A/RES/53/163 Page 3 6. Calls upon all parties and States in the region to ensure that the promotion and protection of human rights and effective, functioning democratic institutions will be central elements in the new civilian structures, as reaffirmed at the meetings of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council and the Peace Implementation Conference; 7. Urgently calls upon all States and all parties to the Peace Agreement that have not done so to meet their obligations to cooperate fully with the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, as required by Security Council resolution 827 (1993) of 25 May 1993 and all subsequent related resolutions, including with respect to surrendering persons indicted by the International Tribunal, urges all States to cooperate fully with the Tribunal and its organs, including with respect to their obligation to comply with requests for assistance or orders issued by a Trial Chamber, by helping to ensure that persons indicted by the Tribunal stand trial before it, and urges the Secretary-General to support the Tribunal to the fullest extent possible; 8. Strongly condemns the continuing refusal of the authorities in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), as well as those responsible in the Republika Srpska, to comply with their obligation to arrest and transfer to the custody of the International Tribunal those indicted persons known to be present in their territories or territories under their control, inter alia, Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic, Milan Martic, Mile Mrksic, Miroslav Radic and Veselin Sljivancanin, and urges all parties to the Peace Agreement to comply fully with their obligations and to intensify their efforts in this regard; 9. Welcomes the fact that thirty-four persons indicted by the International Tribunal have been brought to justice; 10. Calls upon all parties to the Peace Agreement to take immediate steps to determine the identity, whereabouts and fate of missing persons, inter alia, near Bugojno, Srebrenica, Zepa, Prijedor, Sanski Most and Vukovar, including through close cooperation with the United Nations as well as with humanitarian organizations and independent experts, and stresses the importance of coordination in this area; I. BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 11. Welcomes the free and fair elections held on 12 and 13 September 1998 and the increase in political pluralism and freedom of expression through the participation by all groups and individuals, which represents another step towards democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina; 12. Welcomes also the progress made in some areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the implementation of the Peace Agreement and in improving respect for human rights, as demonstrated by the important work of the Office of the Federation Ombudsmen, the detention and voluntary surrender of persons indicted by the International Tribunal, improvement in the freedom of movement in some areas, the establishment of fourteen “open cities”, police restructuring and human rights training in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including in some parts of the Republika Srpska, increased cooperation with the International Police Task Force and efforts towards and progress in support of free and independent media; 13. Expresses its serious concern about continuing human rights violations within Bosnia and Herzegovina and delays in the full implementation of the human rights provisions of the Peace Agreement, /...