NGOs and Civil Society
- Human Rights House and Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in BiH Coalition of NGOs in BiH "Elections 2000": The Human Rights House and the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in BiH have established an NGO coalition to be formalised on February 25, 2000. The coalition is open to all NGOs which deal with elections, human rights, democratisation, youth and women organisations, as well as others that have an interest in actively joining the coalition activities. The coalition focus and work on the education and motivation of voters, public discussion concerning the draft election law, as well as monitoring elections and implementation of the election results.
Policy Developments
- On January 25, 2000, the Human Rights Task Force (HRTF) met to review and endorse priorities for the year 2000 with respect to human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The HRTF, which is chaired by the High Representative, is comprised of the principals of the main international organizations present in BiH as well as the domestic human rights institutions. In its annual meeting, the HRTF endorsed a program of priorities addressing issues such as property, education, employment, pensions; rule of law and transparency in administration; and strengthening of domestic human rights capacity. The HRTF notes that a major obstacle for the full realization of human rights in BiH remains official obstruction. It also said that all citizens of BiH, regardless of their ethnicity, gender or political opinion, must be able to expect equal treatment by the authorities, be it the police, the judiciary or the administrative bodies. (A full copy of the HRTF Document "Human Rights Priorities for 2000" is available from the HRCC).
Human Rights Documents: November 1999 - January 2000
Council of Europe for the World Bank, "Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Governance, Finance and Administration", 10 November 1999.
CRPC and UNHCR, " Return, Local Integration & Property Rights", November 1999.
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, "Report about Human Rights Situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, January - December 1999", 31 December 1999.
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, "Position of Media in BH within Context of Human Rights, January - December 1999", December 1999.
HRCC, "Guidelines to the Field. #4: Guidelines on the Prosecution of Authorities for Failing to Properly Execute their Duties," December 16, 1999.
HRCC, " Accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Council of Europe: Progress Review # 5", January 16, 2000.
Judicial System Assessment Programme (JSAP) of UNMIBH, "Arrest Warrants, Amnesty and Trial in Absentia.", December 1999.
Judicial System Assessment Programme (JSASP) of UNMIBH, "Interim report on Delays in Detention", February 2000.
Ombudsmen of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, " Special Report on the Freedom of Information and Legal Regulation of Slander and Libel on the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina", 22 December 1999.
UNHCR, "Extremely Vulnerable Individuals: the need for Continuing International Support in Light of the Difficulties to Reintegration Upon Return", November 1999.
UNMIBH, "Arrest and Police Custody Procedures in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Results of an IPTF Micro-audit", 4 November 1999.
UN Report on Srebrenica - Report of the Secretary General Pursuant to General Assembly Resolution 53/35 (1998), November 1999
HRCC Member Organizations
OHR: Under the Annex 10 of Dayton Agreement, the Office of the High Representative is tasked with co-ordination of civilian aspects of peace implementation in Bosnia. OHR maintains a regional human rights presence, and works closely with other agencies who monitor the human rights situation, to develop strategies and co-ordinate interventions. For more information about the OHR generally or about human rights specifically, please contact:
- Office of the High Representative
- Emerika Bluma 1
- Sarajevo, Bosnia
- tel: 387-71-447-275
- fax: 387-71-447-420
- web: http://www.ohr.int
OSCE: The OSCE mandate derives form Article 10 of Annex 6 of the Dayton Agreement. The Human Rights Department advances civil, political, social and economic rights including property, return, education, employment, and others. The Human Rights Department interprets its mandate to include inter alia: monitoring on and investigating allegations of human rights abuses and training of national NGOs. Its 28 Field Offices and 4 Regional Centers allow the OSCE to ensure the full coverage of the territory of BiH and makes the organisation a direct actor in addressing human rights-related issues.
- OSCE Human Rights Department
- Dzenetica Cikma 2/4
- Sarajevo, Bosnia
- tel: 387-71-444-444
- fax: 387-665-236
- web: http://www.oscebih.org
UNHCR: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is the lead organisation for the implementation of Annex 7 of the Dayton Agreement, which guarantees the right of refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes of origin. UNHCR provides international protection and assistance to refugees and displaced persons, and other persons of concern. For more information about UNHCR in Bosnia, please contact:
- UNHCR
- Unis Building Tower A
- Fra Andela Zvizdovica 1
- Sarajevo, Bosnia
- tel: 387-71-666-160
- fax: 387-71-470-171
- web: http://www.unhcr.ch
UNMIBH/IPTF Human Rights Office: The existence of International Police Task Force is mandated by Annex 11 of the Dayton Agreement. Under Security Resolution 1088, the IPTF's work includes "investigating or assisting with investigations into human rights abuses by law enforcement personnel." The main objectives of the Human Rights Office are to: investigate human rights violations by law enforcement agents; design remedial measures to correct such violations; and to monitor and ensure the implementation of corrective measures. To implement these objectives, the Human Rights Office carries out investigations into serious incidents of police misconduct and conducts comprehensive inspections of law enforcement agencies to address persistent endemic institutional deficiencies. The Human Rights Office is comprised of 145 International police and 17 international civilian staff, deployed throughout the country.
- UNMIBH
- Mese Selimovica 69
- Sarajevo
- tel: 387-71-496-265
- fax: 387-71-496-539
OHCHR: As of December 1998, the OHCHR in Bosnia and Herzegovina is part of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG, in charge of the UNMIBH). It focuses its activities on human rights training and on issues of gender and discrimination, with particular emphasis on social and economic rights. It continues to support the mandate of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights and participates in the work of the Human Rights Co-ordination Centre (HRCC) of the OHR. The legal authority for its presence is based on annual resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights as well as Article XIII of Annex 6 of the Dayton Agreement.
- Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
- PTT building, Mese Selimovica 18
- 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia
- tel: 387 71 49 6402, 6403
- fax: 387 71 49 6438
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