 |
Presidency Meetings
- The fourth session of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH)
met at the National Museum in Sarajevo on 1 November. Discussions on
the formation of the common institutions, in particular the Council of
Ministers, continued. A statement released following the meeting sharply
condemned all cases of destruction of houses in both the Federation and
the Republika Srpska (RS), and urged the responsible authorities to take
strong measures against any such actions. The Presidency announced its
support for the activities of associations dealing with problems of
displaced persons, refugees and missing persons.
- The Presidency met again at the Electro-technical Faculty in Lukavica
on 5 November for its fifth session. The report of the Working Group on
the Organisation of the Council of Ministers was considered, although no
agreement was reached on the structure of the Council of Ministers or
the function of the Chair. It was decided that this issue would be
further discussed at the next session. After considering the report of
the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jadranko Prlic, on the staffing of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the Embassies and Consulates of
BH, preliminary views were exchanged on the distribution of posts in
accordance with the Constitution. Preparations for the 14 November
meeting in Paris were also considered and it was concluded that the
previously appointed Working Group would continue its preparatory work
on the draft text of the Joint Platform for the next session.
Other points agreed by the Presidency included the following:
- The Presidency adopted the Provisional Rules of Procedure of the
Presidency and agreed to elaborate further provisional rules in
collaboration with the OHR.
- The Presidency expressed its extreme concern about the illegal
evictions in both the Federation and the RS and urged the responsible
authorities to take energetic measures against such occurrences.
- Members of the Working Group for the Preparation of the 1997 budget of
BH were appointed.
- The Presidency noted the frequent employment of incorrect references
to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the two entities. They requested all
authorities to employ the proper terms: "Bosnia and Herzegovina", the
"Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina" and "Republika Srpska".
Federation Assembly
Both Houses of the Federation Assembly met separately in Sarajevo on 6
November for their respective constituent sessions. The 140 member House
of Representatives elected Abdulah Konjicija (SDA) as its preliminary
President and Stjepan Mikic (HDZ) as Vice President. The House of
Peoples met later in the day, electing Mariofil Ljubic (HDZ) as its
President and Mirsad Ceman (SDA) as Vice President. The Federal Assembly
meetings resulted in the adoption of the Federation flag and coat of
arms and election of the delegation of Federation members for the BH
House of Peoples.
Steering Board
The Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) met in
Brussels on 7 November under the Chairmanship of the High
Representative, Carl Bildt. The meeting concentrated on preparations for
the Steering Board Ministerial meeting in Paris the following week and
the full PIC in London on 4-5 December. Mr. Bildt described the process
of forming the Joint Institutions as moving forward "millimetre by
millimetre" but said he was "cautiously optimistic" about progress.
Right To Return
- The Working Group on Return and Reconstruction in the Zone of
Separation (ZOS) held its second meeting under the chairmanship of
Principal Deputy High Representative, Ambassador Michael Steiner. The
meeting was attended by representatives from OHR, UN IPTF, IFOR/ARRC,
UNHCR and the European Commission. Ambassador Steiner underlined the
consensus of the international community to support the Procedure to
Return to the ZOS as a priority. IFOR/ARRC informed of the reduction of
bombing incidents since the recent high-level interventions and Mr.
Steiner's visit to Prijedor and Drvar. It was agreed to begin work on a
comprehensive data base on the present situation of villages in the ZOS
and their potential return capacities and to co-ordinate further steps
to operationalise international efforts to facilitate return and
reconstruction in the ZOS. This serves the double aim of making return
possible in a part of BH for which the international community bears a
special responsibility and to transform the ZOS from a band of
devastation into a zone of co-operation, reducing the mental barrier
against inter-Entity contacts and movements.
- UNHCR reported that as of 2 November, the three Commissions for
Returns to the ZOS established for Brcko, Mahala and Jusici had
processed more than 600 applications of individuals wishing to return to
their homes. A number of approved applicants have already moved back and
started work on repairing their homes. The Commission for Doboj began
work on 1 November and approved 90 applications for returns to the
villages of Svetlica and Stanici Rijeka as of 5 November. The Lopare
Commission will begin its work on 7 November, with others being
established in the coming weeks. The procedures for assessing approval
are a direct result of the 15 October meeting held in the OHR which
addressed the issue of the right of refugees to return to their homes in
the ZOS in a safe and orderly manner.
The UNHCR is also developing proposals for funding of reconstruction
work in some priority villages in the ZOS which will be submitted to
the European Commission for consideration.
IFOR
On November 7, IFOR Commander Admiral Joseph Lopez handed over his
duties to General William Crouch at a ceremony held in Sarajevo Airport.
The ceremony was attended by the Secretary-General of NATO, Javier
Solana, and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, George Joulwan as well
as Members of the BH Presidency, Mr. Izetbegovic, Mr. Zubak and Mr.
Krajisnik. Lopez, Crouch , Solana and Joulwan discussed the future
status of IFOR with the Presidency Members at a meeting held after the
ceremony.
Human Rights
- The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
issued a statement on 30 October calling on all Parties to comply with
their obligation to immediately arrest indicted war criminals, and
appealed to the international community to "take appropriate measures to
see its own decisions enforced". UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights
Elisabeth Rehn echoed the Tribunal's statement on the same day. Carl
Bildt, the High Representative, made clear that he believed instruments
should be found to bring indicted war criminals to the Hague. Those who
had contributed to the creation of the ICTY must ensure that continuing
non-compliance did not make a complete mockery of the international
community.
- UN IPTF Commissioner Fitzgerald wrote to the RS Minister of Internal
Affairs, Mr. Dragan Kijac, on 31 October to demand that the RS
authorities act immediately to arrest and surrender to the Hague any RS
police officers who have been indicted by ICTY. The Commissioner told a
press conference that UN IPTF had assigned a senior officer to
investigate whether four indicted war criminals named in a recent media
report were currently serving in the RS police force, and to clarify why
information had not been passed through the UN IPTF reporting chain in a
more timely manner.
- Commissioner Fitzgerald wrote again to Mr. Kijac on 4 November
expressing concern about reports that the former Prijedor police chief,
Simo Drljaca still appeared to be working in an official capacity at the
Prijedor Security Centre. Drljaca, who was to be relieved of his duties
following an armed confrontation with IFOR troops on 16 September, has
been seen by IPTF inside the Security Centre and driving a police car
since his reported replacement. Human Rights Watch report that Mr.
Drljaca is believed to be responsible for serious human rights
violations in the Prijedor area both during and after the war.
- The Principal Deputy High Representative, Ambassador Michael Steiner,
convened a principals-level Human Rights Task Force (HRTF) meeting on 7
November to discuss plans for human rights implementation and
co-ordination efforts for 1997. Senior representatives of OSCE, UN
IPTF, UN Civil Affairs, UNHCR, the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, ECMM, ICRC, IFOR
and the Commission on Human Rights (Annex 6) discussed human rights
priorities and objectives for the coming months, including
institution-building, NGO support, training, public information, rule of
law initiatives, and monitoring activities, among other issues. A broad
consensus was reached concerning the need to better integrate human
rights activities of the international community at an operational level
and to enhance mechanisms to address non-compliance with the human
rights provisions of the Peace Agreement.
- UN Civil Affairs is looking into reports that Serb men between the
ages of 16 - 60 in the Ilidza area have been receiving pre-draft
interview notices from the local Federation Defence Department. UN staff
have been visited by several men who say that they have been summoned
for "discussions" about military service duties and were notified that
failure to respond could be actionable under Federation military
decrees. Local Serb community organisations claim that the notices are
intended to increase pressure on Serbs remaining in the Sarajevo area.
- UN IPTF report that minority groups and opposition party members
continue to be threatened in both Entities of BH. Recent incidents of
intimidation have occurred in Teslic, Ripac, Livno, Cazin, Vares,
Zenica, and Maglaj as well as the Sarajevo suburbs of Vogosca and
Ilidza. The increased tensions in Mostar reported by international
organisations in recent weeks remain of particular concern.
Humanitarian Affairs
- The Dayton Property Commission for Real Property Claims of Displaced
Persons and Refugees will begin on 11 November to process claims of
temporary residents in three newly established offices in Sarajevo,
Lukavica and Mostar. A press release issued by the Commission this week
encouraged temporary residents residing in Sarajevo, Lukavica, Capljina,
Stolac or Neum to make an application to obtain their property back. The
Commission deals with all kinds of property and all types of property
rights, including ownership, lawful possession and occupancy rights.
Anyone who lost possession of their real property is entitled to make a
claim with the Commission. More Commission offices are expected to be
established throughout BH in the coming months to deal with the
multitude of claims.
- On 6 November the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies, together with the Red Cross of BH, launched their
winter campaign. The campaign, which focuses its efforts on the most
needy, seeks to encourage people to visit their vulnerable neighbours
and to help with essential tasks during the winter. A variety of
activities and initiatives under the common heading "Help Can't Wait"
are included in the campaign which will be supplemented by the
distribution of Winter Survival Kits and by the establishment of
additional Mobile Red Cross Teams. Donors funding these activities
include the Red Cross Societies and governments of Sweden, the UK, the
Netherlands, Denmark and Italy.
Constitutional Court
The President of the European Court of Human Rights recently announced
the appointment of Mr. Hans Danelius, Professor Louis Favoreu and
Professor Joseph Marko as the international members of the
Constitutional Court of BH. The announcement follows consideration of
the nominations by the BH Presidency on 29 October.
Economic Issues
- A recent statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
announced that the Government of BH, in cooperation with the World Bank,
has created an agency for the purpose of supervising the disbursement of
donors' funds in the reconstruction programme. The agency will serve as
a preventive measure against any potential cases of corruption whilst
seeking to maintain control of the disbursement of the donors' funds
towards reconstruction of BH, including a utilisation of funds by both
national and international subjects. The agency will be composed of
national and foreign experts and its activities will be financed by the
Netherlands Government.
- On 5 November, at the electrical substation in Jablanica, Baroness
Chalker, UK Minister for Overseas Development, marked the return to
service of the 220kv line by energising the critical section between
Jablanica and Mostar. She was assisted by Canadian Ambassador Serge
Marcoux and several Japanese officials including Mr. Nishada, Deputy
Director of the Economic Cooperation Bureau. This represents part of a
series of inter-Entity power projects developed under the UK Initiative
with co-funding from the Japanese and Canadian Governments.
Media Issues
- In a trial against the opposition weekly newspaper, Alternativa which
was monitored by the OHR, OSCE, UN IPTF and other organisations, the
Doboj Court on 7 November passed sentence on two editors. One of the
editors was found not guilty and the other was given a one month
suspended sentence and fined 200 dinars. The RS Minister for Veterans
Affairs and the General Director of PTT Doboj had accused Alternativa's
two editors of libel relating to a 17 July article allegedly implicating
the local SDS branch in a campaign to disrupt opposition political party
activities prior to the national elections. The article was, in fact, a
communiqué by the President of the Municipal Council, an SPRS member,
which was printed in full by Alternativa. The Glas Srpski printing house
in Banja Luka suspended publication of Alternativa on 31 October after
the paper covered the company's refusal last month to continue printing
the independent newspapers Novi Prelom and Nezavisine Novine for
"technical reasons."
In an effort to bolster the independent press, OHR, OSCE and ECMM are
cooperating in support of an initiative to launch an independent and
financially self-sustaining publishing house in the RS which would be
run by a board composed of international and local representatives. The
proposed publishing house is seen as a viable long-term means of
guaranteeing the presence of alternative media in the RS. International
donors are already funding several independent media projects in the RS
and are expected to also support the new printing house.
- TV-IN continues to broadcast its programmes on both sides of the
inter-Entity boundary line. Its half-hour news programme, TV-INFO, which
is produced at the central hub in Sarajevo but draws on reports from all
of the network stations, is now watched in all of the main urban centres
in BH. The correspondent team of Bosnian Serb journalists in Banja Luka
is being built up under the guidance of an experienced Swedish producer,
Alberto Herskowitz.
Looking Ahead
- 12 and 13 November:
- Sir Arthur Watts, special negotiator for
succession issues, will meet in a plenary session with delegations of
all five States in Brussels to continue discussions on succession
issues.
- 14 November:
- PIC Steering Board Meeting at the Ministerial level,
Paris.
- 4 - 5 December:
- Full Meeting of the PlC, London
See our Chronology for a full list of activities
The OHR Bulletin is produced by the Public Affairs Department of the Office
of the High Representative in Sarajevo and aims to give an overview of what is
happening on the ground in the civilian implementation of the Dayton Agreement.
Suggestions and contributions are welcome and
should be addressed to the Public Affairs Department of the Office of the High
Representative in Sarajevo (387-71) 447 275 ext. 562, Fax (387-71) 447 420. Callers from outside BH dial via Brussels switchboard: Tel. (32-2) 737 7500 & Fax (32-2) 737 7501
OHR Bulletin nr. 24, issued 8 November 1996.
|
