The Relationship of the Republic of Serbia and the Bosnia and Herzegovina Entity Republika Srpska to the United Nations Resolution on the Genocide in Srebrenica

The adoption of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the Genocide in Srebrenica on May 23, 2024, marks a pivotal moment in the international affirmation and protection of the truth about the genocide committed against Bosniaks in Srebrenica in July 1995. This paper explores the significance of the Resolution and critically examines its social, political, and legal implications, particularly in the context of ongoing denial and revisionist policies. It analyzes how the political elites of the Republic of Serbia and the Bosnian-Herzegovinian entity of Republika Srpska—whose political, military, and police structures were found guilty by both the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for their role in the genocide—continue to act in ways that reflect a persistent commitment to genocide denial. The paper demonstrates that their reactions to the Resolution are a continuation of the same large-state political strategies that have historically sought to undermine acknowledgment of the genocide. By linking the Resolution to these ongoing revisionist practices, the study highlights both the challenges and the potential of international recognition as a tool against institutionalized genocide denial.