OHR notes that the BiH House of Representatives Commission on Constitutional and Legal Affairs has conclusively determined the constitutionality of the Draft Law on the State Border Service. This determination is not surprising in light of the Presidential Statement of 24 June 1999, which affirmed the constitutional basis for the Draft Law.
OHR reminds the BiH House of Representatives that the tenets of the New York Declaration, and the principles of the establishment of the State Border Service, as submitted by the BiH Presidency to the United Nations Security Council on 15 December 1999, are not open to revision or amendment, and that the tenets of these documents shall be upheld by the Draft Law on State Border Service.
OHR encourages the BiH House of Representatives to adopt the Draft Law on State Border Service as submitted by the Presidency at its next session on Tuesday. It is hoped that the BiH Parliament will send a message to the citizens of BiH that the Government is indeed moving forward with implementing the minimum requirements for integration with its European partners.