The Erdut Agreement
Signed In Erdut, Croatia
And In Zagreb, Croatia
November 12, 1995
Galbraith and Stoltenberg presented this text
to the Serbs and to the Croatian Government on November 12,
1995. It closely resembled the Guiding Basic Principles of
October 3. At 1:00 PM Serb lead negotiator Milanovic signed the
agreement's 14 points at the Yellow House in Erdut. Croatian
negotiator Sarinic signed the agreement in Zagreb's Presidential
Palace at 5:00 PM that same day.
Basic Agreement
on The Region of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja, And Western Sirmium
The Parties agree as follows:
- There shall be a transitional period of 12 months which
may be extended at most to another period of the same
duration if so requested by one of the parties.
- The U.N. Security Council is requested to establish a
Transitional Administration, which shall govern the Region
during the transitional period in the interest of all
persons resident in or returning to the Region.
- The U.N. Security Council is requested to authorize an
international force to deploy during the transitional period
to maintain peace and security in the Region and otherwise
to assist in implementation of this Agreement. The Region
shall be demilitarized according to the schedule and
procedures determined by the international force. This
demilitarization shall be completed not later than 30 days
after deployment of the international force and shall
include all military forces, weapons, and police, except for
the international force and for police operating under the
supervision of, or with the consent of, the Transitional
Administration.
- The Transitional Administration shall ensure the
possibility for the return of refugees and displaced persons
to their homes of origin. All persons who have left the
Region or who have come to the Region with previous
permanent residence in Croatia shall enjoy the same rights
as all other residents of the Region. The Transitional
Administration shall also take the steps necessary to
reestablish the normal functioning of all public services in
the Region without delay.
- The Transitional Administration shall help to establish
and train temporary police forces, to build professionalism
among the police and confidence among all ethnic
communities.
- The highest levels of internationally-recognized human
rights and fundamental freedoms shall be respected in the
Region.
- All persons have the right to return freely to their
place of residence in the Region and to live there in
conditions of security. All persons who have let the Region
or who have come to the Region with previous permanent
residence in Croatia have the right to live in the Region.
- All persons shall have the right to have restored to
them any property that was taken from them by unlawful acts
or that they were forced to abandon and to just compensation
for property that cannot be restored to them.
- The right to recover property, to receive compensation
for property that cannot be returned, and to receive
assistance in reconstruction of damaged property shall be
equally available to all persons without regard to
ethnicity.
- Interested countries and organizations are requested to
take appropriate steps to promote the accomplishment of the
commitments in this Agreement. After the expiration of the
transition period and consistent with established practice,
the international community shall monitor and report on
respect for human rights in the Region on a long term basis.
- In addition, interested countries and organizations are
requested to establish a commission, which will be
authorized to monitor the implementation of this Agreement,
particularly its human rights and civil rights provisions,
to investigate all allegations of violations of this
Agreement, and to make appropriate recommendations.
- Not later than 30 days before the end of the
transitional period, elections for all local government
bodies, including for municipalities, districts, and
counties, as well as the right of the Serbian community to
appoint a joint Council of municipalities, shall be
organized by the Transitional Administration. International
organizations and institutions (e.g., the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, the United Nations) and
interested states are requested to oversee the elections.
- The Government of the Republic of Croatia shall
cooperate fully with the Transitional Administration and the
international force. During the transitional period, the
Croatian Government authorizes the presence of international
monitors along the international border of the Region in
order to facilitate free movement of persons across existing
border crossings.
- This Agreement shall enter into force upon the adoption
by the U.N. Security Council of a resolution responding
affirmatively to the requests made in this Agreement.
Done this Twelfth
day of November, 1995.
Signed:
| Milan Milanovic |
Hrvoje Sarinic |
| Head, Serb Negotiating
Delegation |
Head, Croatian Government
Delegation |
Witnessed:
| Peter W.
Galbraith |
Thorvald
Stoltenberg |
| United States Ambassador |
United Nations Mediator |
|
