of the political and army leadership of the "FRY" (Serbia and Montenegro);

Having established that the continued aggression and violent attempts to keep control of the occupied territories in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, as well as the inadequate results of the peace process, command the leaders of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to fully examine the situation in the region from the stand- point of safeguarding the national survival of the Croatian and Bosniac people and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Expressing their irrevocable support to the implementation of the Washington Agreement on the establishment of the Federation, as well as its confederal linking to the Republic of Croatia;

Convinced that such a strong, internationally established, territorially viable, economically developed and democratically organized Federation is an irreplaceable governmental and political framework, the historical interest and the safest form of security and realization of equal national, political and other interests of the Croatian and Bosniac nations;

Convinced also that on the basis of the realization of such a Federation of the Croatian and Bosniac nations and with the assistance of the international community, a solution to the crisis can be reached and the ground laid for a new, balanced regional order as a guarantee of peace, stability, security and development;

Calling on the Croatian Serbs to reexamine their current militant policy and to accept the peaceful reintegration in the constitutional order of the Republic of Croatia, and the Bosnian Serbs to accept the Contact Group plan;

Calling on the "FRY" (Serbia and Montenegro) to give up aggression with the aim of creating a "Great Serbia", to stop giving military assistance to the extremists in Knin and in Pale and to agree to the mutual recognition of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina within their internationally recocognized borders;

Confirming their readiness to actively contribute to the efforts towards an urgent revival of the peace process on the basis of acceptance of the Contact Group Plan in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the peaceful reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories of the Republic of Croatia;

Underlying in particular that any prolongation of the existing ineffectiveness UNPROFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the non-application of UNCRO mandate in Croatia will lead to the decision to call off the prolongation their mandate in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Supporting the decision to send Rapid Reaction Forces and jointly establishing that all questions concerning their arrival, mandate and deployment must be organized by way of a special agreement in accordance with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Underlying the common viewpoint that any decision on lifting of arms embargo must be applied simultaneously to Bosnia and Herzegovina and to Croatia;

Convinced that the "FRY" (Serbia and Montenegro) carries a special responsibility for the continuation of the crisis and judging that it is necessary to maintain and reinforce the United Nations Security Council sanctions system;

Refusing ideas about renewing or creating any kind of new "Yugoslav" state community, considering them to be parallel and spare variations of Great-Serbian hegemony, and supporting normalization in the region on the basis of sovereignty independence and integrity;

Confirming their interest in the urgent implementation of the aforementioned principles of the Declaration, agreement has been reached on:

1. Widening and strengthening of the defence cooperation on the basis of the Agreement on friendship and cooperation between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina of July 21st 1992.

In this respect, the Republic and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina have called upon the Republic of Croatia to extend urgent military and other assistance in the defence against aggression, especially in the area of Bihac, which the Republic of Croatia has accepted.

Agreement has also been reached on the continuation of cooperation and constant coordination of defence activities between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Agreement has been reached as well as on the cooperation between the main headquarters of the Croatian Army and the joint headquarters of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council for the sake of co- ordination of defence activities in the areas of command, logistics, military-industrial production, communication systems, information and analytical needs and other areas.

2. Creation of a political-legal expert group with the duty to urgently analyse and submit proposals for the integration of the functions of the Republic and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities.

3. Addressing an invitation for a meeting of the group of 22 member states of the "Friends of the Federation" on the highest level, in view of urgent donations and assistance in the face of the humanitarian and refuge catastrophe and to examine long-term joint reconstruction and development strategies.

4. Maintaining regular and constant political consultations aiming at the realisation of the principles and agreements of this Declaration, as well as the preparation of legal, political and other foundations for the establishment of confederal ties with the Republic of Croatia.

Dr. Franjo TUDJMAN

President of the Republic of Croatia

Alija IZETBEGOVJC

President of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Kresimir ZUBAK

President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Haris SILAJDZIC

Prime Minister of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina