OHR-OSCE on the Council of Ministers’ Adoption of the Draft Law on Higher Education

The OSCE Mission toBosnia and Herzegovina and the Office of the High Representative (OHR)/ European Union Special Representative (EUSR) take note of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Council of Ministers’ adoption of the State-level Draft Law on Higher Education on 1 June.

This constitutes only a first, albeit important, step in the parliamentary adoption process. Full adoption is an obligation that BiH has entered into within the context of its European Partnership commitments, and the timeline for meeting this obligation is tight.

The State has a responsibility to ensure appropriate procedures for accreditation, recognition of diplomas and quality assurance in line with the Bologna principles.

We strongly urge all political parties and parliamentary delegates to ensure that this long overdue law, which is to provide an appropriate legal framework for implementing the country’s Bologna and Lisbon obligations, is speedily adopted. The students, academics, citizens of BiH expect nothing less from their representatives.