The Principal Deputy High Representative, Raffi Gregorian calls on BiH Parliamentarians to make clear their commitment to human rights when they vote to appoint three BiH Ombudsmen tomorrow.
“The appointment process must be completed by selecting a candidate because of their training, experience and knowledge,” said the Principal Deputy High Representative.
The Parliamentary Committee responsible for conducting recruitment procedure completed its task objectively and transparently and has sent a list of 24 candidates who met the vacancy requirement to Parliament. Representatives of the Centre for Civic Initiatives, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights and the NGO ‘Nasa Prava’ (‘Our Rights’), were also engaged during the work of the Ad Hoc Committee.
“By taking a decision based on merit the integrity of the institution will be assured” said Raffi Gregorian. The OHR expects the Parliamentary Assembly to act in line with the conclusions of its own appointment committee.
Parliament has the opportunity now to vote publicly on each candidate and the OHR called on parliament to do so.
The process for appointing the BH Ombudsmen as well as the unification of the State and Entity Ombudsmen’s offices was set out in amendments to the Law on Ombudsmen for Human Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted by the BH Parliamentary Assembly on 27 March 2006. The first attempt to appoint BiH’s Ombudsmen collapsed plagued by personal interest and a failure to ensure transparency.
Merging State and Entity Ombudsmen is a Council of Europe post accession requirement for Bosnia and Herzegovina and is a short-term priority in the EU Partnership document with BiH.