UN Failure in Bosnia Undermines Multilateral Institutions, PM Chretien Warns

Canada's role in the former Yugoslavia is under scrutiny, with Prime Minister Jean Chretien expressing concerns about the effectiveness of the UN mission in Bosnia. Speaking at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Mr. Chretien highlighted the difficulties in maintaining peace in a region plagued by ethnic, nationalist, and sectarian conflicts. He emphasized that the international community has a crucial role to play in addressing these complex issues, but notes that its institutions have failed to prevent the repetition of scenarios like the Bosnian conflict.

Key Takeaways:

• Prime Minister Jean Chretien expressed concerns about the UN's mandate in Bosnia, stating that it was not clear enough, and that sometimes there is no peace to keep.
• Mr. Chretien emphasized that Canada's role in the former Yugoslavia is to maintain peace, not to make peace, and that sometimes this is an extremely difficult role to play.
• The Prime Minister noted that countries have often used international institutions to defend and advance national interests instead of building genuine consensus.
• Although the Canadian contingent in the former Yugoslavia will expire in the fall, Mr. Chretien did not indicate what the government may do next but acknowledged humanitarian accomplishments, including a significant decrease in casualties.
• In the year before the UN operation was established, 150,000 people were killed, compared to 3,000 last year.
• Mr. Chretien emphasized that the international community needs to expand its definitions and strengthen its institutions to deal with the new realities of ethnic, nationalist, and sectarian conflicts.
• The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is an adjunct to the military and political functions of the OSCE, and parliamentarians from Croatia and Slovenia, former parts of Yugoslavia, are attending the assembly.

Statistics:

• Over 40,000 UN troops are involved in the Bosnia mission.
• Significant amounts of humanitarian aid have been dispersed, including a notable decrease in casualties from 150,000 to 3,000.
• The Canadian contingent in the former Yugoslavia is set to expire in the fall.

Sources:

• By Hugh Winsor, Parliamentary Bureau, The Ottawa Citizen, no date specified.
• The Ottawa Citizen is a Canadian newspaper that covers parliamentary affairs.