Recognizes 30th Anniversary of Srebrenica genocide and Dayton Accords.

ACR120

ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 120

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� SHAMA A. HAIDER

District 37 (Bergen)

SYNOPSIS

���� Recognizes 30th Anniversary of Srebrenica genocide
and Dayton Accords.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

A
Concurrent Resolution
recognizing the 30th
Anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide and Dayton Accords.

Whereas,
Following the
breakup of Yugoslavia, the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared its
independence following a statewide referendum and was admitted to the United
Nations as a full member in 1992; and

Whereas,
In response to
Bosnia and Herzegovina�s declaration of independence, anti-Bosnian forces
launched a program of ethnic cleansing in the midst of the Bosnian War to
remove Bosnian Muslims, or Bosniaks, from certain parts of the state�s
territory; and

Whereas,
In 1993, the United Nations declared Srebrenica
,

a small
mountain town on the eastern border
of modern-day
Bosnia and Herzegovina
,
to be a safe area during the Bosnian War and provided
United Nation Protection Force (UNPROFOR) peacekeepers to maintain Srebrenica
as a demilitarized zone; and

Whereas,
Despite the
presence of UNPROFOR peacekeepers, in July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosniak
civilians were executed in Srebrenica as part of a program of ethnic cleansing;
and

Whereas,
In addition to the mass executions, thousands of
civilians were raped and sexually abused, and thousands more were expelled from
Srebrenica in furtherance of ethno-nationalist and ethnic cleansing objectives;
and

Whereas,
Genocide was first recognized as a crime under
international law in 1946, and was codified as an independent crime in the 1948
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which defines
genocide as acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a
national, ethnical, racial, or religious group; and

Whereas,
The perpetrator
forces attempted to conceal evidence of the Srebrenica genocide by removing
corpses from initial mass-grave sites and relocating them to numerous secondary
sites scattered throughout Eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina; and

Whereas,
Three decades after
the Srebrenica genocide, human remains from the atrocity continue to be
discovered
, often only partially recovered,
and identified; and

Whereas,
In November 1995,
peace negotiations to end the Bosnian War were held in Dayton, Ohio with
participants from the states of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia;
and United Nations representation with facilitation of the United States in
attendance; and

Whereas,
The Dayton peace
negotiations culminated in the Dayton Accords, signed on November 21, 1995,
which officially marked the end of the Bosnian War; and

Whereas,
Although 30 years
have passed since the signing of the Dayton Accords and the end of the Bosnian
War, the Srebrenica genocide has left a lasting effect on survivors, as annual
burials are held at the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Center in Bosnia and
Herzegovina to commemorate the lost lives as search efforts continue for
missing remains; and�

Whereas,
In 2005, the United
States House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 199, officially
recognized the Srebrenica massacre as genocide and reaffirmed the United
States� commitment to justice and accountability for the thousands of lives
lost; and

Whereas,
In February 2007, following extensive public hearings,
the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial body of the United
Nations, concluded that the atrocities in Srebrenica constituted genocide; and

Whereas,
In May 2024, the
United Nations officially designated July 11 as an International Day of
Reflection and Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide; and

Whereas,
The genocide at
Srebrenica marked the worst atrocity, and the first legally recognized genocide
in Europe since World War II; and

Whereas,
Despite overwhelming historical evidence and legal
recognition by the United Nations and various countries, including the United
States, and courts of varying jurisdiction, the Srebrenica genocide continues
to be routinely minimized or outright denied; and

Whereas,
Preserving the
memory of this genocide is essential for survivors and to prevent future
atrocities; and

Whereas,
It is fitting and
proper to remember, with Bosnian communities throughout New Jersey, the United
States, and the world, and as well as the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
these tragic acts and events; now, therefore,

����
Be It
Resolved
by the General Assembly of the State
of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):

���� 1.��� The New Jersey
Legislature formally recognizes the Srebrenica genocide, in which more than
8,000 Bosnian citizens, mostly, but not exclusively, Bosniak civilians were
killed as part of a broader program of ethnic cleansing during the Bosnian War.

���� 2.��� Copies of this
resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the
Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the General Assembly to the Ambassador
of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United States and the Ambassador of Bosnia and
Herzegovina to the United States Mission to the United Nations in New York.

STATEMENT

���� This concurrent resolution
recognizes the Srebrenica genocide in the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in
which more than 8,000 Bosnian citizens, mostly Bosniaks, were killed as part of
a broader program of ethnic cleansing during the Bosnian War.

���� The Bosnian War arose as a
consequence of the wider Yugoslav War.� Bosnia and Herzegovina declared
independence following the breakup of Yugoslavia and a statewide national
referendum in which Bosnians affirmatively voted for independence.

���� The
Srebrenica genocide resulted from a systemic and premeditated campaign of
ethnic cleansing, following the declaration of independence by Bosnia and
Herzegovina. �In the decades following the genocide, courts of national and
international jurisdiction have handed down verdicts confirming the program of
ethnic cleansing in the Srebrenica genocide and sentencing those involved in
the atrocities of the genocide.

���� In 1993, the United Nations
designated Srebrenica as a safe area and deployed United Nations Protection
Force (UNPROFOR) peacekeepers to maintain the town as a demilitarized zone. �Despite
the presence of UNPROFOR peacekeepers, the perpetrators advanced into
Srebrenica and forcibly removed thousands of Bosniak civilians. �Over 8,000
Bosniak civilians were executed as part of a broader offensive to incorporate
Srebrenica into a mono-ethnically dominated territory.� Thousands of Bosnian
civilians were subjected to rape and sexual abuse, and thousands more were
permanently displaced. �

���� Following the tragic events at
Srebrenica, United Nations members, spearheaded by American diplomatic
leadership, held peace negotiations at a conference in Dayton, Ohio in November
1995 to seek an end to the Bosnian War.� On November 21, 1995, the Balkan
States of Servia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and United Nation
representatives signed the Dayton Accords, which officially marked the end of
the Bosnian War.�

���� Although the Dayton Accords
marked the end of the Bosnian War, the Srebrenica genocide has left a lasting
effect on survivors.� Perpetrators of the genocide attempted to conceal their
crimes by relocating victims� remains from primary mass-grave sites to hidden
secondary locations.�
In the three decades since the
genocide, thousands of remains have been recovered, though some only in part.
Hundreds of victims remain missing and searches continue.�

���� The
Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Center in Bosnia and
Herzegovina serves as a memorial to honor the victims of the Srebrenica
genocide.� The Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Center serves as the resting
place for victims of the Srebrenica genocide.� Annual burials are held at the
memorial site to commemorate these tragic events and honor the victims and
their families.

���� In
2005, the United States House of Representatives officially recognized the
Srebrenica genocide.� In May 2024, the United Nations adopted July 11 as the
International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the
Srebrenica Genocide
.�

���� Despite overwhelming
historical and forensic evidence, and widespread legal recognition, many
revisionists and deniers continue to minimize or ignore the facts of the
genocide.� It is therefore fitting that New Jersey formally recognize the
Srebrenica genocide in support of justice and accountability for the thousands
of victims whose lives were taken and the thousands more who were forcibly
displaced.�

���� By doing so, New Jersey
affirms its commitment to preserving the historical memory of the tragedy and
preventing future atrocities like the Srebrenica genocide.