Zlatko Lagumdzija, the ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN, said in his address at the UN headquarters on Friday that the Srebrenica genocide was committed after the eastern Bosnian town was declared the UN safe area and that now the time has come for the UN to take over the responsibility.

Lagumdzija spoke before the UN during the briefing on the preparation for the commemoration of the 29th Anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide, including the draft resolution on ‘International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica’.

He said that 8,372 – the number of the Srebrenica genocide victims, represents the “darkest moment of the modern history.”

8,372 women, men, and children were systematically executed in July 1995 in and around Srebrenica, the ambassador said, noting that this was the biggest war crime since the World War II.

He also announced the upcoming July 11 commemoration for the Srebrenica genocide victims, which will be accompanied by various events that will mark the anniversaries this and the next year.

Lagumdzija also touched upon the upcoming vote on the Resolution on the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide at the UN, saying that there is a number of reasons why this date should be raised to the international level.

First, he stressed, because of the lessons of the UN's missing to prevent the Srebrenica genocide and taking measures to stop it.

Mothers of Srebrenica have been seeking justice for years and the time has come for the UN to take over the responsibility and have this day mark as the remembrance of the dark days of the history – both for the sake of the history and as a warning.

We must not forget what happened and must take care of the future generations, he underlined.