Among the main obstacles to progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina are corruption and “politicians who focus narrowly on ethno-nationalist goals,” United States ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said after Bosnia’s international administrator presented his latest report on the implementation of BiH’s peace agreement to the UN Security Council on Tuesday.
High Representative Valentin Inzko, who is tasked with overseeing the civilian implementation of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, which also contains Bosnia’s Constitution, reports to the UN Security Council on the situation in the country every six months.
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Inzko warned in his latest report about the rhetoric of a “peaceful dissolution” of Bosnia and Herzegovina which comes from the country’s semi-autonomous Republika Srpska (RS) entity.
Thomas-Greenfield started her address by thanking Inzko for his “tireless service” since his last briefing to the UN.
“The US position on the Dayton Peace Accords and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s future as a single state destined for the Euro-Atlantic community remains unchanged. We are committed to the principles of Dayton (agreement) that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a democratic, multi-ethnic, sovereign and independent state with unquestioned territorial integrity,” she said, stressing that “there is no future for either of the entities outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
She said that the United States supports the “essential role” of the High Representative in Bosnia and argued that the country “must meet the specific criteria” established by the international body overseeing Bosnia’s peace process, the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) – the 5 + 2 Agenda – “in order to graduate from international supervision.”
“Now is the time for renewed focus and action toward completing this agenda,” she said, adding that this means primarily “tackling the rampant corruption that threatens the rule of law in BiH.”
She noted that corrupt politicians, a judiciary under political influence and public offices that promote personal or party interests “all enable corruption to thrive” in BiH.
“The result – the country is losing all its talented young people, as you heard from the High Representative this morning. They are emigrating to countries where they have greater opportunities, where they will be rewarded for their hard work and where governments can be counted on to protect their rights and be responsive to their needs,” she said.
“The only solution is for BiH’s politicians to strengthen their institutions and laws that fight crime and safeguard human rights and fundamental freedoms. BiH must be willing to adopt international legislative standards to ensure agencies are sufficiently funded and are autonomous. Specifically, we agree with the High Representative that the adoption of the Brcko District law on the prevention of conflict of interest can serve as a model.”
The second main obstacle to progress after corruption is “politicians who focus narrowly on ethno-nationalist goals,” she said.
“The people of BiH question why major party leaders are more focused on rhetorical battles than achievable reforms like fighting corruption and discrimination or improving the economy and the electoral process,” Thomas-Greenfield argued.
“There are no elections in BiH in 2021,” she noted, repeating statements by US State Secretary Anthony Blinken from his recent letter to Bosnia’s tripartite Presidency – “that presents an opportunity to make necessary electoral and constitutional reforms.”
“It’s time to move BiH closer to EU standards, while also addressing rulings by the European Court of Human Rights. The US along with others in the international community will do all we can to promote compromise on a package deal among the parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” she said.
She urged BiH officials to “address the election integrity recommendations” of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) in order to prepare for the 2022 general election in the country.
“Everyone deserves to know that their vote counts. This includes the people of BiH,” she said, expressing agreement with Inzko that the government in Bosnia’s Federation (FBiH) entity “should be formed without delay.”
“We look forward to the full satisfaction of previously established objectives and conditions for the closure of the Office of the High Representative,” Thomas-Greenfield concluded.
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