III

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. RES. 116

Concerning the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 10, 1993

Mr. DECONCINI (for himself, Mr. D’AMATO, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. BIDEN,

and Mr. DOLE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to

the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Concerning the territorial integrity of Bosnia and

Herzegovina.

Whereas the sovereign and independent State of Bosnia and

Herzegovina was formally recognized by the United

States of America on April 7, 1992;

Whereas the sovereign and independent State of Bosnia and

Herzegovina was admitted as a full participating State of

the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe

on April 30, 1992;

Whereas the sovereign and independent State of Bosnia and

Herzegovina was admitted as a Member State of the

United Nations on May 22, 1992;

Whereas the United States of America has declared its determination to respect and put into practice the Declaration
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on Principles Guiding Relations between Participating

States contained in the Final Act of the Conference on

Security and Cooperation in Europe;

Whereas each of these Principles has been violated during the

course of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sovereign

equality, respect for the rights inherent in sovereignty;

refraining from the threat or use of force; inviolability of

frontiers; territorial integrity of States; peaceful settlement of disputes; nonintervention in internal affairs; respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or

belief; equal rights and self-determination of peoples; cooperation among States; and fulfillment in good faith of

obligations under international law;

Whereas Principle II of the Final Act commits the participating States to ‘‘refrain from any manifestation of force for

the purpose of inducing another participating State to renounce the full exercise of its sovereign rights’’;

Whereas Principle III of the Final Act commits the participating States to ‘‘refrain from any demand for, or act of,

seizure and usurpation of part or all of the territory of

any participating State’’;

Whereas Principle IV of the Final Act commits the participating States to ‘‘respect the territorial integrity of each

of the participating States’’ and ‘‘refrain from any action

inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations against the territorial integrity,

political independence or the unity of any participating

State’’;

Whereas the Charter of Paris for a New Europe commits the

participating States ‘‘to cooperate in defending demo-
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cratic institutions against activities which violate the

independence, sovereign equality or territorial integrity of

the participating States’’;

Whereas the Helsinki Document 1992 reaffirms ‘‘the validity

of the guiding principles and common values of the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris, embodying responsibilities of States towards each other and of governments towards their own people’’ which serve as the ‘‘collective conscience of our community’’;

Whereas Charter of the United Nations calls upon Member

States to respect the territorial integrity and political

independence of any State in keeping with the Purposes

of the United Nations;

Whereas the sovereign and independent State of Bosnia and

Herzegovina has been and continues to subjected to

armed aggression by Serbia, Serbian-backed forces, and

Croatian irregular forces in violation of Final Act and the

Charter; and

Whereas unchecked armed aggression and genocide threatens

the lives of innocent civilians as well as the very existence

of the sovereign and independent State of Bosnia and

Herzegovina: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, the United States of America will, in keep2 ing with its international commitments and obligations,

3 refrain from any action which directly or indirectly under4 mines the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political inde5 pendence or the unity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and be

6 it further;
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1 Resolved, That the United States of America will not

2 recognize the incorporation of any of the territory of

3 Bosnia and Herzegovina into that of any neighboring

4 State nor the creation of any new State or States within

5 the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina resulting from the

6 threat or use of force, coercion or any other means incon7 sistent with international law.

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