General Information

Key Events since Dayton

Points of Contact

1995 21 November Representatives from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia successfully conclude peace negotiations in Dayton, Ohio 8-9 December Peace Implementation Conference in London; the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) and its Steering Board are established 12 December Implementation Force (IFOR) begins deployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina 14 December Dayton Peace Agreement is signed in Paris 20-21 December First EU/World Bank Donors' Conference for BiH in Brussels launches the $5.1 billion Priority Reconstruction Program for BiH. Initial pledges made at this conference: $600 million 1996 January First High Representative, Carl Bildt, and his German Deputy Michael Steiner arrive in Sarajevo; the Sarajevo OHR Office is established 9 January The humanitarian airlift to Sarajevo, the longest airlift ever, ends 3 Feb-19 March Transfer from one Entity to the other of areas specified in the Dayton Peace Agreement, notably around Sarajevo 13 April Second EU/World Bank Donors' Conference for BiH in Brussels, boycotted by the RS. Pledges made: $ 1.3 billion 13-14 April PIC Steering Board at the ministerial level in Florence, Italy; requests that President of the Republika Srpska (RS) Radovan Karadzic, an indicted war criminal, step down 7 May First international war crimes trial since Nuremberg and Tokyo begins at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague; the defendant is Dusan Tadic, a Bosnian Serb prison camp guard. In January 2000, after completion of the appeals process, he is sentenced to 20 years imprisonment 13-14 June PIC Conference in Florence 19 July Richard Holbrooke brokers deal with Karadzic to resign from public and party offices 7 September OBN (Open Broadcast Network), BiH's first independent, cross-entity TV network, goes on air 14 September General elections for BiH Presidency, BiH House of Representatives, the Presidency of RS, the RS National Assembly, the Federation House of Representatives and Cantonal Assemblies in the Federation. Alija Izetbegovic (SDA), Momcilo Krajisnik (SDS) and Kresimir Zubak (HDZ) are elected to the BiH Presidency; Biljana Plavsic (SDS) is elected President of the RS 27 November NATO agrees to send follow-up force to BiH (SFOR, Stabilisation Force) to replace IFOR (Implementation Force) 4-5 December PIC Conference in London 8 December Roberts Owen, Presiding Arbitrator for Brcko, announces a two-month extension to the Brcko Arbitration process 1997 14 February Roberts Owen declares interim international supervision of the Brcko area for not less than one year 7 March US Ambassador Bill Farrand is named international Supervisor for Brcko 30 May PIC Steering Board meets at the ministerial level in Sintra, Portugal; the High Representative is directed to suspend media that violate the letter or spirit of the Dayton Peace Agreement and use local news media to reach the population of BiH 18 June Carlos Westendorp arrives in Sarajevo to take over from Carl Bildt as High Representative in BiH July German Ambassador Gerd Wagner assumes the position of Senior Deputy High Representative in Sarajevo 3 July RS President Biljana Plavsic dissolves the RS National Assembly and calls for new RS parliamentary elections, sparking a power struggle between hard liners and moderates in the RS 10 July First detention by SFOR of indicted war criminals in Prijedor; Simo Drljaca is killed in the operation when he opens fire on SFOR; Milan Kovacevic is detained and transferred to The Hague 23-24 July Third EU/World Bank Donors' Conference in Brussels. Pledges made: $ 1.24 billion August US Ambassador Jacques Klein takes up the post of the Principal Deputy High Representative in Sarajevo 11 August BiH Constitutional Court is set up The Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina officially commences operations 13-14 Sept. Municipal elections in BiH 15 September First meeting of Standing Committee on Military Matters (SCMM) On 17 September 1997, five members of the OHR - Senior Deputy High Representative Gerd Wagner, Charles Morpeth, Leah Melnick, Thomas Reinhardt and Juergen Schauf - and seven members of UNMIBH lost their lives in a helicopter crash near Fojnica in central Bosnia. The OHR officials were en route to Bugojno to meet with local authorities to discuss key issues related to peace implementation. The UN officials intended to fly on to Brcko for talks on police reform matters. The OHR remembers the victims of this tragic accident as committed members of a community striving to ensure that the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina can live in peace. It has felt a sense of loss ever since and continues to extend its deepest sympathy to their relatives and friends. At the first anniversary in 1998, a memorial monument was erected near the crash site. 1 October At the request of the HR, SFOR takes control of Serb Radio-Television (SRT) transmitters in the RS; Banja Luka becomes SRT main office, SRT restructuring begins 12 November German Ambassador Hanns Schumacher assumes post of Senior Deputy High Representative 22-23 November Early National Assembly elections in the RS; SDS/SRS lose majority 9-10 December PIC Conference in Bonn; the High Representative (HR) is requested to dismiss obstructive public officials and impose legislation if BiH's legislative bodies fail do so 16 December HR for the first time uses power to pass legislation, imposing the Law on Citizenship of BiH 1998 17 January Milorad Dodik is elected new RS Prime Minister by the RS National Assembly 2 February Launch of neutral car license plates in BiH 3 February Sarajevo Conference: adoption of the Sarajevo Declaration, which promotes minority return to Sarajevo and calls for Sarajevo to become a model of multi-ethnic tolerance 4 February HR imposes Law on the BiH Flag 4 March HR for the first time uses power to remove obstructive officials, dismissing the Mayor of Stolac, Pero Raguz 15 March Roberts Owen, Presiding Arbitrator for Brcko, postpones the decision on Brcko pending final arbitration in late 1998/early 1999 7-8 May Fourth Donors' Conference for BiH in Brussels. Pledges made: $ 1.24 billion 9 June PIC Steering Board meets at the ministerial level in Luxembourg; Luxembourg Declaration 11 June HR establishes the Independent Media Commission (IMC) to regulate both technical and editorial aspects of electronic broadcasting in BiH 19 June HR imposes design of the new BiH currency, the Konvertibilna Marka (KM), which enters circulation on 22 June 22 July HR imposes Framework Law on the Privatisation of Enterprises and Banks in BiH 1 August HR establishes an Independent Experts Commission to prepare a Permanent Election Law for BiH 11 September HR imposes BiH Telecommunications Law 12/13 Sept. General elections for the BiH Presidency, RS Presidency, BiH House of Representatives, Federation House of Representatives, RS National Assembly, municipal and Cantonal elections. Alija Izetbegovic (SDA), Ante Jelavic (HDZ) and Zivko Radisic (SPRS) elected to the BiH Presidency; Nikola Poplasen (SRS) elected RS President 22 November Agreement on Special Relations between the Federation and the Republic of Croatia 15-16 December PIC Conference in Madrid 1999 19 February HR issues Decision transferring command of the Armed Forces in BiH to the BiH Presidency 5 March HR removes Nikola Poplasen from the office of RS President Brcko Arbitration Tribunal announces Final Arbitration Award: the pre-war municipality of Brcko is given the status of a district to be held by the two Entities as a condominium, and administered by independent district authorities 23 March Start of NATO air strikes against the FRY; they end on 9 June 20/21 May Fifth Donors' Conference for BiH in Brussels. Pledges made: $1.05 billion 7 June Inaugural session of the Municipal Assembly in Srebrenica following the 1997 municipal elections is finally held after OSCE-brokered agreement 20 July New Principal Deputy HR, US Ambassador Ralph Johnson, and Senior Deputy HR, German Ambassador Matei Hoffmann, take up their duties 30 July Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe is launched in Sarajevo Outgoing HR Carlos Westendorp issues ten Decisions related to the establishment of public service broadcasting and independent media, an efficient and independent judiciary, and the creation of a climate conducive to return 16 August The new High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, takes up his duties in Sarajevo 8 Sept. HR addresses the North Atlantic Council (NAC) in Brussels, outlining his goals 16 Sept. International Community in BiH launches package of measures to improve the situation in Drvar and Canton 10; HR dismisses Cantonal Justice Minister 22 Sept. HR presents his strategy focusing on three priority areas and the concept of ownership to the Foreign Ministers of the Steering Board at their meeting in New York 27 Oct. HR imposes amendments that finalise and harmonise the property and housing legislation between the two Entities and provide the authorities with detailed instructions on the application of the laws 2 November IMC grants a conditional provisional broadcast licence to Erotel, the main Croat TV broadcaster in BiH; Erotel subsequently rejects the conditions, turning itself into an illegal TV station 8 November HR briefs UN Security Council in New York 15 November The joint BiH Presidency submits to the UN Security Council in New York a Declaration committing themselves to, inter alia, the establishment of a Border Service, Bosnia and Herzegovina's integration in Europe and the full implementation of the property and housing laws 29 November HR removes 22 obstructive public officials from office 30 November Canadian Ambassador Peter Hancock is appointed Head of the OHR Banja Luka Office 10 December The President of the Republic of Croatia, Franjo Tudjman, dies; in 1995, he signed the Dayton Peace Agreement on behalf of the Republic of Croatia 2000 3 January Croatian parliamentary elections held; opposition wins 6 January Norwegian Judge Finn Lynghjem appointed Head of the OHR Mostar Office 12/13 January Following BiH Parliament's House of Representatives' failure to adopt the Law on the State Border Service, the HR imposes it 19 January The BiH Parliaments House of Representatives rejects the draft Election Law, which was drawn up under OHR and OSCE supervision by a working group comprising international and national experts 24 January Croatian presidential elections; Stipe Mesic, a moderate, is elected President 15 February The BiH Parliament's House of Representatives rejects an amended draft of the Election Law 17 February IMC and OHR, supported by SFOR, close down Erotel TV 8 March Brcko District is established in a ceremony attended by international dignitaries. 3 April HR removes Interior Minister of Canton 10 SFOR detains indicted war criminal Momcilo Krajsnik in Pale - the most senior civilian figure so far. This is the 19th suspect to be detained and transferred to The Hague by SFOR 8 April Municipal elections in BiH, resulting in greater party pluralism and significant gains for the opposition in some areas 4 May HR addresses the North Altantic Council in Brussels 9 May HR briefs the UN Security Council 19 May Following the failure of BiH's Parliament to adopt an election law, the Provisional Election Commission, acting on recommendations of the OSCE Permanent Council and the Steering Board, decides that general elections be held in BiH on 11 November under the supervision of the OSCE 23/24 May PIC Conference in Brussels 26 May US Ambassador Gary Matthews is appointed new Supervisor of the Brcko District 6 June The BiH Parliament confirms the appointment of Spasoje Tusevljak as Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Inauguration of the State Border Service at the Sarajevo airport 9 June HR issues Decisions amending the RS Law on the Prosecutors' Office and the RS Law on Courts and Judicial Service 21 June HR and the Head of the OSCE Mission in BiH, Robert Barry, present the Draft Freedom of Information Legislation for BiH to the public 22 June The BiH Parliament House of Representatives confirms the new BiH Council of Ministers 28 June HR issues a Decision suspending the application of the RS Law on Privatisation of State Owned Apartments 11 July 5th anniversary of the fall of Srebrenica 17 July HR issues Decision removing Emin Skopljak from his position in the Telecommunications Regulation Agency 27 July HR issues Decisions removing Ahmed Smajic from his position as Federation Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Forestry, Ramiz Dzaferovic from his position as Director of the Federation Tax Administration and member of the Management Board of the Payment Bureau, and replacing the members of the Board of Governors of RTRS 7 August HR issues a Decision amending the Law on Filling a Vacant Position of the Member of the Presidency of BiH 18 August HR issues a Decision amending the Federation Law on Funds Management Companies and Investment Funds 30 August HR issues a Decision annulling the RS Law on Return of Confiscated Property and Compensation, the RS Law on Return of Seized Real Property, and the RS Law on the Return of Seized Land 8 September HR issues Decision removing 15 public officials - including one Entity Deputy Minister, one Mayor and 13 housing officials - for violation of the property laws 24 September Elections in the FRY followed by street demonstrations in Serbia 26 September Entity Ministers of Education reach agreement that both Latin and Cyrillic alphabets are taught in BiH schools 29 September HR imposes Amendments to the Law on Travel Documents, introducing a single BiH passport with no Entity markings 5 October Milosevic admits that he has lost the elections. Vojislav Kostunica is new President of the FRY. 6 October HR imposes Decision on the integration of the Municipality of Zepce 11 October HR removes the three BiH Demining Commissioners 16 October German Ambassador Matthias Sonn assumes post of Senior Deputy High Representative, replacing Ambassador Matei Hoffmann 23 October HR issues second Decision on restructuring public service broadcasting in BiH 24 October HR issues a Decision on Srebrenica cemetery and monument location 26 October HR addresses the United Nations Security Council OHR, OSCE, UNMIBH, SFOR start joint operation to clean up the Arizona Market near Brcko 11 November General elections scheduled for BiH House of Representatives, RS Presidency and RS National Assembly, Federation House of Representatives, Federation Cantonal Assemblies and the Municipality of Srebrenica

Office of the High Representative Update: November 2, 2000