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PEACE IMPLEMENTATION IN BIH: MAY 2002 - MAY 2004

 
26/5/2004
 

“My objective is to work with the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina to put this country irreversibly onto the road to statehood and membership of Europe”  Paddy Ashdown to the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 27 May 2002

KEY DATES

  • May 27, 2002 High Representative proposes 10-point plan to fight corruption and create jobs under the “First Justice. Then Jobs. Through Reform” banner.
  • August 7, 2002 High Representative establishes the BiH Prosecutor’s Office and establishes Special Panels in the State Court of BiH to deal specifically with the most serious cases of organised crime, economic crime and corruption.
  • November 12, 2002 High Representative is launches a committee to "Bulldoze" job-destroying legislation.  50 reforms handed to BiH authorities by February 2003.
  • January 27, 2003 Court of BiH opens. By May 2004 it was conducting 202 investigations, had brought 39 indictments against 164 persons including a former president of BiH, and issued 46 guilty verdicts.
  • March 7, 2003 High Representative acts to undermine the networks that support war criminal’s support networks. This includes freezing of assets in BIH. The US and EU subsequently introduce their own special Presidential orders and visa bans.
  • November 19, 2003 European Commission agrees a Feasibility Study for BiH, setting the country on the path to integration into the European Union. 
  • December 3, 2003 Defence Reform Laws approved in Entity and State Parliaments
  • December 4, 2003 NATO’s Foreign Ministers assess that BiH has made significant progress on defence reform and will be considered for membership of the PfP programme at the NATO summit in Istanbul in June 2004.
  • December 29, 2003 BiH Parliament adopts ITA reform Laws.
  • December 30, 2003 BiH Institutions Assume Responsibility for Return Process.
  • January 28, 2004 High Representative enacts Mostar City Statute.
  • May 4, 2004 BiH Parliament passes five laws strengthening the law enforcement capacity of the State Investigation and Protection Agency.
  • 21 May 2004 BiH Parliament Adopts Law on single BiH HJPC.

DETAILED CHRONOLOGY

2002

  • May 27, 2002 High Representative proposes 10-point plan to fight corruption and create jobs under the “First Justice. Then Jobs. Through Reform” banner
  • June 18, 2002 Nikola Gavric, Doboj Mayor resigns, the first example of elected representatives assuming political responsibility for the actions of their institutions 
  • Mid July, 2002 Agreement comes into force in mid July, excise tax now only needs to be paid once -- in the Entity or fiscal jurisdiction where products are consumed.
  • June 28, 2002,High Representative Amends CIPS Laws to Meet CoE and International Standards.
  • July 30, 2002 PIC and BiH Council of Ministers agree five overall priorities, entitled “Jobs and Justice” in economic and judicial reform.
  • August 1, 2002High Representative issues Decisions establishing the office of Special Auditor in the RS and extending the mandate of the Special Auditor in FBiH.
  • August 2, 2002 IC and BiH Authorities launch initiative to train RS and Federation police forces so that they can take part in joint operations to combat organised crime.
  • August 6, 2002 High Representative Appoints the Members of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Councils at State and Entity Level, which became operational on 2 September.  981 vacancies were advertised and a total of 1,729 applications received.
  • August 7, 2002 High Representative establishes the BiH Prosecutor’s Office and establishes Special Panels in the State Court of BiH to deal specifically with the most serious cases of organised crime, economic crime and corruption.
  • August 22, 2002 High Representative resolves deadlock in FBiH Internal Affairs Law which defines the organisation, management and competence of the FBiH Ministry of Interior, and puts in place a Director of Police to guide police operations.
  • August 22, 2002 The High Representative harmonises the Prosecutorial systems in the FBiH, its ten Cantons and in the RS.
  • September 12, 2002 OHR opens all advertised positions to BiH citizens.
  • October 5, 2002 first elections held under BiH Election Law and organised by the BiH authorities rather than the international community since Dayton.
  • October 6, 2002 High Representative issues Decisions tightening the regulations governing the provision of immunity granted to public officials and limiting the number of public office-holders who may invoke this privilege.
  • October 9, 2002 High Representative sets out the six tests for the incoming Government; Reform the revenue system; establish Parliamentary Commissions to act as ‘ethics watchdogs’; reform the business environment; reform the criminal justice system and reform the civil service. 
  • October 21, 2002 High Representative passes the BiH Communications Law, the Statistics Law, the FBiH and RS Laws on Land Registry, the Law on Registration of Legal Persons, the FBiH Law on Treasury and amendments to the FBiH and RS Law on Banks to support investment and job creation.
  • November 04, 2002 High Representative amends Cantonal and RS Laws on Courts reducing the number of first-instance courts in BiH to 47 and setting up Commercial departments within courts, to support modernisation of the BiH judiciary. 
  • November 12, 2002 High Representative is launches a committee to "Bulldoze" job-destroying legislation.
  • December 4, 2002 High Representative Testifies for Prosecution in the case against Radoslav Brdjanin and Momir Talic before the ICTY.
  • December 6, 2002 High Representative and Head of CAFAO Launch Alliance to Fight Sales-Tax Fraud and Money-Laundering.
  • December 17, 2002 High Representative addresses the BiH House of Representatives, calling for a new dynamic of progress and reform.
  • December 26, 2002 High Representative travels to Kostajnica, near Konjic, where three members of the Andjelic family were murdered on Christmas Eve.

2003

  • January 10, 2003 highlights European Union's Increasing Role in BiH at EUPM launch ceremony, in his role as European Union Special Representative.
  • January 13, 2003 OHR, ICTY and BiH experts Begin Talks on Scope of BiH War Crimes Prosecutions.
  • January 23, 2003 High Representative enacts the BiH Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code and laws on Witness Protection and Judicial Police supporting the proper processing of cases before the BiH Court. 
  • January 27, 2003 Court of BiH opens. By May 2004 it was conducting 202 investigations, had brought 39 indictments against 164 persons including a former president of BiH, and issued 46 guilty verdicts.
  • January 30, 2003 PIC agrees OHR’s ‘Mission Implementation Plan’ as strategy to support BiH’s transition to Europe.
  • February 6, 2003 The BiH Civil Service Agency becomes fully operational.
  • February 12, 2003 High Representative Establishes Indirect Tax Policy Commission.
  • February 25, 2003 Bulldozer Committee Completes List of 50 Bureaucratic Roadblocks to Doing Business in BiH.
  • February 26, 2003 High Representative enacts Law on Ministerial and Government Appointments to ensure that future appointments are carried out according to a more transparent and accountable procedure.
  • March 7, 2003 High Representative acts to undermine the networks that support war criminal’s support networks. This includes freezing of assets in BIH. The US and EU subsequently introduce their own special Presidential orders and visa bans.
  • March 21, 2003High Representative addresses financial abuses in the FBIH Ministry of Refugees. The then Minister, Mijat Tuka, is removed on March 28.
  • April 2, 2003 Mirko Sarovic resigns from BiH Presidency over the “Orao” affair.
  • May 8, 2003 High Representative appoints Defence Reform Commission.
  • May 29, 2003 High Representative establishes BiH Intelligence Reform Commission. BiH Intelligence Agency Law is passed by Parliament and Director is appointed on 20 May by the BiH Council of Ministers.
  • June 9, 2003 High Representative calls for BiH Debate on the Cost of Government.
  • June 19, 2003 House of Peoples Adopts State Framework Law on Primary and Secondary Education.
  • July 7, 2003 High Representative signs administrative Decisions freezing all the bank accounts in BiH of 14 people who are helping indicted war criminals evade arrest.
  • August 4, 2003 Expert Commission Completes Draft Intelligence Law.
  • September 15, 2003 Internationally-Chaired Commission for Reforming Mostar Established.
  • September 16, 2003 Intelligence Reform Commission Chair presents report to BiH Council of Ministers
  • September 26, 2003 Defence Reform Commission reaches agreement on recommendations on a draft of BiH’s first Defence law.
  • October 30, 2003 Donors Raise 15.7 Million Euros for establishing the War Crimes Chamber of the BiH Court.
  • November 12, 2003 Implementation of the Property Laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina reached 90 per cent.
  • November 19, 2003 European Commission agrees a Feasibility Study for BiH, setting the country on the path to integration into the European Union.
  • December 3, 2003 Defence Reform Laws approved in Entity and State Parliaments
  • December 4, 2003 NATO’s Foreign Ministers assess that BiH has made significant progress on defence reform and will be considered for membership of the PfP programme at the NATO summit in Istanbul in June 2004.
  • December 17, 2003 High Representative Sends Intelligence Law to Parliament.
  • December 29, 2003 BiH Parliament adopts ITA reform Laws.
  • December 30, 2003 BiH Institutions Assume Responsibility for Return Process.

2004

  • January 28, 2004 High Representative enacts Mostar City Statute.
  • February 03, 2004 High Representative extended Defence Reform Commission’s mandate to help BiH make progress in implementing defence reforms.
  • February 11, 2004 Property Law implementation in BiH nears completion.  Local housing authorities have finalized 201,902 of a total of 218,310 property claims registered and have issued almost 99% of first instance decisions.
  • March 01, 2004 High Representative/EU Special Representative informs BiH Authorities on EUFOR potential deployment in BiH.
  • March 10, 2004 FBiH and RS Prime Ministers and Brcko Mayor commit to creating environment for jobs at meeting in Jajce, and abolish double taxation. 
  • March 15 2004 Mostar administration unified as one city.
  • March 23, 2004 BiH Parliament adopts Law on the Intelligence and Security Agency
  • April 16, 2004 High Representative announces measures to support the work of the RS Srebrenica Commission which had received no support from the RS authorities in meeting the requirements of Human Rights Chamber’s decision.
  • April 20, 2004 High Representative amends BiH’s Civil Service Laws, allowing Civil Servants to move from Entity to State Ministries to support BiH’s Defence reform.
  • April 26, 2004 EU Foreign Ministers support EU troop deployment to BiH
  • 4 May 2004 BiH Parliament passes five laws strengthening the law enforcement capacity of the State Investigation and Protection Agency.
  • 21 May 2004 BiH Parliament Adopts Law on single BiH HJPC.