BiH signs Declaration on the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel: Most killed in Gaza

(Patria) - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedin Konaković participated, during his stay in New York on the margins of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in the signing ceremony of the Declaration on the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. The Declaration, authored by Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, reaffirms existing obligations under international law in this area and was inspired by the need to draw attention to the protection of humanitarian personnel in armed conflicts in the current international context.

It was emphasized that many humanitarian workers have been killed during the war in Ukraine and that the number of humanitarian workers killed in Gaza is the highest in history. On this occasion, Bosnia and Herzegovina once again confirmed its firm commitment to these principles and the preservation of the vital role of humanitarian action as a lifeline for civilians in times of war.

Minister Konaković continued his stay in New York today by participating in an informal meeting of foreign ministers of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (AII), at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of the Republic of North Macedonia, Timcho Mucunski.

The minister reiterated our country's shared commitment to regional cooperation and European integration. He congratulated North Macedonia on assuming the presidency of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, as well as the European Union Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR).

He particularly praised the decision of the Macedonian presidency to prioritize the issue of European Union enlargement to the Western Balkans. He assessed that this timely focus aligns our regional vision with key European aspirations, adding that the war in Ukraine further underscores EU enlargement as a strategic response to current geopolitical challenges, such as strengthening peace, unity, and resilience across Europe.

The minister specifically highlighted the importance of including EU enlargement as a horizontal theme in the revised EUSAIR Action Plan, assessing that this sends a strong message that both EU member states and candidate countries must act jointly and decisively to achieve common goals.

"Enlargement should not be viewed as a technical exercise, but as a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability, and prosperity - not only in the Adriatic-Ionian region but across Europe," Minister Konaković stated.

He reminded that Bosnia and Herzegovina currently presides over the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) and emphasized that our country, by participating in two macro-regional strategies, has a unique opportunity to act as a bridge between EUSAIR and EUSDR. In this context, he announced a joint meeting of national coordinators of both strategies in November, as well as the organization of the EUSDR Annual Forum in Sarajevo on November 5 and 6, 2025.

"Accelerating the EU enlargement process will be a key topic of the ministerial meeting in Sarajevo, where we will once again confirm the strategic importance of integration for the long-term stability and prosperity of both our region and the EU," concluded Minister Konaković.