OHR
High Representative Acts To Ensure SIPA Development
At the request of BiH Prime Minister Adnan Terzic the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, today appointed Sredoje Novic as the Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency. The High Representative has issued this Decision following seven months of uncertainty over this appointment. In appointing Director Novic the High Representative has appointed the candidate rated as best qualified by the BiH Council of Ministers’ own Selection Committee.
A functioning SIPA is a key requirement of the BiH Feasibility Study. Strengthening this institution to ensure the effective fight against organised crime in BiH would have been all the more difficult as long as the current uncertainty over the nomination of the Director persisted. The High Representative has acted today to complete the process as set out in the BiH Law on Ministerial and Government Appointments.
The Council of Ministers has, for the last month, been unable to come to a final decision on whom to appoint. In line with the European Union’s clear requirement that politics should be removed from policing the High Representative brought to a conclusion the Council of Ministers’ process of selecting Sredoje Novic, who scored highest among all the candidates in an open competition undertaken by the Council of Ministers’ election Committee under the Law on Ministerial and Government Appointments. The High Representative appointed the most professional candidate.
It is the first duty of any state to ensure the security of its citizens. SIPA has a State level responsibility to fight organised crime, illegal immigration, international terrorism, money laundering, serious economic crime, and to apprehend indicted war criminals. It is too crucial an institution in BiH’s overall rule of law effort to allow such a vacuum to exist at the highest level of the Agency.
Stable KM Sustains BiH Economic Growth
The OHR’s Monthly Economic Report is out today. I have brought along copies. As you know, the idea of the report is to provide a snapshot of the economy by tracking key indicators. The statistics are for March – the latest available. As statistics gathering improves, and we hope it will do so soon, it may become possible to provide more up-to-date figures. The two-month time lag doesn’t send a particularly strong message to prospective international investors that BiH is an efficient modern economy.
The figures themselves, however, are more encouraging. The stable KM continues to underpin a steady improvement in the economy helped along by almost zero inflation. The two stock exchanges are performing well, a clear and consistent indicator of investor interest in BiH, which if it is maintained will translate into new jobs. Finally, exports, which began rising at the beginning of 2004 have continued to expand.
The bad news is that this isn’t yet having a noticeable impact on living standards. This only points up the need for BiH politicians to eliminate unnecessary obstacles to reform so that the solid progress that has been made in rehabilitating the economy, creating jobs and ending poverty can be accelerated.
High Representative Welcomes New SDHR
The High Representative today welcomed Ambassador Dr. Martin Ney, who has taken up his post as Senior Deputy High Representative.
Ambassador Ney’s portfolio as SDHR will include Defence and Intelligence reform, efforts to strengthen BiH’s institutions and reform the public administration, media reform and the establishment of a Public Broadcasting System in line with EU standards, the development of civil society in BiH, and issues related to children and young people.
I have brought along a press release with further details, including the fact that during his military service in the mid 1970s, Ambassador Ney was co-principle flautist in the First German Airforce Band.
OSCE
OSCE/ODIHR publishes two reports on hate crimes and education on the Holocaust and anti-Semitism
Two reports giving an overview of education on the Holocaust and anti-Semitism and the prevention of hate crimes in the OSCE area have been published by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.
The papers are an important step towards the implementation of commitments made by OSCE participating States in late 2003 and 2004 to fight intolerance and discrimination.
The first report, Combating Hate Crimes in the OSCE Region: An Overview of Statistics, Legislation and National Initiatives, addresses violent manifestations of racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination and intolerance.
It highlights key commitments made by OSCE states in 2004, including the collection of reliable information and statistics on hate crimes and the provision of such information to the ODIHR.
Attention is drawn to the fact that while consistent data collection across the OSCE region is essential to combating hate crimes effectively, there is a substantial lack of information on hate crimes in many OSCE participating States.
The report also recommends developing general guidelines for OSCE participating States in order to increase the consistency and quality of statistics and information on hate crimes. It stresses the need for strengthened legislation to combat hate crimes and recommends states to seek the ODIHR’s assistance in the drafting and review of such legislation.
It recognizes the crucial role of law enforcement officers as the first respondents to hate crimes and the need to increase their capacity to identify, investigate and respond effectively to hate-motivated offences. Data collection templates and training programmes have already been developed as part of the ODIHR’s Law Enforcement Training Programme for Combating Hate Crimes.
The report further recommends the establishment of a task force on Combating Hate Crimes which would bring together experts dealing with law enforcement, legislation and criminal justice, education and data collection to ensure that a comprehensive and regional approach for combating hate crimes is pursued.
The second report, Overview and Analysis of Approaches to Education on the Holocaust and on Anti-Semitism, provides background on what is already being done in this field and identifies good practices.
The first part of the study is based on information provided by national ministries of education, national delegations of the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research (ITF), experts, educators, Jewish communities and NGOs in response to a questionnaire. With a response from 54 out of the 55 OSCE states, the importance of Holocaust remembrance and education has been documented clearly across the OSCE region.
The report identifies gaps and areas where teaching about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism needs to be strengthened. A main finding suggests that Holocaust education cannot be used, either preventively or as a corrective, against all contemporary manifestations of anti-Semitism. Therefore, it is important that the history of the Holocaust and present-day anti-Semitism are treated as distinct subjects.
The second part of the report constitutes a first step in this regard: using country overviews on four OSCE States, it highlights the need to supplement Holocaust education in response to new forms of anti-Semitism and provides a number of recommendations.
Both reports will be presented at the 8 and 9 June OSCE Conference on Anti-Semitism and on Other Forms of Intolerance in Cordoba, Spain, along with other projects and initiatives undertaken by the ODIHR to support OSCE States in implementing their OSCE commitments.
EUPM
The European Union Police Mission (EUPM) Commissioner Kevin Carty received the letter from Dragomir Andan, RS Police Director, dated 4 June 2005. After having carefully looked at Mr. Andan’s letter, Commissioner Carty is pleased to note that Director Andan finally acknowledged that he had no intelligence or evidence to support the claims he made on 10 May 2005, in reference to the Madrid terrorist bombing. Furthermore, the Commissioner finds it satisfying that Mr. Andan publicly recognized that his statement was unprofessional and misleading.
EUFOR
The EUFOR British Contingent are conducting a Charity Marathon Relay Run from Banja Luka to Sarajevo from Friday, 11th June through the night to arrive early on Saturday morning at Sarajevo Hospital at approximately eight o’clock. The run is being undertaken to raise a massive 15.000 Euros to provide an incubator to save critically ill babies. The money raised will be donated to Child Advocacy International who will purchase the incubator. This paediatric incubator will be used to replace outdated facilities in Banja Luka Hospital.
When the runners arrive on Saturday morning at eight o’clock they will be greeted by the United Kingdom military band of The Parachute Regiment.
The Parachute Band are currently on tour in the BiH from 9th until the 11th June performing in Mostar and Sarajevo.
This is one of the principal bands in the British Army that performs throughout the world. Their job in the army is as bandsmen and women, however, they also have an operational role to provide medical support in military operations.
The press are invited to attend this memorable event on Saturday morning at eight o’clock to witness the runners completing their 210 km Charity Marathon Relay Run.
NATO
No statement.
RTQs
Journalist: Question for NATO. Do you have any details on visit of Mr. Burns to Sarajevo these days?
NATO: I can tell you that he will be meeting with General Schook today. I have no idea time it’s going to be.