The first trial of a state charged with genocide is to open in The Hague, where Bosnia will accuse Serbia and Montenegro of war crimes.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hear the case, which Bosnia first brought 13 years ago.
It says Belgrade was responsible for crimes of genocide on its territory during the early 1990s Bosnian war.
Belgrade denies its intention was to wipe out Muslims in eastern Bosnia and says there is no proof of the claims.
'Historic challenge'
The hearings at the World Court, which mediates in disputes between states, are scheduled to run until 9 May, but a ruling is not expected until the end of the year.
The BBC's Geraldine Coughlan says if Bosnia succeeds, it will seek compensation from Serbia, which could run into billions of dollars.
Phon van den Biesen, one of the lawyers acting for Bosnia, said: "They really destroyed important parts of each and every town which would be relevant for a comeback of the non-Serb population.
"So the destruction which has been brought about after the actual takeovers of cities and towns is enormous."
Serbia will deny that the state - rather than a group of individuals - had the specific intent to wipe out the Muslim population of eastern Bosnia.
Bosnia's case will focus on the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, already established as genocide by the International War Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
Proving the Serbian nation's responsibility for the most serious war crime of genocide is an historic challenge for the Bosnian legal team, says our correspondent.
The hearings have been delayed for over a decade, since Belgrade filed a series of counter claims and disputed the court's authority.
(BBC)
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