On this day, BiH was admitted to the UN: The flag with lilies was raised for the first time in New York

(Patria) - On this day in 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina was admitted to full membership of the United Nations (UN), after the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 755, passed two days earlier.

Along with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and Croatia also became members of the United Nations at that time, with three former Yugoslav republics being internationally confirmed as independent states.

During the admission ceremony at the 47th session of the UN General Assembly, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Haris Silajdžić, stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina had become "free from oppression, but not from aggression" by this act. The first President of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegović, also attended the ceremony.

On that day, the flag of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina with lilies was raised for the first time in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York, and May 22nd remains one of the most important dates in the modern history of our country.

Interestingly, Bosnia and Herzegovina is the oldest UN member among all countries formed after the breakup of SFR Yugoslavia. Namely, due to the alphabetical order in the official protocol, it was admitted on May 22, 1992, before Croatia and Slovenia. 

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which included Serbia and Montenegro, was admitted to UN membership eight years after Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Croatia, on November 1, 2000. After Montenegro declared independence and became a UN member on June 28, 2006, Serbia continued the membership it began in 2000 and is listed as such in UN documents.

North Macedonia became a member on April 8, 1993, under the then name the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. When it changed its name to North Macedonia in 2019, it continued its UN membership, just under a new name. The Republic of Kosovo has not yet been admitted to full membership.

Today, Bosnia and Herzegovina participates in the work of several UN bodies, and relations with the world organization are focused on international cooperation, monitoring global political and security issues, as well as participation in processes of resolving international crises.