New authorities in BiH must urgently address economic challenges

The Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) met at the level of political directors in Sarajevo on December 9 and 10, 2014, to reaffirm its vision and firm commitment to a stable, democratic, and prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) with more functional institutions, the OHR announced, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

The PIC Steering Board underscored its unequivocal commitment to preserving the territorial integrity and sovereignty of BiH in accordance with international law.

PASSIVE VOTING RIGHT 

Regarding the general elections held in October 2014, the PIC Steering Board welcomed the preliminary assessment by the OSCE ODIHR and the Council of Europe/PACE that the elections were generally held in accordance with international standards for democratic elections, noting, however, that a significant number of citizens still do not have passive voting rights. 

At a meeting with the Presidency of BiH, the PIC Steering Board called on the new authorities to urgently begin addressing the economic and social challenges facing BiH and to create new economic opportunities, especially for young people in BiH, as citizens demand.

The PIC Steering Board called for the priority formation of authorities at all levels in order to finally address the important challenges facing BiH and the problems of its citizens.

The PIC Steering Board underscored its support for BiH's further progress on the Euro-Atlantic path and specifically called on BiH institutions and elected leaders to move beyond the stalemate that is blocking the country's integration path and to implement the most urgent economic reforms defined in the Agreement for Growth and Employment. In this context, the PIC Steering Board strongly supports the strengthened approach and continuous efforts regarding the current EU initiative, which aims to revitalize the reform process in BiH and move the country towards the EU, while maintaining the requirements and conditions for accession to the European Union. (The Russian Federation's opinion is that Euro-Atlantic integration is not the only perspective for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and therefore it does not support this paragraph)

In addition, the PIC Steering Board called on the authorities in BiH to:

- Significantly accelerate the response to the floods and provide assistance to those who are still particularly vulnerable. Furthermore, to take preventive measures and increase flood resilience, including a regional approach, all in accordance with the conclusions of the international donor conference held in Brussels in July 2014 and in coordination with the international community;

Improve the electoral process, particularly regarding the revision of electoral district boundaries and the allocation of mandates, to better reflect the number of registered voters, as well as the work of polling station committees and the regulation of campaign financing;

Respect and implement the decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH, which are final and binding, especially the decision on Mostar, ensuring that Mostar remains a single, coherent, multi-ethnic unit of local self-government, with a certain degree of local powers/administration below the city level;

HIGH-LEVEL CORRUPTION

Prosecute high-level corruption cases; effectively prosecute war crimes in accordance with domestic strategies, with priorities being the most complex and serious cases, and focusing on quality rather than the number of indictments; respect the rules for preventing conflicts of interest in judicial appointments in the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council.

Decisively improve educational reform with the aim of improving educational standards, based on the principles of non-discrimination, non-segregation, and inclusivity. Refrain from negative rhetoric that diverts energy from the urgent reforms needed to generate economic opportunities for all.

NATO member states within the PIC Steering Board and Japan also called on the authorities in BiH to register BiH's prospective military assets as state property of BiH, as requested by the BiH Public Attorney's Office, in accordance with the BiH Law on Defense and fully respecting the decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH, as a prerequisite for activating the NATO Membership Action Plan.

The PIC Steering Board once again expressed its full support for the High Representative, who will continue to ensure full respect for the General Framework Agreement for Peace and carry out his mandate in accordance with Annex 10 and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, which remains unchanged. The PIC Steering Board reminded all parties of their obligation to fully respect the General Framework Agreement for Peace, all its annexes, and the decisions of the High Representative. It emphasized that the international community retains the necessary instruments to preserve the Dayton Peace Agreement.

SUPPORT FOR THE HIGH REPRESENTATIVE 

In this context, the PIC Steering Board reminded the BiH authorities that they must ensure timely access for officials, institutions, and documents to the High Representative and his office. In accordance with Annex 10 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace, all authorities in BiH are obliged to fully cooperate with the High Representative, as well as with international organizations and agencies referred to in Article IX of the General Framework Agreement for Peace.

The PIC Steering Board emphasized the need for the full implementation of the 5+2 program, which remains a prerequisite for the closure of the OHR. The PIC Steering Board will hold its next meeting in Sarajevo on May 26 and 27, 2015.