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Office of the High Representative (OHR) is an
ad hoc international institution responsible for overseeing
implementation of civilian aspects of the accord ending the war in Bosnia and
Herzegovina . The position of High Representative was created under the General
Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, usually referred to as
the Dayton Peace Agreement, that was negotiated in Dayton, Ohio, and signed in
Paris on 14 December 1995. The High Representative, who is also EU Special
Representative (EUSR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is working with the
people and institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the international community to ensure that
Bosnia and Herzegovina evolves into a peaceful and viable democracy on course
for integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. At its February 2007 meeting, the
Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council, the international body guiding
the peace process, concluded that the OHR should aim to close
on 30 June 2008. In the intervening period, the OHR is working
towards transition – the point when Bosnia and Herzegovoina is able
to take full responsibility for its own affairs.
At the same time as the OHR is preparing for
its closure, the European Union is increasing its commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The EUSR,
who has a mandate to promote overall EU political coordination among other things,
is currently developing an office that is co-located with the OHR
and will remain in Bosnia and Herzegovina after the closure of the OHR.
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