The High Representative has made it clear that the RS Government’s positions of 14 December 2009 and the RS National Assembly Conclusions of 28 December 2009 violate the Dayton Peace Agreement by refusing to implement the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina enacted by the High Representative and by proposing to hold of a referendum challenging the Dayton Peace Agreement. 

The Peace Implementation Council in its entirety is clear that the authority of the High Representative to make binding decisions directly derives from Annex 10 of the Dayton Peace Agreement as endorsed by the Peace Implementation Council and reconfirmed by several United Nations Security Council resolutions adopted under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

The Peace Implementation Council also emphasizes to the Republika Srpska authorities that they cannot substitute their own interpretation of the Peace Agreement to that of the High Representative. The Peace Implementation Council reminds the Republika Srpska authorities that under the Dayton Peace Agreement, the High Representative is the final authority in theatre regarding the interpretation of the civilian implementation of the peace settlement.

The Republika Srpska Government must respect the Dayton Peace Agreement in its entirety and not challenge actions undertaken on the basis of Dayton and UN Security Council Resolutions adopted under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, and come into compliance with outstanding decisions taken on the basis of these authorities. 

In June 2009 the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board reminded the authorities and political party leaders that BiH is an internationally recognized sovereign state whose territorial integrity is guaranteed by the Dayton Peace Agreement. Any challenge to the basic features of the Dayton Peace Agreement is considered as unacceptable, including unilateral actions aiming at endangering the constitutional order of BiH.

The PIC Steering Board will keep the situation under constant review.