The High Representative in BiH, Valentin Inzko, visited Mostar today where he attended a round-table discussion “Serbs as a non-constitutive people in the Constitution of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton” organized by the “Serb Coordination Mostar.”
In his introductory remarks, the High Representative expressed his support to steps aimed at improving the status of Serbs in this canton, as well as the entire FBiH. The High Representative’s participation in this round-table discussion represents a continuation of efforts to improve the formal legal status of Serbs, as part of the overall activities on ensuring the equal representation of all peoples and citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina across the entire territory of the country.
“The High Representative’s Decision from 2002, enacting the amendments to the FBiH Constitution within the wider implementation of the BiH Constitutional Court’s decision on equality of constituent peoples, provides that these amendments have precedence over any inconsistent provisions of cantonal constitutions, laws, and other regulations. In the legal sense it means that the adoption of further regulations is not necessary to ensure the legal effect of these amendments in the cantons. Nevertheless, regardless of the legal aspect, and I cannot stress this strongly enough, the cantons remain under obligation to harmonize their constitutions with the FBiH Constitution,” said the High Representative during his address in Mostar.
The High Representative has assured that the International Community, the OHR, and he himself will continue to support all those who are working against institutional discrimination and towards achieving equality.