Bill Clinton: “Former Yugoslavia June 29, 1996 I am pleased to announce today the formation of an international blue ribbon commission…”

“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.…”