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| UNSCR 713 (1991) | |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 713 |
| Organ | United Nations Security Council |
| Date | 25 September 1991 |
| Code | S/RES/713 |
| Vote | 15-0-0 |
| Subject | Yugoslavia |
| Result | Adopted |
UNSCR 713 (1991) was a United Nations Security Council resolution adopted unanimously on 25 September 1991 addressing the escalating armed conflict during the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The resolution imposed an arms embargo and sought to curb violence amid declarations of independence by constituent republics and inter-ethnic clashes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia. It reflected tensions among permanent Council members and regional actors, intersecting with diplomatic efforts by the European Community and initiatives by the Conference on Yugoslavia.
In 1991 the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia followed political upheavals involving leaders such as Slobodan Milošević, Franjo Tuđman, and Alija Izetbegović, and institutions including the League of Communists of Yugoslavia and the Yugoslav People's Army. Secessionist moves by the Republic of Slovenia, the Republic of Croatia, and later the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina led to armed confrontations exemplified by the Ten-Day War, the Croatian War of Independence, and rising violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. International mediation efforts involved the European Community, the Conference on Yugoslavia, and envoys such as Lord Carrington and David Owen. Concerns about humanitarian crises invoked actors including United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Committee of the Red Cross, and Amnesty International, while neighbouring states like Serbia and Republic of Croatia were focal points in diplomatic discussions.
The operative language of the resolution invoked Chapter VII authority of the United Nations Charter to adopt mandatory measures, notably imposing a comprehensive international arms embargo on all deliveries of weapons and military equipment to the territory of the former Yugoslavia. The text called upon all Member States, including permanent members such as the United States, United Kingdom, France, Soviet Union, and China, to prevent transfer of arms to parties in the conflict. It referred to monitoring by the United Nations Security Council and encouraged cooperation with the European Community and the Conference on Yugoslavia mediation efforts. The resolution also addressed concerns raised by missions such as the European Community Monitoring Mission and lauded humanitarian actors like United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Committee of the Red Cross for relief operations.
Implementation of the embargo relied on Member State compliance and coordination through bodies including the United Nations Security Council sanctions committees, national export controls in capitals like Washington, D.C., London, Paris, and Moscow, and enforcement measures at ports such as Split and Rijeka. Despite formal adoption, the embargo’s effect varied: some states adhered while others, including non-state actors and clandestine networks tied to figures like elements within the Yugoslav People's Army and paramilitary formations, circumvented restrictions. Arms flows via intermediaries in states such as Greece, Romania, and through shipping routes in the Adriatic Sea complicated enforcement. Humanitarian organizations including Médecins Sans Frontières and International Committee of the Red Cross reported on consequences for civilian protection, while the European Community’s Peace Implementation Council referenced the embargo in later accords.
Reactions spanned diplomatic channels: the European Community intensified mediation, the Conference on Yugoslavia produced proposals such as the Carrington-Cutileiro Plan, and NATO began assessing regional security implications leading to later involvement by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The United States engaged through bilateral diplomacy and the United Nations Security Council, while the Soviet Union (soon to be succeeded by the Russian Federation) and China expressed differing views on intervention. Neighbouring states including Hungary, Italy, Austria, and Greece faced refugee inflows and cross-border pressures. International tribunals later established, notably the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, would scrutinize conduct during the period addressed by the resolution.
Legal debate centered on the scope and fairness of a blanket embargo in a fragmented state where constituent republics claimed sovereign status under instruments such as the Badinter Commission opinions. Critics argued that the embargo disproportionately affected newly-independent republics like Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina that lacked centralized arsenals compared with forces loyal to the Yugoslav People's Army and Serb-dominated structures, raising questions under the United Nations Charter and customary international law about equality of treatment and the right of self-defence. Political controversies implicated leaders including Slobodan Milošević and Franjo Tuđman and institutions such as the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia’s federal apparatus. Debates also involved later measures, including UNSCR 757 (1992), and intersected with accountability mechanisms from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
In the years that followed, enforcement challenges and selective compliance influenced the course of the Bosnian War and the Kosovo conflict, prompting expanded UN and NATO engagement such as UNPROFOR deployments and NATO air operations under Operation Deliberate Force. The embargo’s legacy informed international policy on arms transfer controls, refugee protection by agencies like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Political outcomes included the Dayton Agreement and eventual statehood recognitions for successor states like Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, while debates about the efficacy of arms embargoes continue to influence discussions in forums such as the United Nations General Assembly and regional organizations including the European Union.
Category:United Nations Security Council resolutions concerning Yugoslavia