Inzko's Report to Ban Ki-moon: Bosnia and Herzegovina Continues Downward Trajectory

In accordance with his mandate under the Dayton Peace Agreement, High Representative Valentin Inzko submitted a regular report to Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, in which he presented the situation regarding the implementation of the Peace Agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the period from 21 April 2014 to 21 October 2014, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria. 

The High Representative warned that the downward trajectory on which Bosnia and Herzegovina finds itself has, unfortunately, continued and that the biggest problems are caused by obstruction and inefficiency at various levels of government. The social and economic difficulties resulting from such a situation have been further compounded by the catastrophic consequences of the spring floods, which caused damage exceeding two billion euros.

The High Representative stressed that resolving this situation requires „a decisive break with past practices and the beginning of a new way of conducting politics.“

The failure of the authorities to respond successfully to the floods, the continuous challenges to the Dayton Agreement, and anti-democratic election rhetoric represent serious problems, the High Representative said in his report.

He also said that the continued presence of the EU military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina with an executive mandate is of vital importance, as it enables the OHR and other agencies to carry out their mandates and instills a significant degree of confidence among BiH citizens in every part of the country.

He emphasized that during the reporting period, the authorities made no concrete progress towards achieving the goals set by the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council; nor was a fair and constitutional electoral system established in Mostar.

As positive news, the High Representative mentioned that the participation of BiH Armed Forces units in peacekeeping operations around the world continues successfully and that Bosnia and Herzegovina has taken steps towards assuming responsibility for air traffic control from its neighbors following an agreement reached under the auspices of the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) for the BiH Area Control Centre (BH ACC) to become operational. 

The forty-sixth report of the High Representative to the UN Secretary-General is available at www.ohr.int.

The High Representative will address the UN Security Council on 11 November 2014 to directly inform UN Security Council members about the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.