Komsic at UNSC: Political crises in BiH driven by goal of secession, no conditions for closure of OHR

Citing the latest report by High Representative Christian Schmidt, Komsic said the past six months had been marked by “a series of politically manufactured crises, largely linked to the actions of Milorad Dodik”.

“The purpose of the crisis, expressed through the creation of parallel judicial and other institutions, is the secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Komsic told the Council.

He argued that Schmidt’s decisions had merely been used as a pretext for destabilization, while the real agenda was long-term and strategic.

“The true intention is the long-term implementation of secession. This attempt has been halted for now thanks to the intervention of international actors, but the activists behind it will not give up,” Komsic said.

He stressed that political attacks on Schmidt were in fact aimed at undermining the very existence of the Office of the High Representative - a key pillar of the Dayton Peace Agreement.

“The goal is not Schmidt as an individual. The goal is to delegitimize the institution of the OHR so that it can be abolished. If the OHR were eliminated, it would represent a direct threat to the Dayton Agreement and could lead to its collapse,” he said.

Although he acknowledged that he had also criticized Schmidt’s decisions in the past, Komsic insisted that the OHR remains legally mandated under Annex 10 of the Dayton Agreement.

“There is not a single formal basis for closing the OHR. The 5+1 conditions have not been met,” Komsic noted, referring to the criteria set in 2008 for the transition away from international supervision.

He warned that efforts to dismantle the OHR are “an attack on the internal structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina” and could endanger peace and stability in the wider region.

Komsic criticized BiH’s current constitutional-political model, arguing that what is commonly called “ethnic power balance” is actually “a permanent generator of ethnic imbalance and conflict.”

“Bosnia and Herzegovina must become a democratic state without discrimination, based on equal rights for all citizens, with full protection of human rights and the rule of law,” he said.

He called for the start of a “transition period” that would allow constitutional and institutional reforms aimed at moving the country beyond the rigid ethnic framework imposed in 1995.

Komsic urged UN member states and international partners to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in moving beyond the post-war phase toward a modern democratic system.

“I appeal to all of you who wish well for Bosnia and Herzegovina: we need your support to begin a transition period in which we will carry out necessary constitutional and legal reforms, with your assistance, to build a modern democratic state based on the rule of law and human rights.”

He warned that delaying such reforms would carry dangerous consequences.

“Anything else is dangerous — not only for the stability and security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but for the entire region and potentially the European continent,” Komsic concluded.