Institute for International Relations

Ivan Simonovic (ed.), 1999, IMO, Zagreb

II. Peacekeeping and Disarmament

Croatia became a member of the Special Committee for Peacekeeping Operations in 1997 and has since then regularly participated in its work, particularly seeking to defend the interests of small states. Croatia has consistently sought the inclusion of host countries at troop contributor meetings, which would add significant transparency to the peace keeping process. Croatia wishes to return to the international community some of the goodwill that it manifested to Croatia by indicating its willingness to participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations worldwide and has accordingly been included in the Stand-By Arrangements established for this purpose.

The year 1998 was marked by the continuation of a trend towards the polarization of views between North and South as well as between nuclear and non-nuclear states in the sphere of disarmament. The political and philosophical differences between member states of the United Nations appeared to grow deeper, particularly regarding questions on nuclear disarmament. These differences of views became evident with the inability of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva to work effectively, while a similar problem hampered the work of the Commission on Disarmament in New York. Croatia joined other states in propagating constructive and pragmatic actions sought to bridge the differences based on diverse geostrategic factors and interests.

Croatia was also active in the sphere of demining through its participation in the process of the creation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on their Destruction. Croatia ratified the Convention on May 20, 1998 and it is anticipated to come into force on March 1, 1999. Croatia shall participate in the first meeting of the States parties to the Convention to be held in Mozambique in May 1999. Drawing upon its own experience with the problem of landmines, Croatia is preparing to host a regional conference on demining to be held in Zagreb during the summer of 1999. The Zagreb conference shall include on its agenda the Ottawa Process, assistance to the victims of anti-personnel mines, as well as new technology for landmine detection.