15.07.1998

Human Rights Report July 1998

SUMMARY

  • Month of July marked by series of return-related incidents including violations of the right to life, property and physical integrity and the right to return, particularly in Travnik, Kakanj, Stolac and Drvar (Fed) and Brcko, Klanac, Zvornik, Banja Luka and Bosanska Gradiska (RS)
  • Disciplinary proceedings initiated against Teslic police officers regarding allegations of abuse at Teslic Public Security Station
  • Passing of Federation Laws on Criminal and Criminal Procedure Code
  • Law on Courts in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton imposed by High Representative
  • Addressing Obstacles to Implementation of Federation Property Legislation
  • Human Rights Chamber opens new office in Banja Luka

RETURN-RELATED INCIDENTS

    Federation

  1. Incidents in Travnik area: On 31 July, a Bosnian Croat police officer was killed by an explosive device placed in a waste container located 50 metres from the Travnik police station. UN IPTF is monitoring the local police investigation into the incident. This is the second recent incident involving the killing of a Bosnian Croat police officer in the Travnik area. In June, a Bosnian Croat police officer was killed by an explosive device reportedly planted in his vehicle (see HRCC Monthly Report June 1998, para. 1). As a result of the incident, UNMIBH (Civil Affairs) reports that all Bosnian Croat police officers left Travnik station and withdrew to Nova Bila. UNMIBH (Human Rights Office) further reports a grenade explosion on 7 July at an abandoned Bosniak-owned house in Kaonik, near Travnik.
  2. Explosion in Church in Kakanj: On the night of 29 July, an explosive device damaged the Catholic Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Kakanj. The incident was strongly condemned by the international community. A multi-ethnic special investigation team composed of eleven persons has been established to investigate the incident, led by a Bosnian Croat Investigative Judge from the Zenica Doboj Cantonal Court and is being monitored by UN IPTF.
  3. Incidents in Stolac: In the early hours of 29 July, six houses belonging to Bosniaks which had been prepared for return, two barns and three vehicles, were damaged by several explosions in the village of Pjesivac Kula, Stolac. A live mine was detected in one of the damaged houses and removed. The explosions occurred on the same day as an announced return of Bosniak displaced persons. At 10 a.m., a group of 70 Bosniak displaced persons arrived in Pjesivac Kula. UNHCR reports that some 50 of the 70 displaced persons stayed overnight. A further incident took place in the settlement of Vinja in the village of Pjesivac Kula on 31 July, when three Bosnian Croats entered the yard of a Bosniak returnee’s house, throwing stones at the house and shouting in abusive language. Some ten Bosniaks who witnessed the incident reportedly sought safety with a nearby SFOR patrol. UNMIBH reports a total of 37 incidents against Bosniak-owned property in the Stolac area since the agreement on minority return of 23 March. The Head of the Crime Department of the police administration in Stolac was removed from his position by the Cantonal Minister of Internal Affairs following the failure of the local police to arrest any suspects. However, UN IPTF reports that the former Head of the Crime Department continues to work as a crime investigator within the Crime Department.
  4. UNMIBH (HRO) further reports the setting alight of two empty houses belonging to Bosniaks and one explosion in Stolac on 11 July. No injuries were reported. OSCE reports that on 18 July, stones were thrown at a house Bosniak returnees had selected as collective accommodation following their return to Buna, South Mostar, two days earlier (see para. 20).
  5. Explosion in Sarajevo: In the early morning of 29 July, a hand grenade was thrown in an office building in Skenderia, Sarajevo. Five cars were damaged by the explosion but no injuries were reported. The office of the independent local magazine “Dani” is located in the same building where the explosion took place. Local police are investigating and UN IPTF is monitoring the investigation. OSCE reports previous incidents of harassment targeted against the local magazine.
  6. Body of Displaced Person Found in Ilijas: On 24 July, the body of a displaced person from Visoko was found on the grave of his wife and son in Ilijas. Some media reports alleged that the displaced person had been murdered, giving rise to tensions in the area. In a press release dated 7 August, however, UN IPTF confirmed that the results of the investigation by the local police in Ilijas, closely monitored by UN IPTF, suggest that the cause of death was suicide.
  7. UNMIBH Report on Drvar: On 17 July, UNMIBH HRO released a report summarising recent violence against Bosnian Serb returnees in Drvar and the response of the local authorities. The report examines the investigations by the Drvar police into the high number of arsons which have occurred in the area over the past two years; the murders of Vojislav and Mileva Trninic on 16 April 1998 and the riots which took place in Drvar on 24 April 1998. UNMIBH calls on the local authorities to bring the responsible criminals to justice and makes recommendations for internal investigations into the failure of the Drvar police to take adequate steps during and after the riots.
  8. Arsons in Drvar: OSCE reports that on 7 July, a Bosnian Serb-owned house was burned down in Drvar. The owner had reportedly been working on the house during the past four months. A suspect has been arrested in the framework of the local police investigation. Two houses in the centre of Drvar were burned on 17 and 22 July respectively. On 3 August, a further fire was reported in Drvar. A Bosnian Croat youth was apprehended at the scene of the fire. UN IPTF reports that the suspect confessed to nine other arsons since 1997.
  9. Incidents in Novi Seher, Maglaj: UNMIBH reports that on 11 July, 12 Bosniak police officers established a police sub-station in Cobe which overlapped with the area of operation of the all-Croat Novi Seher sub-station. Interior Ministry officials informed UNMIBH that the station was opened due to security concerns of Bosniak returnees in the area. On the evening of 16 July, up to 50 Bosnian Croats demonstrated against the all-Bosniak station. UNMIBH and SFOR were able to diffuse the situation.
  10. Other incidents: UNHCR reports that the first return of 31 Bosnian Serbs to Glamoc on 31 July was followed by a fire in the house of the leader of the displaced Bosnian Serbs. The house had been set on fire on previous occasions. Another fire in a house belonging to a returnee was reportedly caused by an electrical fault (see para. 20).

    Republika Srpska

  11. Incidents in Brcko area: OSCE reports that an explosive device was thrown into the business premises of a Bosniak returnee in Brcko town in the early hours of 2 July. The explosion caused damage to the building. An investigation has been opened by the local police into the incident. On 27 July, the body of a Bosniak returnee was found in downtown Brcko. Four suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident and the case has been handed over to the Public Prosecutor. The investigation is being monitored by UN IPTF. According to reports, the attack does not appear to be ethnically motivated. UNHCR reports that an explosive device was placed in an IPTF container information centre in Klanac on 28 July, in the outskirts of Brcko.
  12. Continued Protests in Klanac: OHR Brcko reports continued protests in the area of Klanac regarding the marking of houses available for return. House-marking is part of the process of cataloguing destroyed, unoccupied houses in Brcko RS. On 23 June, between 30 and 50 persons registered their opposition to house-marking in Klanac. On 28 July, a number of Bosnian Serb displaced persons prevented the house-marking team from marking further houses in Klanac. The local police failed to control the situation and the house marking team were compelled to withdraw from the area. On 29 July, a group of approximately 150 people blocked part of the Banja Luka – Bijeljina route demanding that the RS Government prevent both house-marking and returns until a permanent solution is reached for the status of the current residents. Deputy Prime Minister Kremenovic was called to the scene and met with local community leaders, the Municipality representatives, and the OHR. Kremenovic agreed that the RS Government would seek to provide a solution, involving the provision of land and building materials. On 30 July, up to 100 people gathered in protest outside the municipal building. On 31 July, during a meeting with Bosnian Serb displaced persons in Klanac, the Mayor of Brcko stated that house-marking would stop pending further negotiations with OHR and that the Government would be seeking a solution by 30 August for those who wished to remain in Brcko. The Mayor called upon the assembled displaced persons to remain in the RS and stated “I insist that you remain here. We shall take care of improving your financial and material situation.” OHR Brcko responded by condemning the statement and emphasising the right enshrined in Annex 7, whereby the “choice of destination shall be up to the individual.”
  13. Demonstration in Zvornik: On 29 July, four UN IPTF officers and one language assistant were held in their vehicles by a group of Bosniak displaced persons in Sapna, north of Zvornik, protesting the failure of local police to provide security for their return to Klisa. The Bosniaks were scheduled to clear their houses in order to prepare for their return but appeared in numbers larger than originally expected. The situation was resolved peacefully through discussions between the returnees, UN IPTF and UNHCR.
  14. Explosions in Bosanska Gradiska: UNMIBH (HRO) reports a series of seven explosions in Bosanska Gradiska, north-western RS, during July. Reports indicate that the deterioration of the security situation in Bosanska Gradiska in July is linked to the recent visits of Bosniak refugees from Sweden and Denmark and returns of Bosniak refugees from Austria. Between 3 and 9 July, three explosions were reported, one in a cafe-bar and two against Bosniak-owned property. On 17 July, a hand-grenade was thrown in the court-yard of a Bosniak-owned house, causing damage to vehicles and house windows. On 22 July, three hand-grenades were thrown at Bosniak-owned houses, in one case the home of a religious leader housing two Bosniak returnees from Sweden. In all three cases, the grenades were thrown into the court yards of the houses, no injuries were reported. On 30 July, an explosive device was thrown at a car with German number plates parked in front of a Bosniak-owned house in Bosanska Gradiska town. The owner was hosting a group of Bosniak refugees from Germany. Following these series of explosions, UNMIBH set up a special investigation team to monitor the response of the local police.
  15. Demonstrations in Banja Luka following death of Mufti: Mufti Ibrahim Halilovic, head of the Banja Luka Islamic Community and who remained in Banja Luka throughout the war, died of a heart attack on 20 July. The Islamic Community in BiH, in consultation with the family, initially decided to bury the Mufti at the site of the former Ferhadija Mosque in Banja Luka (destroyed during the war) but the municipal authorities refused. On 23 July, a group of approximately 500 Bosnian Serbs gathered in Banja Luka to prevent the funeral, shouting anti-Muslim slogans. Some international community monitors were assaulted, although none was seriously injured. The local police reportedly failed to respond. The Reiss decided to forgo the possibility of burial in Banja Luka and that the burial would take place in Sarajevo. The ceremony and burial were carried out on 24 July in Bascarsija, Sarajevo, without incident.
  16. Explosions in Banja Luka: UNMIBH (HRO) reports a series of explosions against Bosnian Serb-owned property in Banja Luka. On 2 July, a grenade was thrown in the front yard of a house belonging to a Bosnian Serb. The owner reportedly suffered slight injuries. On 8 July, an explosion caused damage to a house and vehicle belonging to a Bosnian Serb. A further grenade explosion was reported at a house in Banja Luka on 21 July. Investigations have been opened by the local police.
  17. Other incidents: UNHCR reports that on 18 July, a house belonging to an elderly Bosniak returnee was substantially burnt in Vrazic village, Sipovo, south western RS. The house had previously been looted following the owner’s return to the area. The local police investigation is being monitored by UN IPTF. OSCE reports that a house identified and marked for reconstruction was destroyed by an explosive device in Kozarac, Prijedor on 19 July. An investigation has been opened by the local police and a number of suspects have been questioned in connection with the incident. An assessment visit for 200 Bosniak displaced persons to Kozarac to clean their houses proceeded as planned on 25 July (see para. 18). On 25 July, 240 Bosniak displaced persons currently in Travnik and Sanski Most were prevented from carrying out an assessment visit to Kotor Varos, when a group of 50 Bosnian Serbs blocked the road, preventing the displaced persons from reaching the village of Vrbanci (see para. 18). UN IPTF is investigating the role of the local police in providing security during the visit.

    RIGHT TO RETURN/FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

    Assessment Visits and Returns

    [This section is primarily based on UNHCR and RRTF reports and focuses on visits and returns which are particularly significant from a human rights perspective]
  18. Visits/Returns to Western RS: OSCE reports that approximately 110 Bosniaks started preparations for return to Sevarlije, Doboj in early July, despite initial resistance from neighbouring Bosnian Serbs. In some cases, returning Bosniaks have employed local Bosnian Serbs to assist in the repair of houses. A first group of 15 families have been staying overnight. On 4-5 July, 150 Bosniak displaced persons currently in Travnik and Sanski Most visited Kotor Varos. An assessment visit to Vrbanci, Kotor Varos on 25 July was blocked by a group of Bosnian Serbs. On 31 July, approximately 100 Bosniak families, including women and children, returned to their homes south of Siprage (near Vrbanci), Kotor Varos. The local police and UN IPTF were present. RRTF reports a first ARC/UNHCR organised assessment visit from Knin to Banja Luka on 22 July. During the one-day visit, 48 Bosnian Croat displaced persons currently in Knin and Udbina visited their houses and relatives in Banja Luka, without incident. To mark the beginning of the reconstruction and return season, RRTF organised and assisted an assessment visit for some 200 Bosniak displaced persons to Kozarac, Prijedor on 25 July. A few days earlier, a house slated for reconstruction in Kozarac was destroyed.
  19. Visits/Returns to Eastern RS: On 18 July, 135 Bosniaks currently in Sarajevo, Denmark and Sweden carried out an assessment visit to Trebinje. No incidents were reported. Konjic authorities visited Trebinje on 23 July and addressed displaced persons on the current situation in the Federation. The meeting was assessed as successful. On 23 July, a group of 100 Bosniak women visited three graveyards in Srebrenica, without incident. On 24 July, a group of 70 Bosniak displaced persons carried out an assessment visit to Sasevci and Ceribasici villages (both destroyed), Sokolac. Also on 24 July, a group of 50 Bosniak displaced persons visited their pre-war villages Podvitez, Vitez and Mandjure, Pale. Obstacles were reported in the visit to Mandjure, reportedly due to a commemoration being held that day.
  20. Visits/Returns to Federation: On 12 July, 48 Bosnian Serbs currently in Srebrenica visited Nisici, Ilijas. A Serb Orthodox religious ceremony was performed by a priest from Sarajevo in a local church. On 16 July, 50 Bosniaks returned to Buna, South Mostar, including up to 20 Bosniaks staying overnight. On 17 July, 47 Bosnian Serb displaced persons from Vrbanja, Banja Luka visited Turbe village, Travnik. The displaced persons were welcomed by the Central Bosnian Cantonal Minister. On 23 July, 23 Bosnian Croats visited the villages of Borovica, Vijaka, Strica, Kopjari, and Krecivine, Vares, where the mayor and his deputy reiterated that it was safe to return. The first assessment visit of Bosnian Serb displaced persons currently in Brcko to Lukavac, facilitated by the Bosniak representatives of the Brcko multi-ethnic administration, took place on 30 July and included 45 displaced persons. On 31 July, a first group of 31 Bosnian Serbs returned to Glamoc. The return was followed by a fire in the house of the leader of the displaced Bosnian Serbs. Approximately 6,000 refugees repatriated within various cash grant schemes from Germany to Tuzla-Podrinje Canton during July. The majority are Bosniaks originating from the RS. Reports indicate obstacles in returnee registration in most municipalities of the Canton.
  21. Other Visits/Returns: The first assessment visits to Croatia since February 1998 were carried out at the end of July. On 22 and 29 July, a total of 30 Croatian Serbs currently in Banja Luka and Bosanska Gradiska visited Vojnic, Croatia.

    RIGHT TO PHYSICAL INTEGRITY

  22. Ill-treatment by Police: UNMIBH (HRO) reports continued cases of ill-treatment by local police in both the Federation and the RS in July, including allegations of physical abuse to force confessions; abuse during arrest; harassment; and ill-treatment during detention at police station. The following cases are examples of allegations of ill-treatment reported by UNMIBH: In early July, a local police officer reportedly assaulted and attempted to rape a Bosniak woman in a cafe-bar in Bihac (Fed). The local police officer was suspended pending an investigation. UNMIBH received further reports of ill-treatment by local police in Bosnian Croat majority areas in Canton 8 and West Mostar police stations (Fed). The majority of the victims were Bosnian Croats. In Martin Brod (Fed), Bosnian Croats reported physical abuse to force confessions during interrogation. Abuse during arrest was reported by Bosnian Serbs in Banja Luka (RS) and by Bosniaks in Travnik (Fed). Harassment by local police was reported by Bosnian Croats in Vitez (Fed).
  23. UNMIBH Report on Teslic Police: UNMIBH (HRO) released a report entitled Torture and Abuse of Authority by Teslic Police: Investigations and Redress Measures. The report summarises the findings of a special Investigation Commission set up by RS Minister of Internal Affairs which undertook an investigation into three cases of torture and abuse in the Teslic police station in early 1998. The report further examines the manner and the extent of the implementation of the recommendations of the Investigation Commission. Between October 1997 and March 1998, UNMIBH reported an increase in the number of allegations of abuse by the Teslic Public Security Station (PSS), which operates within the jurisdiction of the Doboj Public Security Centre (PSC) in the RS. This development coincided with the re-appointment in October 1997 as Chief of Police in Teslic of Major Marinko Djukic, who had covered the same position during the war. Since the demotion of Chief Djukic and the establishment of the special Investigation Commission in April 1998, UNMIBH has not recorded any new allegations of violence by the Teslic police.
  24. UNMIBH considers that the work of the Commission was conducted thoroughly and to a high professional standard. In its final report, the Commission recommended to RS Minister of Internal Affairs criminal and/or disciplinary measures against 35 police officers. The evidence and findings of the special Investigation Commission were reviewed by a second criminal investigation team (comprising officers from Doboj PSC and the Minister of Internal Affairs) which then filed with the Teslic prosecutor crime reports against ten police officers. Disciplinary proceedings were initiated against 32 officers (including the ten currently facing criminal charges). A total of 17 officers were suspended from duty in July, including all those facing criminal charges, pending the outcome of the proceedings. UNMIBH makes several recommendations, including putting an end to the abusive practice of detaining people at police stations to obtain “informative statements” (a formal arrest warrant must be issued and the prosecutor informed as soon as any person called for questioning as a witness becomes a suspect); reviewing the overall system for internal investigations of Republika Srpska police officers (at a minimum, no PSS should investigate its own officers); and ensuring the use of proper records for all key aspects of any police detention.

    RULE OF LAW

  25. Passing of the Laws on the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Code: These laws were adopted by the Federation House of Representatives on 29 July, marking a significant step towards effective protection of human rights. Major developments include further emphasis on basic rights such as presumption of innocence and freedom from self-incrimination and the rights of the defence. Protection against acts of domestic violence and violence against juveniles are also enhanced. To ensure effective implementation of the laws, a number of training initiatives will be implemented on an urgent basis. These will initially focus on training members of the legal profession and police officers.
  26. RS Criminal Law Reform: A further meeting of the RS expert team for criminal law reform was held in Banja Luka on 1 July. International experts met in Rome from 24 to 26 July to assess the preliminary drafts of the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code prepared by the RS expert team in terms of their compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights and other international standards. The final plenary meeting of the RS and international experts is due to take place in Banja Luka in early September. The reform of RS criminal law is a joint initiative of the RS Ministry of Justice, the Council of Europe, OHR, UNMIBH and the UN Centre for International Crime Prevention.
  27. Law on Courts in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton: The “Law on the Courts of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton” and the “Law on the Court of the Central Zone of the City of Mostar” were imposed by the High Representative and went into effect on 3 August. The laws were imposed as a result of the failure of the Herzegovina-Neretva authorities to implement the High Representative’s “Decision on the Establishment of Municipal Courts in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton” of 6 May 1998. The Law on the Courts recognises the right to a court of each municipality in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, including the six Mostar municipalities. The ethnic composition of the judges at each court are to reflect the results of the 1991 census in the municipalities or the territory that newly-created municipalities cover. The national structure of the senior judicial staff at the Central Zone Court are to reflect the overall national structure of the population in the entire City of Mostar based on the 1991 census. The High Representative has requested the authorities to fully implement the laws by 15 November 1998.
  28. ICTY Releases Two Individuals Arrested by SFOR Troops: On 22 July, SFOR troops detained two persons who were believed to have been ICTY indictees Nenad Banovic and Predrag Banovic. The two persons were subsequently transferred to the Hague on 23 July. In a press release, the Office of the Prosecutor states that the Prosecutor’s staff established that these two persons were not Nenad Banovic and Predag Banovic and had not been indicted by the Tribunal, nor were they suspected or accused of having committed any crime. An order was issued for the two persons to be sent back to their place of origin. The Office of the Prosecutor issued a reminder to the Governments of Republika Srpska and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia of their obligations to co-operate with the Tribunal and in particular their obligations to arrest and surrender persons who have been indicted by the Tribunal. The statement added that the primary obligation to arrest and surrender indicted accused rests with those States to whom the arrest warrants are addressed.

    PROPERTY RIGHTS AND PROPERTY LEGISLATION

  29. Update on Implementation of Federation Property Legislation:
    OHR has continued to intervene where obstacles to the full implementation of the Federation property and housing laws have been identified. A number of obstacles in the claims filing process have now been addressed, although problems continue in relation to the charging of fees and military apartments. An additional obstacle has arisen in a number of areas, namely the requirement that a hearing be held before a decision is rendered on a claim for a socially-owned apartment. The Law requires that proceedings shall be considered urgent, hearings are both legally unnecessary and not practical. Hearings have tended to balance the rights of the current occupant against those of the occupancy right holder.
  30. Obstacles in the claims adjudication process and delays in the rendering of decisions are being identified throughout the Federation. Specifically, municipalities are failing to issue decisions within the 35-day time period required by the Law. This has been extensively documented by the Federation Ombudsmen in their recently issued Special Report. OHR has intervened with the Federation Prime Minister to ensure that these obstacles are addressed.
  31. Monitoring and Training:
    Monitoring is being carried out throughout the Federation in order to gather statistical information on progress in the claims-filing and decision-making processes of the property and housing Laws. OSCE and ECMM are monitoring every municipality in Cantons 1- 6, 9 and 10. The Mostar Regional Human Rights Working Group is monitoring every municipality in Cantons 7 and 8. The information gathered will be influential in making the decision as to whether it will be necessary for the 4 October deadline for submitting claims for socially-owned apartments to be extended and if so by how long. The final training sessions on the new Federation property and housing laws, which have been conducted jointly by UNHCR, CRPC and OHR, took place in Sarajevo on 13 August. This session was supported by Prime Minister Bicakcic and participants included municipal, Cantonal and Federation Government officials. Over ten training sessions have been held throughout BiH and in Belgrade, with a total of around 500 participants. The objective of these sessions was to enable staff of national and international organisations to identify and address obstacles to implementation of the laws so that interventions can be made and to identify legal benchmarks and standards for their implementation by government officials.
  32. Halting of Evictions of Illegal Occupants in the RS Update:
    Evictions in the RS, including legal evictions have been halted since April 1998, as a result of measures taken by the RS National Assembly and the RS Government (see HRCC Monthly Report, May and June 1998). On 25 July a Decision was passed by the Assembly which excludes from the ban four categories of occupants: illegal occupants; multiple occupants; those who occupy property pursuant to Article 17 of the RS Law on the Use of Abandoned Property (Ed. Note: In a report issued in April, the Human Rights Ombudsperson found the content and application of Article 17 to be in violation of the ECHR); and displaced persons and refugees who are using abandoned property and who have sold property in their previous place of residence. OHR and other international organisations will be monitoring to ensure that these exceptions are appropriately interpreted and applied and that legal evictions are continued. Despite the passing of this Decision, evictions of illegal occupants in the Banja Luka area, including evictions which will bring about the reinstatement of the floater cases, have not been carried out during the July reporting period. Twenty court-ordered evictions were scheduled to take place in the Banja Luka area in July. Despite ten attempted evictions, only one reinstatement took place.

    INSTITUTIONAL AND POLICY DEVELOPMENTS

  33. Sarajevo Education Working Group: The Sub-Group responsible for reviewing all textbooks in use in Sarajevo schools has identified material thought to be offensive and it has been agreed that the Ministry, working in conjunction with an expert team led by UNESCO, will ensure the eradication of offensive material from textbooks for the coming school year. In particular, the section in history books on the recent war is to be omitted in its entirety and a new outline drafted in consultation with all parties will be submitted in its place. The Sub-Group on Democracy and Tolerance Building Projects has secured funding from the Austrian Government, the Canadian Government and the OSCE for three projects aimed at fostering tolerance and harmony in schools. These projects will start at the beginning of the new school year. Direct contacts will be made with other embassies to secure funding for more projects. The Sub-Group has agreed to write up the experiences from its projects in the form of a booklet on model good practice. The Sub-Group on Discrimination has solicited inputs from all schools and select NGOs on possible discrimination against teachers or students. SFOR CIMIC has prepared leaflets and posters to assist in this process. The posters will go up in all schools before the beginning of the new school year and the leaflets distributed immediately after. Follow-up visits are to take place following the distribution. The Sub-Group on Resources has adjourned, pending the outcome of a project by the World Bank which will analyse the financial needs of the whole education sector.
  34. A Round Table Debate on Missing Persons, organised by the Swiss and Italian embassies under the patronage of Senator Bob Dole, Chairman of the International Commission on Missing Persons, was held in Sarajevo on 23 July. The participants issued a Declaration on Missing Persons in which they expressed their solidarity with the families and in particular with the wives, mothers and children of Missing Persons; reaffirmed their conviction that the resolution of the tragedies of Missing Persons constitutes a major contribution to the process of reconciliation in BiH; urged all competent authorities of BiH on the State Entity and local levels to intensify cooperation among themselves and with the organisations active on the issue of Missing Persons in order to accelerate the clarification of the fate of the Missing, be they alive or dead; and requested the International Community to lend its full support to the families, local experts teams and International Organisations which are working actively to clarify the fate of the Missing Persons.
  35. The Council of Europe and UN IPTF organised a workshop on human rights for local RS police trainers and UN IPTF training staff in Lukavica from 29 June to 2 July. A training manual focusing on the ECHR and other international standards was developed by a consultant and successfully tested during a previous training session in Sarajevo in March. The manual is to be adapted in the light of comments received from the local police officers who participated in the training.

    HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS

  36. Human Rights Chamber: The Human Rights Chamber opened a new office in Banja Luka on 15 July. The Banja Luka office will accept applications and interview applicants who are bringing cases against the Republika Srpska, the State and/or the Federation of BiH. The Human Rights Chamber met in Sarajevo for its Twenty-Seventh Session from 13 to 18 July. During its plenary session, the Chamber considered 42 cases. The Chamber also met as two panels to consider ten more cases. The Chamber’s next session will convene from 7 to 12 September as there is no August session. The Chamber is currently in the process of publishing a compilation of the decisions taken from January 1998 through June 1998. This compilation will be available in English and in the national languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina. [Chamber decisions and reports are available from the Secretariat in Sarajevo or on the Internet at www.gwdg.de/~ujvr/hrch/hrch.htm].

NOTE: The HRCC Human Rights Monthly Report is based on the regular and special reporting of inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations. The aim of the Report is to provide a concise overview of human rights issues, cases and trends affecting the overall human rights situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the reporting period. Questions on specific items should be directed to the reporting organisation or to the HRCC. Please send information for inclusion in the report to 387-71-447-420 to the attention of Michelle Morris or by e-mail to michelle.morris@ohr.int.

Office of the High Representative