The declaration was signed at the end of a conference attended by representatives of the three countries, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
Croatia was represented by the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Tourism, Transport and Development, Bozidar Kalmeta, who told reporters after the signing ceremony that the declaration was in full conformity with the plans and programmes of the Croatian government.
"This is a political platform to speed up the resolution of a joint problem," Kalmeta said.
Kalmeta addressed the conference on the measures Croatia had taken with regard to the return of refugees and displaced persons, saying that 215,000 ethnic Croats and 115,000 ethnic Serbs had returned to their prewar homes in Croatia, that more than 131,000 apartments and family houses and more than 200 schools had been rebuilt, which cost nearly 16 billion kuna (approximately 2.1 billion euros).
Kalmeta said that the Croatian government had been planning to ensure the return of refugees and displaced persons by the end of next year as this was one of the goals it wanted to fulfil as soon as possible in the light of talks on Croatia's membership of the European Union, scheduled to start in mid-March.
"I don't doubt it will be that way," he said.
The Bosnian Minister for Human Rights and Refugees, Mirsad Kebo, said that the three governments would draw up an action plan to resolve the status of refugees and displaced persons.
The issue of status of refugees will be dealt with by a separate inter-governmental task force and is also expected to be discussed by the prime ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia and Montenegro at a regional summit due to take place in Sarajevo this autumn on the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton peace agreement.
Kebo said that he and Kalmeta had bilateral talks earlier in the day, when it was stated that 3,195 refugees, including some 2,000 ethnic Croats, wanted to return from Croatia to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Also discussed was the possibility of establishing a separate agency in Bosnia-Herzegovina that would be responsible for the implementation of financial aid which Croatia plans to provide in order to assist in the completion of refugee returns.
Serbia and Montenegro's Minister for Human Rights and Refugees, Rasim Ljajic, said that his government also attached great importance to resolving the status of numerous refugees and displaced persons as soon as possible, but noted that this did not necessarily mean their return to their prewar homes.
"The refugees have the right to choose between repatriation and integration. It is our obligation to make their choice easier," Ljajic said.