The declaration expresses commitment to the integrity and indivisibility of Bosnia-Herzegovina, advocating at the same time the establishment of three federal units.
"Since only a republic as a democratic form of the rule of people can guarantee the highest level of democracy and the political, cultural and all other forms of autonomy, we advocate the establishment of three republics for the three sovereign and constituent peoples, which is fully in compliance with provisions of the UN pact on civil, social and cultural rights, and the equality of all ethnic groups regardless of their size," reads the declaration. Zvonimir Separovic, Bosiljko Misetic and Mile Mamic of Croatia participated in the drawing up of the document along with officials from Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The declaration does not rule out the possibility of a different structure for Bosnia-Herzegovina, with the country organised into cantons, regions etc., with appropriate legislative, executive and judicial authorities.
The declaration also advocates the establishment of a Croatian-language television channel within the Bosnian state broadcasting company.
The document urges guarantees for the equal use of the Croatian language in cultural, educational, scientific and political institutions and the right to education in the Croatian language.
Participants in the conference said the adoption of the declaration was prompted by the inequality of the Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina which threatened reducing their status to that of a national minority. The declaration will be sent to all relevant institutions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and to international organisations, it was said at the end of the Neum conference.