Mostar Process Continues
As you know, the High Representative addressed the UN Security Council yesterday. This was his last address to the Council in his capacity as High Representative. In his review of the progress that has been made in Bosnia and Herzegovina since the beginning of this year the High Representative identified the steps taken to unify Mostar as a significant example of overall progress in BiH.
The High Representative noted that at the end of this month the OHR unit dedicated to supporting the re-integration of Mostar will be closed, having successfully completed its work. “Most of Mostar’s municipal institutions have been unified or are in the process of being unified,” the High Representative said. “A majority of local civil service positions have now been filled, under the new EU-standard Civil Service Law. Nevertheless, a small but worrying number of the most sensitive issues, such as street names and the ownership of the local Croat television station, have still to be resolved. They should be soon.”
The High Representative emphasised that there is more work to be done, and he warned that some hardliners continue to try to disrupt the forward momentum that has been achieved, by putting ethnic division above the interests of Mostar and its long suffering citizens. But he made it clear that, despite some tasks that are still to be completed, the Mostar process offers clear testimony that far more unites the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina than divides them.
Legal Status of Cultural Institutions of BiH Must Be Resolved
The Senior Deputy High Representative, Martin Ney, will hold a meeting today with the directors of the seven cultural institutions of BiH.
Despite their importance for the historical and cultural identity of the country, the state-level status of these institutions, as provided for by the Annex IV of the Dayton Peace Agreement, has not been acknowledged by authorities of BiH. As a result of this they have faced and are continuing to face enormous financial and administrative problems in providing valuable services to the benefit of all citizens of BiH. Also, opportunities for building up tourism in BiH are being missed.
The seven institutions are the National Museum of BiH, the BiH Museum of History, the National and University Library of BiH, the Art Gallery of BiH, the BiH Museum of Literature and Theatre Arts, the BiH Library for Blind and Vision Impaired Persons, and the National Film Archives of BiH.
The meeting will focus on how to resolve the legal, financial and administrative challenges faced by these institutions. Immediately after the meeting, Ambassador Ney and the seven directors will hold a press conference on Wednesday, 16 November, 2005 at 16.00 hrs, at the OHR Sarajevo office.