[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[August 13, 1992]
[Pages 1353-1354]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on the United Nations Security Council Vote on Humanitarian 
Aid to Bosnia
August 13, 1992

    Last week the United States proposed that the U.N. Security Council 
authorize all measures necessary to see to it that humanitarian aid is 
delivered to the citizens of Bosnia. I welcome today's vote approving a 
resolution which does just that. The United States worked hard for this 
result. The international community has served notice that the innocent 
people caught in this conflict will not be denied the means to survive.
    Our hope is to be able to maintain and broaden the relief effort 
through cooperation not only with our partners, the responsible relief 
agencies and the United Nations, but also with the parties to the 
conflict. I call on the authorities in Belgrade, the leadership of the 
Bosnian Serbs, and the Governments of Bosnia and Croatia to give their 
full cooperation to this effort. For all concerned, this is surely the 
preferred way of getting help to hundreds of thousands of victims.
    The international community must be

[[Page 1354]]

able to reach people trapped by the fighting. All parties should 
facilitate immediate and safe access for international teams to visit 
cities and areas under siege in order to assess conditions and relief 
requirements. We expect full cooperation.
    We have moved urgently to gain access to all camps, prisons, and 
detention centers, as today's U.N. resolution demands. As a result of 
the emergency meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Commission going on right 
now, we expect international inspectors to have unimpeded and continuous 
access to all possible camps or centers. Any brutality must be exposed 
and terminated, and the practitioners held personally accountable for 
their crimes. The U.N. Security Council has today also passed a 
resolution proposed by the United States to put war criminals on notice 
that they will be brought to justice. We seek and expect the full 
cooperation of all the parties in uncovering the facts, identifying 
those responsible, and bringing an end to acts of barbarism.
    The United States has also taken action on the other initiatives I 
presented on August 6. Measures to inhibit a spillover of the conflict 
are moving ahead, and we are pressing for agreement in the Conference on 
Security and Cooperation in Europe on our proposal to put monitors in 
other parts of the former Yugoslavia to discourage human rights abuses 
and violence.
    We are also tightening the economic sanctions imposed by the United 
Nations on Serbia. Those responsible for aggression are also responsible 
for the damage being done to the Serbian economy by the sanctions.
    Finally, I am pleased at the strong bipartisan concern and support 
we have received as we grapple with this very complex, very agonizing, 
and very dangerous conflict. I would also like to praise those 
journalists who risk their lives in the cause of reporting this terrible 
conflict. We are all shocked and saddened to learn that one of the 
latest casualties is ABC producer David Kaplan.
    Today's United Nations vote marks an important milestone in our 
response to this human tragedy. We will continue to work with the 
international community to end the violence and relieve the suffering.