S/RES/1120 (1997) Page 2 Welcoming the Agreement of the Joint Working Group on the Operational Procedures of Return (S/1997/341, annex), but noting with concern that the lack of conditions necessary for the return of displaced persons to the former United Nations Protected Areas from the Region of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium prevents the return in any substantial number of those displaced persons seeking to return to Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium from other parts of Croatia, Expressing its grave concern over the lack of improvement in respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, in Croatia and in particular in the former United Nations Protected Areas, and strongly deploring recent incidents of ethnically-motivated violence in Hrvatska Kostajnica and similar incidents, Reiterating its concerns about the failure of the Government of the Republic of Croatia to cooperate fully with the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and in this context recalling the obligation of the States in the region to surrender all those indicted to the Tribunal, Reiterating also its concerns about continued uncertainty regarding implementation of the Amnesty Law, which has been detrimental to the building of confidence and trust among Croatia's ethnic communities, Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 23 June 1997 (S/1997/487), and noting in particular his recommendations for the continued presence of UNTAES after 15 July 1997 with an appropriate restructuring of the mission, Recalling that the Basic Agreement provides that the transitional period of twelve months may be extended at most to another period of the same duration if so requested by one of the parties, and noting that the local Serb community has requested such an extension, as indicated by the Secretary-General in his report of 28 August 1996 (S/1996/705), Determining that the situation in Croatia continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security, Determined to ensure the security and freedom of movement of the personnel of the United Nations peacekeeping operations in the Republic of Croatia, and, to these ends, acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, 1. Expresses its full support for UNTAES, and calls upon the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the local Serb community to cooperate fully with UNTAES and other international bodies and to fulfil all obligations and commitments specified in the Basic Agreement and all relevant Security Council resolutions, as well as in the letter of the Government of the Republic of Croatia of 13 January 1997 (S/1997/27, annex); 2. Reaffirms in particular the importance of full compliance by the parties, in particular by the Government of the Republic of Croatia, with their commitments, as specified in the Basic Agreement, to respect the highest standards of human rights and fundamental freedoms and to promote an atmosphere of confidence among local residents regardless of their ethnic origin, and urges /...