30.12.1996

OHR Chronology Jan-Dec 1996

OHR Chronology

1996

Please also consult the OHR’s chronology for 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 and 1995

January

10 January
First meeting of Joint Civilian Commission (JCC), chaired by Carl Bildt, Sarajevo
15 January
International conference on elections in BiH, Stockholm
17 January
First meeting of Major Implementation Agencies, chaired by Mr. Bildt, Brussels
24 January
First meeting of Joint Interim Commission (JIC), chaired by Mr. Bildt, Sarajevo
29 January
Meeting of the Human Rights Task Force in Brussels
31 January
Hasan Muratovic replaces Haris Silajdzic as BiH Prime Minister

February

1 February
First session of the Provisional Election Commission (PEC) set up by the OSCE
3 February
Transfer from one entity to the other of areas specified in the GFAP, notably around Sarajevo and “the anvil” around Mrkonjic Grad (D+45)
17-18 February
Rome meeting on implementation involving the Contact Group and the three Presidents of Bosnia, Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
24 February
Transfer of police and civil authority to the Federation in Vogosca, Sarajevo

March

4 March
International meeting on Human Rights in BiH, Vienna
5 March
Meeting of PIC Steering Board, Brussels
14 March
Carl Bildt sends his first report to the UNSC
16 March
Third Meeting of the Joint Interim Commission
18 March
  • Geneva meeting of Contact Group and the three Presidents
  • Transfer of police and civil authority in final Sarajevo suburbs including Grbavica
21 March
First Meeting of the Commission on Real Property for Displaced Persons and Refugees , Sarajevo
23 March
Moscow meeting of Contact Group and three Foreign Ministers
12-13 March
Brussels conference on Economic Reconstruction

April

3 April
Carl Bildt reports to UNSC in New York
13 April
Second EU/World Bank Donors’ Conference for BiH in Brussels, boycotted by the RS. Pledges made: $ 1.3 billion
24 April
Meeting of PIC Steering Board, Sarajevo
25 April
Federation Forum, Petersberg, Bonn

May

6 May
Carl Bildt opens OHR office in Banja Luka
14 May
Federation Forum, Washington
18 May
Gojko Klickovic replaces Rajko Kasagic as RS Prime Minister
22 May
First pledging conference for Open Broadcast Network: Brussels
24 May
  • Appointment of Local Election Commissions
  • PIC Steering Board: Paris

June

2 June
Geneva meeting of Contact Group and three Presidents
4 June
Contact Group Ministerial in Berlin
13-14 June
Peace Implementation Review Conference, Florence
14 June
Deadline for registration of political parties
27 June
Federation Forum, Sarajevo
28-29 June
G7/8 Lyon Summit: demand for Mr. Karadzic to leave political office
30 June
  • City elections in Mostar
  • Release of Karadzic letter to Carl Bildt confirming resignation from public office. Biljana Plavsic to be acting President of RS

July

10 July
Carl Bildt sends his second report to the UNSC
19 July
  • Start of BiH election campaign
  • Richard Holbrooke brokers deal for Karadzic to step down from Party offices
  • First meeting of OBN Governing Council, OHR Brussels
25 July
PEC extends out-of-country registration to 5 August (and later to 8 August)
30 July
PIC Steering Board: Brussels
31 July
Carl Bildt reports to UNSC in New York

August

12 August
Contact Group meeting in Brussels
14 August
  • Contact Group meeting in Geneva with three Presidents
  • Ivan Prskalo appointed Mayor of Mostar
27 August
Amb. Frowick of OSCE announces postponement of municipal elections
29 August
Violent clashes between Bosniaks and RS police in the village of Mahala, BiH
31 August
Formal deadline for dissolution of “Herceg-Bosna”

September

5 September
Meeting of the PIC Steering Board in Brussels
5-12 September
Sir Arthur Watts conducts 4th round of discussions on succession issues meeting separately with delegations of all five States, Brussels
7 September
  • Contact Group meeting in Frankfurt
  • Open Broadcast Network, BiH’s first independent, cross-entity TV network, goes on air
7-8 September
Informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Tralee, Ireland
9 September
Ministers of Interior Avdo Hebib for the Federation and Dragan Kijac, for the RS, decide on 19 “voters’ routes” across the IEBL as recommended passage for transportation of voters on election day.
14 September
Bosnia-wide elections for BiH Presidency, the House of Representatives of BiH, the Presidency of RS, the National Assembly of RS, the House of Representatives of the Federation and the Cantonal Assemblies in the Federation of BiH
16 September
  • Preliminary Statement by the Coordinator for International Monitoring (CIM), Eduard van Thijn, expresses satisfaction with technical aspects of the elections.
  • Prijedor Chief of Police, Simo Drljaca, and IFOR troops exchange gunfire
21-22 September
Bosniaks enter the village of Jusici in the ZOS
24 September
Second Statement by the Coordinator for International Monitoring (CIM), Eduard van Thijn, confirms general satisfaction with the conduct of the elections.
25 September
Contact Group Ministerial level meeting, New York
26 September
Carl Bildt briefs the UN Security Council in New York
29 September
PEC certifies the results of the 14 September multi-party elections in BiH – official results reveal that Alija Izetbegovic, Kresimir Zubak and Momcilo Krajisnik will form the three member BiH Presidency. Izetbegovic, with most votes, serves as Chairman.
30 September
First meeting of the newly elected members of the BiH Presidency, Saraj Hotel Sarajevo

October

1 October
  • The UN Security Council formally lifts remaining sanctions imposed on FRY
  • Carl Bildt submits his third report to the UN Secretary-General
2 October
PIC Steering Board, Sarajevo
3 October
  • Meeting between Presidents Izetbegovic and Milosevic, Paris
  • Bosniaks in Jusici agree to abide by procedures for safe and orderly return to the village
4 October
  • OBN Governing Council Meeting, Brussels
  • Ambassador Frowick announces that municipal elections will be held from 22-24 November
5 October
Inauguration Ceremony of the Presidency and of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly, National Theatre, Sarajevo – Izetbegovic and Zubak sign the “Solemn Declaration” – RS Presidency member, Momcilo Krajisnik fails to attend
10 October
Contact Group Meeting, London
14-15 October
Sir Arthur Watts meets in plenary session with delegations of all five States, Brussels
15 October
  • UN IPTF formally takes over from the Western European Union police the responsibility for monitoring police in Mostar
  • New Procedures for the return to ZOS are devised by UNHCR, working with OHR, IFOR and IPTF
19 October
Inaugural session of the newly elected RS National Assembly, Banja Luka
21-22 October
Political Directors of France, Germany, Italy and the UK visit Sarajevo for meetings with members of the BiH Presidency
22 October
  • BiH Presidency Meeting, National Museum, Sarajevo – RS Presidency member Momcilo Krajisnik signs the “Solemn Declaration”
  • Ambassador Frowick announces postponement of municipal elections – new timeframe being considered between April and June 1997
23 October
Carl Bildt briefs the North Atlantic Council, Brussels – also meets with SACEUR, General Joulwan, at SHAPE to discuss deployment of LANDCENT
23 and 25 October
Federation Special Group Meetings – agreements reached on flag, coat of arms and future organisation of Sarajevo
25 October
  • BiH Presidency Meeting, Lukavica, Sarajevo(4th meeting – 3rd working session)
  • 2nd session of the BiH Presidency, Lukavica, Sarajevo
27 October
Ambassador Steiner visits Prijedor and Drvar – sites of recent destruction of homes
29 October
  • Sir Martin Garrod writes to Federation President Zubak expressing grave concern about the situation in Mostar
  • 3rd Session of the BiH Presidency, National Museum, Sarajevo
30 October
  • Sarajevo Cantonal Assembly meeting
  • Three Personal Representatives of the BiH Presidency meet at OHR to discuss detention issues

November

1 November
4th session of the BiH Presidency, National Museum, Sarajevo
3 November
1st elections in FRY since the end of the war
5 November
5th session of the BiH Presidency, Lukavica, Sarajevo
6 November
Both Houses of the Federation Assembly hold constituent sessions, Sarajevo
7 November
  • PIC Steering Board Meeting, Brussels
  • IFOR Commander Admiral Joseph Lopez formally hands over duties to General William Crouch, Sarajevo Airport
  • Human Rights Task Force Meeting
8 November
6th session of the BiH Presidency, Sarajevo
11 November
  • Contrary to agreed measures, several hundred Bosniaks from the Celic area cross the IEBL into Gajevi resulting in violent reactions from RS police.
  • Dayton Property Commission for Real Property Claims of Displaced Persons and Refugees begins processing claims Sarajevo, Lukavica and Mostar
12 November
7th session of the BiH Presidency
12-13 November
Sir Arthur Watts meets in plenary session with delegations of all five States, Brussels
14 November
  • Ministerial level PIC Steering Board Meeting, Paris
  • IFOR announce the establishment of a “temporary restriction zone” in the Celic region to prevent the recurrence of recent violations of crossing procedures
21 November
US freighter arrives in Ploce harbour to unload arms for the BiH Federation “Train and Equip” programme
22 November
8th session of the BiH Presidency, Sarajevo
23-24 November
Coalition for Return Meeting, Mostar
25 November
Open Broadcast Network (OBN) Governing Council meeting, Brussels
26-27 November
PIC Steering Board Meeting, Bonn
28 November
9th session of the BiH Presidency
29 November
European Commission hosts conference on the role of the media in ex-Yugoslavia, Brussels

December

1 December
The Government of RS announces it has withdrawn from the Brcko arbitration process
2-3 December
OSCE Summit, Lisbon
3-5 December
Plenary Meeting on Succession Issues for the Former Yugoslavia, London
4-5 December
Full Meeting of the Peace Implementation Council, London
8 December
The Brcko Arbitral Tribunal announces a two month extension to the arbitration process, until 15 February 1997
8-9 December
Inaugural conference of the University of Sarajevo Human Rights Centre, Sarajevo
11-12 December
NATO Summit, Brussels
13-14 December
BiH Federation Forum, Mostar and Sarajevo
12 December
10th session of the BiH Presidency, Sarajevo
15 December
Coalition for Return Meeting, Banja Luka
16 December
  • Carl Bildt attends meeting of UNHCR chaired Humanitarian Issues Working Group in Geneva
  • Contact Group meeting, Geneva
20 December
IFOR officially hands over its duties to the Stabilisation Force (SFOR)
27 December
  • OSCE’s Felipe Gonzalez releases a report on his Mission’s findings which concludes that the Opposition “Zajedno” had won the elections in 13 Serbian municipalities in the 17 November elections
  • Third session of the RS National Assembly, Jahorina
28 December
Carl Bildt releases a statement urging President Slobodan Milosevic to recognise the findings of the OSCE Mission
30 December
11th session of the BiH Presidency, Lukavica

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