From Peacekeeping To Partnership - NATO’s relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina - Three-part mini video documentary

Fifteen years ago, on 14 December 1995, the Dayton Peace Accords were signed in Paris, France, ending three and half years of violent and bloody war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the most brutal conflict in Europe since the Second World War. The accords led to the deployment of NATO’s first peacekeeping force to oversee implementation of the military annexe of the peace agreement. This was an important milestone, not only for security in the Western Balkans, but also for NATO’s post-Cold War transformation.

The peace agreement was negotiated under the auspices of the US envoy, Richard Holbrooke, at the Wright-Patterson Air Base in Dayton between 1 and 21 November 1995. Sadly, Mr Holbrooke passed away on the eve of the Dayton anniversary. In a statement released today, NATO Secretary General paid tribute to his “diplomatic skills, strategic vision and legendary determination”. Click here to order a hardcopy of the DVD on the NATO E-Bookshop or watch the individual parts on our YouTube channel by clicking the links below.

* Part I: Building Peace

tells of NATO’s gradual engagement in support of United Nations’ efforts to end the Bosnian War (1992-1995) and the deployment of its first peacekeeping force in December 1995. NATO’s mission continued for nine years until responsibility for security was handed over to the European Union in December 2004.

* Part II: Reforming the Military

shows how NATO’s support for essential defence reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina has helped downsize the armed forces and turn them into a single military force under state-level control. Progress made allowed the country to join NATO’s Partnership for Peace in 2006.

* Part III: The Road to Integration

highlights the country’s deepening partnership with NATO and provides an insight into the challenges ahead on the road to the country’s possible membership of the Alliance.

For further information: Nato