[1] On 16 April 1993, with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 819 the Srebrenica enclave was declared a safe area.

On 6 May 1993, the United Nations Security Council Resolution 824 further extended the status to Sarajevo, Žepa, Goražde, Tuzla and Bihać.

The resolution created a difficult diplomatic situation because the member states that voted in favor of it were, for political reasons, not willing to take the necessary steps to ensure the security of the safe areas.

In 1995 the situation in UN Safe Areas was deteriorating, and it led to a diplomatic crisis which culminated in the Srebrenica massacre; one of the worst atrocities in Europe since World War II.

The Security Council Resolution 819 and 836 had designated Srebrenica a "safe area" to be protected using "all necessary means, including the use of force".