INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS FOR DOCUMENTING
GENOCIDE IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA


Bonn, 31. August - 4. September 1995.


In cooperation with the International Society for Endangered Peoples from Gottingen, the Institute organized very important conference in Bonn between 31 August - 4 September 1995 – International Congress for Documenting Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1991‑1995. More than one hundred scientists, scholars, university professors and academics, and experts from various fields – from international to war and criminal law, philosophy, psychologists, historians, military experts, theologians, medical doctors, politicians, fighters for human rights, eye-witnesses and witnesses, and representatives of international and national organizations and institutions, such as the UN Expert Commission of Bassiouni; UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights T. Mazowiecki; Human Rights Watch from Washington; German Commission for Justice and Peace from Bonn; Council for Peace in Balkans from Washington; “Lawyers without Borders” from Paris; “Doctors without Borders”; International Helsinki Federation from Vienna; Cultural bridge Basel-Sarajevo; “Medika” from Kolon, and others.

There were 86 papers and announcements presented during the conference involving 37 scholars from BiH. the witnesses to the crimes gave their contribution to the conference: Tilman Zülch, Dr. Smail Čekić, Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie, Dr. Rita Süssmuth, Dr. Haris Silajdžić, Marek Edelman, Mr. Muharem Kreso, Johanes Vollmer, Dr. Muhamed Nuhić, Dr. Bećir Macić, Dr. Marko Veselica, Dr. Anne Herbst, Dr. Mujo Slatina, Mr. Muhidin Pelesić, Stephan Müller, Miro Lazović, Dr. Muhamed Filipović, academic, Dr. Elisabeth von Erdman-Pandžić, Dr. Rasim Hurem, Dr. Ismet Grbo, Dr. Zvonimir Šeparović, academic, Cem Boyner, Dr. Christian Schwarz-Schilling, Mr. Radomir Marinković, Dr. Ivan Cvitković, Muhamed Bešić, Mustafa Smajlović, Vasvija Vidović, Dr. Miljenko Aničić, Fadila Memišević, Mr. Džemaludin Šestić, Paul Mojzes, Martin Fischer, Dr. Smail Balić, Jonkheer Harm De Jonge, Roy Gutman, Pierre Vallieres, Dr. Mehmed Kenović, Izet Beridan M.A., Dr. Monika Hauser, Veronique Nahoum Grappe, Mr. Muhamed Šestanović, Jovan Divjak, Brigadier general, Dr. Salahudin Dizdarević, Muharem Omerdić, Luka Brković M.A., Edhem Godinjak, Dr. Ljubomir Berberović, academic, Dr. Jusuf Žega, Tesma Elezović, Sulejman Kahrimanović, Sabina Sivac, Maria Wernle-Matić, Dr. John-Jonathan Gould, Noel Malcolm, Lee Bryant, Dr. Adrian Hastings, Marshall Freeman Harris, Frank McCloskey, Rahel Bösch, Heidi Rudolf, Mustafa Malik, Detlef Kleinert, Mohammad Badr, Sead Hodžić, Mehmedalija Hadžić, Suljo Babić, Paul Münzel, Dr. Edin Šarčević, Phon van den Biesen, Stjepan Kljuić, Dr. Kathleen Mahoney, Dr. Safet Halilović, Dr. Frencis Boyle, Dr. M. Cherif Bassiouni, Konstanty Gebert, and others.

In addition to its scientific, the Congress had its emphasized moral and political dimensions. About 80 journalists from big world and national media followed the work of the Congress, and two pres-conferences were held for them. The result of these activities are series of interviews given, as well as a number reports, reviews, articles, and commentaries on television, radio daily newspapers, and periodicals. Thanks to this, the echo of Congress was so remarkable despite the fact that the spectacular NATO air strikes were taking place at the same time. NATO air strikes were hitting selected positions of the Great-Serbian aggressor, which forced the aggressor, following the ultimatum given by General Bernard Janvier and the completion of Congress to finally, formally accept the first terms for stopping genocide, still underway.

Congress discussed for five days the monstrous crimes of massive dimensions, especially inciting, planning, direct execution, and perpetrators of crimes. The Congress Decisions are still applicable today. Conclusions speak for themselves:

  • The sovereign and internationally recognized stated of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a member of the United Nations, was subjected to an outer aggression conducted by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and the Republic of Croatia took part in the aggression as well;
  • The international community did not provide for the self-defense of the victim of aggression and did not carry out timely the military intervention against the aggressor as envisaged by the United Nations Charter;
  • The Great-Serbian regime of Slobodan Milošević occupied and has for four years, with the assistance of the collaborators from Bosnia and Herzegovina taken over about 70% of the territory of the neighboring country (Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina);
  • All forms of genocidal actions and all forms of crimes against humanity and international law were committed in the occupied territories as of 1992 before the eyes of the entire world;
  • There is not a single breach of internationally codified crime and violation of human rights the aggressor failed to commit in Bosnia and Herzegovina during this unjust, attacking war, and a large number of forms of crimes was committed, which the international law did not note yet, and therefore the initiatives were launched to codify newly established forms of crimes formulate more precisely genocidal actions, and amend the Convention on Genocide;
  • It is deemed necessary to conduct a thorough, overwhelming, internationally codified, and systematic research of the crimes committed and circumstances under which these were committed.