Bill Text: NJ ACR182 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced

New Jersey Assembly Concurrent Resolution 182 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Recognizes 30th Anniversary of Srebrenica genocide and Dayton Accords.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2026-01-02 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee [ACR182 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2024-ACR182-Introduced.html

ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 182

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED JANUARY 2, 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 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.