The Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina expressed support to the LGBT community in the country on Friday, a day before the Bosnian capital sees its third Pride event.

“In line with the Constitution and its international obligations, BiH has to provide equal rights to all its citizens. In this respect, the OHR welcomes the efforts of the LGBT community on achieving full equality in BiH society,” said the OHR, the international institution in charge of overseeing the peace process after the 1992-95 Bosnian war and final interpreter of the civilian aspects of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the document which contains Bosnian Constitution.

The third LGBTIQ Pride event is set to take place on August 14 in Sarajevo downtown under the slogan ‘Resistance from the Margins’.

On the same day, a movement called ‘Faith, People, State’ will gather at a different location for an event they called ‘Protest of Honour and Pride’.

Sarajevo Canton authorities earlier announced they would cover additional security costs during the Pride March, which was assessed as a high-risk event.

The first ever Pride March in Bosnia and Herzegovina took place in 2019 with no single incident reported. Due to the pandemic, the march was called off in 2020 and organisers marked the event with a series of online activities.