    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [June 29, 1996]
    [Pages 997-998]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the International Commission on Missing Persons in the
    Former Yugoslavia
    June 29, 1996

        I am pleased to announce today the formation of an international
    blue ribbon commission on the missing in the former Yugoslavia, with
    former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance as its chairman. The commission
    will be made up of distinguished members of the international community.
        Uncertainty about the fate of the missing is a source of anguish for
    their families and a cause of tension between the parties to the Dayton
    peace agreement. Only a handful of the nearly 12,000 missing-person
    cases thus far certified by the International Committee of the Red Cross
    (ICRC) have been resolved to date. This initiative will help to promote
    a full and timely accounting of the missing.
        The new commission will work closely with representatives from the
    United Nations, the ICRC, the Office of the High Representative,
    Physicians for Human Rights, and other organizations to accomplish its
    primary task: to secure the full cooperation of the parties to the
    Dayton peace agreement in locating the missing from the 4-year conflict
    and to assist them in doing so. This initiative aims to support and
    enhance the work of the ICRC and the Office of the High Representative,
    which have exerted significant effort and leadership in dealing with
    this very difficult issue.
        The commission will encourage public involvement in its activities
    and will take firm steps to see that the parties devote the attention

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    and resources necessary to produce early, significant progress on
    missing-person cases. It will also reinforce efforts to ensure that
    exhumations, when necessary to identify the fate of missing persons, are
    conducted under international supervision and in accordance with
    international standards. In addition, the commission will facilitate the
    development of an ante mortem data base to support exhumation efforts.
        In the longer term, and with the help and guidance of affected
    families, the commission will work to develop appropriate expressions of
    commemoration and tribute to the lost and the missing and to their loved
    ones.
        Although the commission will be an international effort, the United
    States will make a startup contribution of $2 million.