OHR related Articles

The Dayton Agreement ended three and a half years of war, has kept the peace for the last two decades and brought BiH to the doorstep of the EU application process.

As the 20th Anniversary of the Peace Agreement approaches, one thing on which we can all agree is that it brought desperately needed peace to the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina We should never forget that. Peace is a priceless commodity and it should never be taken for granted. But it is the base, not the end state.

The good news is that on October 12 there is an opportunity to get the country moving again - in the right direction.

In recent days we have heard a new round of spurious statements from leadership in Republika Srpska challenging Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which are enshrined in the Dayton Peace Agreement and guaranteed under international law.

BiH citizens are demanding that politicians stop bickering and start tackling corruption and poverty. Tomorrow, the Federation House of Peoples will have an opportunity to show that politicians are listening.

Nelson Mandela will be buried today amid universal recognition of his profound and enduring contribution to South Africa’s transition to multiethnic democracy, and to the struggle for peace and reconciliation throughout the world.

Legal procedures are in place at the state and entity level to ensure that executive and administrative positions are filled in a transparent and efficient way, but – from seats on the BiH Council of Ministers to seats on statutory boards – positions routinely remain unfilled until long after existing mandates should have come to an end.