Institute for International Relations

In the life of every country there are periods which may be considered seminal. Croatia has recently been through such a period. In a short time a state was created and defended against aggression. The conclusion of the process of regaining full control over all previously occupied Croatian territory marked the end of the period of battle for the country’s survival, and the commencement of the new period in which Croatia must articulate its peacetime priorities and its long term domestic and foreign interests.

The positions taken by member states in the United Nations are, in general, an accurate reflection of their domestic and foreign policies. In the case of Croatia during 1998, its representatives were stating these interests on many questions for the first time, thereby articulating and placing them into the international dialogue. From an academic viewpoint this is a challenging situation in which the country is quickly changing, articulating its interests, and thereby defining its place within the complex system of international relations. In the meantime, the international system itself is undergoing change, albeit with a different dynamic, and under the influence of different factors.

This book comprises a compilation of most of the formal statements delivered by Croatian representatives at United Nations headquarters in New York during 1998. Whilst statements delivered during the course of the still current 53rd session of the General Assembly dominate, the compilation includes others such as those delivered in the Security Council, during the substantive session of ECOSOC, the 52nd session, special committees and working groups. By cumulating the statements into the one volume it is hoped that experts, students and other interested readers shall have greater access to, and gain a fuller appreciation of, Croatia’s foreign policy goals and priorities within the context of the work of the United Nations in New York. In order to provide additional synthesis the collection is preceded by an introductory essay.

Two exceptions have been made to the concentration upon 1998. The first is a statement made in the Security Council in December 1997 on the then impending conclusion of the mandate of the United Nations Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia Baranja and Western Sirmium, on January 15, 1998. The second, are statements made at the thirty seventh session of the Commission on Social Developemnt in February 1999, in the capacity of member, as a consequence of decisions on diplomatic engagement taken during 1998.

The book is thematically divided into the following chapters: Peace and Security, Disarmament and Peacekeeping, Economic and Social Development, Human Rights, Budget, Reform and Human Resources and Advancement and Protection of International Law. Each chapter is commenced by a brief introduction setting out the broader context of the subject areas of the texts which follow.

I wish to warmly thank all those who provided the initiative for the publishing of this book and those who directly or indirectly assisted with its preparation. I particularly wish to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Mate Grani?, the Director of the Institute for International Relations in Zagreb Dr Mladen Stani?i? and all of my colleagues, the Croatian diplomats dealing with United Nations’ issues, especially those in the Croatian Mission to the United Nations in New York, whose thoughts and work have shaped the content of this book.

Ivan Simonovic