End to impunity vital to stability in South-Eastern Europe, Croatia says at UN

South-Eastern Europe can become a safer and more developed region, but only if there is justice for the victims of serious crimes and an end to impunity for the perpetrators, Croatia’s President told the General Assembly’s annual general debate today.

Addressing the debate’s second day, Ivo Josipovic said there were signs that South-Eastern Europe could become a region marked by security, stability and development, even if it may take time.

“I firmly believe that with sustained effort and targeted actions by all politicians and peoples, the region will lose its pejorative connotation as an arena of political fragmentation often accompanied by bloodshed, and will deservedly be known as an area where good neighbourly relations, tolerance and mutual cooperation prevail, thus making it a European success story of peacebuilding and reconciliation,” he said.

But Dr. Josipovic warned that unless there is justice, “efforts to ensure true reconciliation and sustainable peace may not be firmly rooted.”

He added that Croatia “strongly supports determined efforts to put an end to impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to humanity” and therefore supports the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

“We highly appreciate the legacy of the ICTY, especially its contribution to international law, justice and reconciliation. This legacy has already made improvements of national judiciaries in the region, namely through the acceptance of high standards of criminal responsibility for breaches of humanitarian laws.”