Urgent Publication of 2013 Census Results Needed

Representatives of the International Monitoring Operation (IMO) for the Census of Population and Households in Bosnia and Herzegovina held in 2013 met on February 2 and 3, 2016, with representatives of domestic authorities, including the Minister of Civil Affairs Adil Osmanović, in his capacity as Census Coordinator, and the directors of all three statistical agencies in BiH, with the aim of assessing and discussing the achieved results, as well as defining further steps regarding the publication of the final census results, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

The IMO, chaired by Pieter Everaers, Director of EUROSTAT responsible for statistical cooperation with enlargement countries, reiterated the need to complete data processing and preparations for publication without further delay, which is of utmost urgency, especially now that more than two years have passed since the census was conducted.

Although it notes only modest progress made in recent months regarding the resolution of a number of methodological issues necessary for the adoption of a common methodology, the IMO also emphasizes the strong commitment of those responsible for statistics to complete the census activities.

The IMO, with a mandate to monitor compliance with international recommendations and European regulations on population censuses, believes that the preparations for the population census were adequately carried out. It was subsequently assessed that the census proceeded without problems and in accordance with the agreed methodology and international recommendations, throughout the country. Following the census period, successful scanning and data recording ensued.

Bosnia and Herzegovina committed to conducting a population census and has successfully taken the initial steps. In line with this, the IMO once again encourages the agencies and the Statistical Agency to complete the census activities and publish the results, and the Council of Ministers of BiH to provide full support for its completion. This is part of the responsibility that BiH has undertaken by committing to conduct a population census.

The IMO will continue to monitor progress regarding the implementation of the census methodology in accordance with international recommendations, and will closely follow developments in the coming months. The IMO is confident that the remaining key methodological issues will be resolved soon, especially in terms of determining the place of residence of the population.

The European Union considers the population census in BiH one of the key issues, not only because of its importance within the European integration process but also its crucial significance for economic and social planning, which is of particular urgency in the context of the Reform Agenda, of which the population census is an integral part.

The IMO was established by the European Commission in 2012, at the invitation of the Council of Ministers of BiH, to ensure that preparations for the census and its implementation are in line with European and international standards. The IMO comprises representatives from EUROSTAT, which chairs the Steering Committee, as well as the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the United Nations Statistics Division, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).