“On 22 May 1992 the UN General Assembly accepted Bosnia and Herzegovina as a member to the United Nations. Previously, on 20 May, the UN Security Council had adopted a resolution recommending the country’s membership and expressing its conviction that Bosnia and Herzegovina will make a significant contribution to the work of the organisation”.
The High Representative was today speaking to students at Sarajevo University at a forum to mark the anniversary of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s UN membership.
“This anniversary of UN membership comes during a particularly challenging period,” the High Representative said, but considering the circumstances when the country first joined the UN, the political and economic situation has improved significantly. “In May 1992 darkness was descending across Bosnia and Herzegovina: today, for all the problems, there is a lot more light than darkness”.
In the past 22 years, Bosnia and Herzegovina has made progress working together with international partners – and the United Nations has been one of the key strategic partners. The High Representative also reiterated that Bosnia and Herzegovina played its role with distinction as a a non-permanent UN Security Council member and that the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina have successfully participated in UN-mandated international peace-support missions.
In his speech, the High Representative also noted that domestic political environment may be in the midst of a significant shift. “Citizens across the political and geographical spectrum have come together to articulate their dissatisfaction with the status quo,” the High Representative said. “They want to know why the country is not moving forward on the EU agenda, why the business environment is not conducive to investments that could generate jobs in BiH, and why authorities are not making efforts to tackle corruption.”
The possibility of a serious and critical election campaign is greater today than it has ever been because the parties no longer have a monopoly on political debate – citizens have got into the act on their own behalf. If the voice of citizens becomes louder and more confident in the coming months then there will be more grounds for optimism than there has been for many years.”
Click here for the full text of the High Representative’s speech.