Submitting a regular report on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Security Council, Schwarz-Schilling proposed establishing Day of Srebrenica to pay respect to the victims of genocide committed by Bosnian Serb troops in the eastern Bosnian town in July 1995.
The High Representative informed the Security Council that "radical rhetoric had poisoned the political environment" in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in particular after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that genocide had been committed in Srebrenica.
The German diplomat pointed to "ruthless political manipulation of (Srebrenica) by irresponsible politicians," saying the right approach was to improve conditions in Srebrenica, but also to ensure that Serbia fully cooperated with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague.
Schwarz-Schilling said he had written to Serbian President Boris Tadic asking what Serbia was doing to ensure full cooperation with the ICTY, but added that Tadic had never replied to the letter.
"I believe that the Security Council needs to consider seriously how Serbia can be brought to implement the ICJ judgment," said Schwarz-Schilling. The Hague-based ICJ bound Serbia to take every measure necessary to bring to justice those responsible for the crime in Srebrenica.