BiH Armed Forces need a larger budget, but also respect

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The 15th conference of the General Inspectorate of the BiH Ministry of Defence and inspectors in the commands and units of the BiH Armed Forces was held at the BiH AF Hall in Sarajevo, which, in addition to respecting epidemiological measures, was partially organized via an online platform.

Participants were addressed by the Minister of Defence of BiH Sifet Podžić, Chief of the Joint Staff of the BiH Armed Forces Lieutenant General Senad Mašović, Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Defence and Security of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly Asim Sarajlić, independent executor for defence and civilian command issues over the BiH Armed Forces in the BiH Presidency Ranko Ninković, parliamentary military ombudsman Boško Šiljegović, EUFOR Commander Major General Alexander Platzer, NATO Headquarters Sarajevo Commander Brigadier General Eric Folkenstad, and the General Inspector of the MoD of BiH Brigadier General Mirsad Ahmić, who presented the Work Report for the past year.

Minister Sifet Podžić emphasized the importance of the work of the General Inspectorate of the MoD of BiH for the protection of integrity and human rights in the BiH Armed Forces. He expressed his full support for the work of the General Inspectorate.

“In addition to continuous timely responses to requests for action from inspectors and competent authorities in the chain of command and supervision regarding allegations of irregularities in the defence system, we have all made great efforts to prevent and eliminate the causes of irregularities,” said the minister. “We have ensured the strengthening of strategic planning and action in the area of strengthening integrity and professionalism. The reform of the defence sector in BiH is considered the most successful reform in our society, and we will continue to strive to maintain that perception. Efforts to build the integrity of every individual, institution, and society as a whole will contribute to achieving that goal,” Podžić concluded.

In his address, General Senad Mašović emphasized that the mission of the BiH Armed Forces must be clearly articulated from the very top of the BiH Armed Forces down to the lower levels and that the chain of command plays a key role in building the integrity of the BiH Armed Forces.

“It is up to all of us to contribute to the protection of the dignity of the MoD and the BiH Armed Forces. We must fight for adequate recognition of the significance and role of the BiH Armed Forces, and thus ensure a larger budget for defence needs,” emphasized General Mašović.

The conclusions of the Conference stated that during the past year, 5,544 active military personnel (DVO) of the BiH Armed Forces underwent training on professionalism, ethics, compliance with regulations, gender equality, and the role and significance of inspectors in the defence system. The number of individual reports in 2020 was 520. Of these, 56 percent were anonymous reports, and 49 percent of those processed so far were assessed as unfounded. The conclusions highlighted the assessment of Transparency International (TI), which noted the exceptional progress of the defence sector in the area of integrity and the fight against corruption.