OHR Press Releases

The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, today enacted State and Entity legislation temporarily prohibiting the disposal of state property anywhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The High Representative took this action in order to protect BiH’s assets. This has become a matter of urgency in view of the fact that recent legislation in the Federation Par [...]

The Office of the High Representative today launched a new webpage that provides comprehensive information on the police restructuring process. The webpage brings together all the core documents related to the work of the Police Restructuring Commission, including the Commission’s conclusions and recommendations, and reviews the options open to BiH [...]

Welcoming the transfer of Gojko Jankovic to the ICTY today the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown said: "I welcome the fact that Gojko Jankovic is finally in The Hague after nearly a decade on the run, and that the RS authorities have carried out his transfer. He stands accused of grave crimes for which he will now answer before a court of law.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s integration in Euro-Atlantic structures cannot be completed until the functionality of its government has been substantially improved. The journey to Europe can be started with the present ramshackle structures, but it cannot be finished unless they are improved, and that can only be done by consensus and agreement, the Hig [...]

The OHR welcomes the transfer of Mico Stanisic to the ICTY today. Mr. Stanisic stands accused of grave crimes, for which he must now answer before the Tribunal. His is the second transfer to the ICTY by the RS authorities, and a further sign that the RS authorities are, 9 years after the Dayton Peace Agreement, starting to take their ICTY responsib [...]

The filing of an indictment is the start of a serious process. The matter is now before the Court of BiH. It will be for the Court to review the indictment and decide whether to confirm it.

High Representative Lord Paddy Ashdown today met 17 young people from all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are a part of the "Youth Voices" – a representative youth consultative group which is working closely with the World Bank country office in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ashdown strongly welcomed the World Bank initiative to closely cooperate wi [...]

The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, in accordance with the BiH Law on the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, last week appointed Jose Ricardo De Prada Solaesa and Finn Lynghjem as Judges of the War Crimes Chamber of both the Criminal and Appellate Divisions of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Nicholas Koumijian as a Prosecutor in the Spec [...]

The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, today commended the BiH Ministry of Defence on its Report into Systemic Weaknesses in Command and Control within the Armed Forces of BiH, released last week. In a letter sent today to BiH Minister of Defence Radovanovic, he welcomed some of the reports recommendations.

Following the letter written by EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn to BiH Prime Minister Adnan Terzic emphasizing the crucial importance of successful police reform for BiH's EU accession process, the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, today reiterated the fact that "a key component of BiH’s efforts to prepare for the negotiation of a Stabiliza [...]