IV
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 15
Concerning the implementation of the General Framework Agreement for
Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, urging continued and increased sup-
port for the efforts of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia to bring to justice the perpetrators of gross violations of
international law in the former Yugoslavia, and urging support for demo-
cratic forces in all of the countries emerging from the former Yugoslavia.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 7, 1997
Mr. HOYER (for himself, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. MASCARA, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr.
MORAN of Virginia, and Mr. MARKEY) submitted the following resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in
addition to the Committee on Banking and Financial Services, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the commit-
tee concerned
RESOLUTION
Concerning the implementation of the General Framework
Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, urging
continued and increased support for the efforts of the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugo-
slavia to bring to justice the perpetrators of gross viola-
tions of international law in the former Yugoslavia, and
urging support for democratic forces in all of the coun-
tries emerging from the former Yugoslavia.
HRES 15 IH
Whereas relative peace has come to Bosnia and Herzegovina
and tensions have been reduced throughout the region as
a result of the implementation of the General Framework
Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and as-
sociated annexes (hereafter referred to as the ‘‘Peace
Agreement’’), negotiated in Dayton, Ohio, and signed in
Paris, France, on December 14, 1995, and as a result of
the work of the NATO-led Peace Implementation Forces
(IFOR);
Whereas the Peace Agreement provides that Bosnia and
Herzegovina shall continue as a single state, despite its
agreed division into two entities, with full respect for its
sovereignty by its neighbors, and the parties thereto have
agreed to a constitution for Bosnia and Herzegovina that
creates federal institutions including a presidency, a bi-
cameral legislature, a constitutional court and a central
bank;
Whereas the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, under the
auspices of the Organization for Security and Coopera-
tion in Europe (OSCE) and observed by international
and domestic monitors, participated in national and en-
tity-level elections on September 14, 1996, as provided
for by the Peace Agreement and elected representatives
charged with creating the democratic institutions of a
unified Bosnian state;
Whereas the elections were impaired by restrictions on free-
dom of movement, association and expression, dem-
onstrating the need for further improvement in civilian
implementation of the Peace Agreement;
Whereas the parties to the Peace Agreement have agreed that
all refugees and displaced persons have the right freely
to return to their homes of origin and have accepted the
HRES 15 IH
Whereas on June 6, 1996, the President of the International
Criminal Tribunal, declaring that the failure of the Fed-
eral Republic of Yugoslavia to extradite persons indicted
for war crimes is a blatant violation of the Peace Agree-
ment and of United National Security Council Resolu-
tions, called on the High Representative to reimpose eco-
nomic sanctions on the Republica Srpska and on the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro);
Whereas Section 582 of Public Law 104–107 requires the
Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the United States
executive directors of the international financial institu-
tions to work in opposition to, and vote against, any ex-
tension by such institutions of financing or financial or
technical assistance to any country, the government of
which knowingly grants sanctuary to persons in its terri-
tory for the purpose of evading prosecution, where such
persons have been indicted by the International Criminal
Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the Inter-
national Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda;
Whereas the apprehension and prosecution of indicted war
criminals is essential for peace and reconciliation to be
achieved, and democracy to be established, throughout
Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Whereas the democratic development of all countries emerg-
ing from the former Yugoslavia is essential to the stabil-
ity and security of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the re-
gion as a whole as outlined in the Peace Agreement; and
Whereas recent protests by democratic forces in Serbia
against electoral fraud, reports of which have been cor-
roborated by the Organization for Security and Coopera-
tion in Europe (OSCE), demonstrate the particularly
HRES 15 IH
vital importance of a democratic Serbia to promoting
peace and stability in the region: Now, therefore be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that—
(1) the United States is committed fully to the
goals enunciated in the General Framework Agree-
ment for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and as-
sociated annexes (hereafter referred to as the ‘‘Peace
Agreement’’), negotiated in Dayton, Ohio, and
signed in Paris, France, on December 14, 1995, and
to the unified state of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
(2) the United States and the international
community should oppose secession by any entity
from the unified state of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
and should actively support the work of the parties
to the Peace Agreement to establish democratic in-
stitutions and the rule of law in Bosnia and
Herzegovina;
(3) the signatories to the Peace Agreement and
those nations and organizations participating in the
implementation of that agreement should ensure full
and faithful implementation of the arms control and
confidence-building agreements reached as part of
the Peace Agreement including the Agreement on
Sub-Regional Arms Control. Failure to comply with
reporting, inspection, and reduction requirements
HRES 15 IH
should be regarded as a serious breach of the Day-
ton commitments, and coercive reduction of weapons
held in cantonments should be undertaken to ensure
full compliance with the reduction liabilities under
this Agreement.
(4) the United States and the international
community should increase support for the efforts of
the International Criminal Tribunal to investigate
and bring to justice the perpetrators of gross viola-
tions of international law in the former Yugoslavia;
(5) the United States and the international
community should support the request of the Presi-
dent of the International Criminal Tribunal for the
High Representative to impose sanctions on those
who have not complied with their obligations to co-
operate fully with the International Criminal Tribu-
nal, and should publicly and forcefully condemn
those authorities which harbor persons indicted for
war crimes;
(6) 
the 
NATO-led 
Implementation 
Force
(IFOR) is to be commended for its hard work and
effectiveness in establishing peace and stability in
Bosnia and Herzegovina;
HRES 15 IH
(7) IFOR, for the remainder of its mission in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, the NATO-led Stabiliza-
tion Force (SFOR), the International Police Task
Force (IPTF), and other designated missions, in
carrying out their mandates, should make it an ur-
gent priority to detain and bring to justice persons
indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal;
(8) IFOR and SFOR should take an active role
in ensuring respect by the parties to the Peace
Agreement for freedom of movement throughout the
country, including the return of refugees and dis-
placed persons safely, without risk of harassment,
intimidation, persecution or discrimination, particu-
larly on account of their ethnic origin, religious be-
lief or political opinion.
(9) parties to the Peace Agreement should not
be admitted to international organizations and fora,
and should be prohibited from receiving loans and fi-
nancial or technical assistance from international fi-
nancial institutions such as the World Bank, IMF,
and EBRD, until and unless such states have com-
plied with their obligations under the Peace Agree-
ment and United Nations Security Council Resolu-
tions to cooperate fully with the International Crimi-
nal Tribunal; and
HRES 15 IH
(10) the OSCE and other institutions as well as
NGOs are to be encouraged to promote further re-
building of democratic institutions and a civic soci-
ety in Bosnia and Herzegovina and neighboring
countries; and
(11) the United States, the OSCE, and the
international community should continually and
forcefully press the Government of Serbia to recog-
nize the results of the recent elections, facilitate in-
stallation of the duly elected opposition candidates,
undertake a dialogue with the democratic forces
working for reform, and act immediately to improve
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
If such steps are not taken, the international com-
munity should impose targeted sanctions on the
leaders of the Serbian regime and oppose Serbia’s
reintegration into European and international orga-
nizations and fora.
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