Those responsible for the armed conflict are in power and do not encourage ethnic reconciliation. Opposition to the return of displaced people, combined with continued harassment and intimidation of ethnic minorities, persist. The adoption and implementation of internationally acceptable property and housing legislation is still needed. Return is also hampered by the dire economic situation and poor employment prospects in the region. Indeed, the challenge facing Dayton implementation in 1999 is to make the peace self-sustaining.
Return is sustainable if it is accepted rather than imposed.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in Croatia, we must help create an open environment for minority returns. I greatly welcome the commitment of the international community, voiced through High Representative Westendorp, to achieve a much needed breakthrough for minority returns in 1999. Security means that violence and intimidation must end. Police must protect all citizens. An independent judiciary must impose respect for the rule of law.