Through successful activities within the Security Council, which represents the pinnacle of each country’s foreign-policy engagement, Croatia has affirmed itself as a responsible and respectable member of the international community and crowned its nearly 18-year-long membership in this global organization
At the elections held October 16th 2007 during the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the membership countries elected Croatia as a new Security Council member from South Eastern Europe. Being elected into this prestigious body against a respectable countercandidate, the Czech Republic, represented one of Croatia’s biggest foreign-policy achievements and testimonies to its reputation since the gaining of independence, as well as a confirmation of the quality of Croatia’s diplomatic activities. The Security Council membership was preceded by other achievements within the UN, such as the 2000-2002 ECOSOC membership and presiding over it is 2002, as well as membership in its numerous functional commissions since 1999, including the participation in setting up and membership in the first assembly of the Peacebuilding Commission 2006-2007.
Croatia’s candidacy for a non-permanent Security Council member was also Croatia’s biggest achievement within the UN so far, and one that encompassed all of the country’s capacities. A special contribution to these efforts was lent by the Croatian president, the Croatian Government and the Croatian Parliament, and was systematically and precisely led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, which presented Croatia’s candidacy directly and though its global diplomatic network. Croatia’s successful candidacy is a testimony to its reputation, systematically built since 1992 and based on the achievements in the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law, the building of institutions and the contribution to the development of peace and stability. Croatia has from an object of the international community’s discussions and a recipient of international assistance grown into an active subject in the overall international peacekeeping efforts and a country sending its own peacekeeping troops. Croatia’s admission to the Security Council was augmented by its experiences with post-conflict management, gained though the cooperation with the UN’s most successful peacekeeping mission in history (UNTAES) and the participation in numerous UN-led peacekeeping operations.
The Republic of Croatia began its two-year Security Council mandate January 1st 2008, presiding over it the same year in December. During its mandate, it chaired the Counter-Terrorism Committee and co-chaired the Weapons of Mass Destruction Committee, as well as the Sudan and Somalia Sanctions Committees.
Croatia’s focus within the Security Council was on specific national interests and foreign-policy priorities of a Euro-Atlantic integration aspiring country, focusing its activities primarily on the ICTY discussions and issues pertaining to South Eastern Europe’s crisis areas (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo), and was also a member of the Contact and Drafting Groups for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, as well as the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General for Georgia.
Special attention was also paid to most common topics of the Security Council agenda – the African crises and the issues of protecting civilians, women and children in armed conflict. In its appearances, Croatia has always pointed out the importance of the rule of law, especially human rights, the international humanitarian law and the international refugee law. Additionally, transparency has always been the key principle of Croatia’s actions. During the two years of chairing the Counter-Terrorism Committee, Croatia opened up its activities through establishing a dialogue with the UN and the public in an informal and interactive setting, as well as organized a series of thematic debates. Furthermore, the active participation of Croatia’s high officials in the Security Council meetings during these two years confirmed Croatia’s strong support to the activities and importance of this body.
During its Security Council presidency in December 2008, Croatia organized a thematic discussion
Threats to International Peace and Security as Consequences of Terrorist Acts, chaired by the Croatian president himself. The Security Council adopted then the Presidential Statement on the subject, inviting all UN members to repeat the solidarity displayed after the tragic events of 9/11 and double the efforts in combating global terrorism. The subject drew special interest of the international community also because of the tragic aftermath of the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. It should be pointed out that Decembers are a particularly demanding time for presidency due to a large number of meetings on the extensions of the UN peacekeeping missions’ mandates. The last days of Croatia’s presidency were marked by the Council’s intensive activities regarding the dramatic events in the Gaza Strip.
The Croatian president also participated in the historic session entitled
Protecting International Peace and Security: Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Disarmament, chaired by US President Barack Obama September 24th 2009, which resulted in the adoption of Resolution 1887 (2009).
Along with the Croatian president, the Security Council’s sessions were also chaired by the prime minister during the open discussion on Somalia, with an emphasis on piracy. Furthermore, Council’s activities have also seen the participation of other Croatia’s high officials, with the minister of foreign affairs and European integration participating May 20th 2008 in the open discussion
Post-Conflict Peacebuilding chaired by the UK, and November 11th 2009 in the discussion
Civilian Protection in Armed Conflict chaired by the Republic of Austria.
The thematic discussion
Women, Peace and Security: Sexual Abuse in Armed Conflict Situations chaired by the US June 19th 2008 saw the participation of the Croatian vice-prime minister and minister of the family, veterans’ affairs and intergenerational solidarity, while the prime minister delivered a speech before the Security Council June 4th 2009 during the regular mid-year discussion on the ICTY/ICTR exit strategy, emphasizing Croatia’s support for the Court and its dedication to full cooperation.
The engagement in the Security Council was a demanding task which Croatia took on with the utmost dedication, as well as an opportunity to further profile its foreign policy and prove itself to be an important and reliable partner in dealing with the biggest threats to world peace and security. During that period, by holding regular consultations with the other Council members, including the world’s major powers and the permanent Council members, Croatia took direct part in seeking a lasting solution to extremely complex situations, such as the series of conflicts and other threats in Africa and Asia, the Near East issue, the situation in Afghanistan, the Georgia-Russia conflict, and the tensions caused by the nuclear programs development in Iran and North Korea.
At the same time, Croatia’s Security Council membership presented a further contribution to its Euro-Atlantic accession process, as well as a stimulus for intensifying said process. Moreover, by participating in the Council, Croatia gained useful experiences and knowledge, which it is now putting to use within NATO, and will also do so in its efforts to reach a consensus on the Joint Foreign and Security Policy plan.
After the completion of its mandate in the world government, Croatia’s reputation within the UN system, as well as within a wider international context, has been significantly strengthened. The experience of working for the Security Council will prove useful to the Croatian diplomats too. Croatia plans to continue to actively participate in the activities of the UN, maintaining its focus on preserving global peace and security, relying on the experiences gained in the Security Council, namely in post-conflict reconstruction, the building of peace, the development of democratic institutions and the rule of law. Croatia has applied for 2012-2013 membership in the Peacebuilding Commission. Such a decision proves Croatia’s lasting dedication to the building and preservation of peace, and is augmented by its participation in 10 UN peacekeeping missions around the globe, providing its soldiers, police and diplomatic personnel. The military and civil training of future peacekeeping missions’ members is also continuing.
Croatia will also continue to pay special attention to the Security Council reform as well, based on knowing how it works. It will also continue contributing to the overall improvement of the UN activities though the membership in its various bodies, whereby one should point out the recent election of Croatian diplomat Jasminka Dinić as a member of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for the 2010-2012 period.
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