The Office for the Coordination of Bosniak National would like to express its gratitude to the United Nations General Assembly for adopting Resolution A/78/L.67/Rev.1 on May 23, 2024

The Office for the Coordination of Bosniak National Councils, which includes Bosniak councils and organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, North Macedonia, the United States, Canada, and Bosniak representatives in the Consultative Council of Kosovo Communities, would like to express its gratitude to the United Nations General Assembly for adopting Resolution A/78/L.67/Rev.1 on May 23, 2024. This resolution designates July 11th as an International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.

We extend our deepest thanks to the 84 countries that voted in favor of the Resolution. Our organizations will collaborate closely with governmental and non-governmental bodies in these countries to implement the Resolution through various programs and projects.

We also wish to highlight that the majority of governments of the 68 countries that abstained from voting, in their statements, acknowledged that a genocide occurred in Srebrenica. We understand that their abstentions were influenced by their current geo-strategic and geopolitical interests. Nonetheless, we remain committed to dialogue and collaboration with these nations to convey the Resolution's importance and its long-term impact. It is crucial to note that, due to the voting rules in the UN General Assembly, the abstentions effectively supported the Resolution, as a vote against would have prevented its adoption.

However, we must express our deep disappointment with the 19 governments whose ambassadors voted against the Resolution. Despite being well-informed about the final judgments on the Srebrenica Genocide issued by UN courts (ICTY and the International Court of Justice), particularly against the highest officials of the Republika Srpska entity and certain officials from Serbia, these governments opposed the Resolution. Their motives and fundamental reasons remain unclear.

It is essential to emphasize that the UN courts’ final judgments on the Srebrenica Genocide were based on irrefutable and relevant documents, facts, material evidence, valid testimonies, scientifically and legally verified expert analyses, forensic confirmations, and the remains of 8,372 genocide victims. Unfortunately, many remains have yet to be found. The governments that voted against the Resolution were aware of this evidence and these final judgments.

Furthermore, although the Republic of Serbia, its leadership, and President Vučić had the opportunity to support the Resolution and distance themselves from Milosevic regime’s genocidal policies of the 1990s, they chose not to. Instead, their actions aimed to prevent the Resolution's adoption, aligning them with those who participated in the greater Serbia project and aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, during which genocide was committed in Srebrenica.

Given that Srebrenica is part of the Republika Srpska entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we urge the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Office of the High Representative, and the Peace Implementation Council to provide immediate and necessary protection to Bosniaks in these areas and to sanction policies that deny genocide and glorify convicted war criminals.

On the other hand, we commend the numerous civil society organizations, political opposition representatives, and social activists from Serbian society who defended civilizational values by demanding that Serbia vote for the Resolution. They rejected the criminal policies of the 1990s, sought forgiveness from the survivors, and sent a clear message that the criminal regime of the 1990s did not act in the name of the Serbian people and state, contrary to the portrayal by current Serbian authorities and the Republika Srpska entity.

The propaganda from Serbia and the Republika Srpska entity, claiming that the Resolution declares the Serbian people genocidal, is shameful, malicious, and a fabricated lie that must be confronted.

For both domestic and international audiences, we emphasize that the genocide committed in the UN Safe Zone of Srebrenica in July 1995 targeted not only Bosniaks from the municipality of Srebrenica but also those who had taken refuge there after being expelled from the municipalities of Vlasenica, Bratunac, Zvornik, Milići, Han Pijesak, etc. (the area of 14 Podrinje municipalities). Thus, the genocide was committed against the Bosniaks of the UN Safe Zone of Srebrenica and the wider Podrinje area.

The adopted Resolution, while not legally binding, holds significant historical and cultural value. The activities of Bosniak National Councils will continue to be directed towards memorializing the victims, particularly through organizing various activities and necessary educational programs in the school systems of our respective nations, with a focus on combating genocide denial and glorification of war criminals.

Bosniaks will continue to be a force for stabilization and integration, protecting human rights and freedoms for all citizens, regardless of their national, ethnic, or religious affiliation. The countries in which we live should celebrate diversity and mutual respect, and this Resolution is an important step towards achieving that goal.