Two world wars, which cost an enormous number of human lives and immense physical, economic and cultural losses, demonstrated the extent to which man is capable of destruction above all, self destruction.

In this light, I wish to mention that the Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who comprised 25 per cent of the population several decades ago and 18 per cent of the total population of the country before the present war, are the smallest ethnic community and have suffered great losses from the policy of ethnic cleansing.