OSCE helps arrange military inspection in Bosnia and Herzegovina under Dayton Peace Accords

VIENNA, 22 September 2008 - The Republic of Croatia will conduct an Article IV Inspection of a military site in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 22 to 26 September.

This will be the 300th inspection mission according to the Dayton Peace Accords Annex 1 B, which covers the measures for Sub-Regional Arms Control under its Article IV.

It will also be the 600th single inspection of a military facility which was conducted on the territories of the four Parties: Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia.

"The Parties have reached a high level of competence and conduct the mutual inspections in a professional and thorough manner and confirmed in inspection reports that the number of notified heavy weapons in the region is in accordance with the agreed limitations," said Brigadier General Costanzo Periotto, the Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office for Article IV.

"These activities resulted in more transparency, openness and confidence between the Parties."

At the 1995 OSCE Ministerial Council in Budapest, OSCE participating States decided to designate a Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office to assist the parties in the former Yugoslavia in their negotiations and implementation of peace and arms control agreements.

Inspection activities by the Parties began in August 1996 after the Agreement on Sub-Regional Arms Control was signed in Florence, Italy. It was agreed that for the purpose of ensuring verification of compliance with the provisions of the Agreement each Party should facilitate these inspections in line with detailed inspection rules which are covered by special procedures in protocols to the Agreement.