Floods Revealed Legal Shortcomings: Silver Order Soon for Brave Rescuers in Natural Disasters

The catastrophic floods that struck Bosnia and Herzegovina two years ago revealed shortcomings in the law regarding decorations, so the authorities decided to correct the deficiencies with a Proposal for a Law on Amendments to the Law on Decorations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will be discussed by the deputies of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 17, reports the Patria news agency.

Namely, the Law on Service in the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina provides, in addition to awards and commendations, the possibility for military personnel to be awarded decorations for exceptional bravery and special success achieved in service in units, commands, and institutions.

Article 129 of the same law stipulates that decorations are regulated by a special law, while awards and commendations are regulated by a regulation adopted by the Minister of Defense.

The Law on Decorations of Bosnia and Herzegovina provides for one decoration awarded primarily to military personnel — the "Order of the Golden Coat of Arms of Bosnia and Herzegovina with Swords" — which is awarded by the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina for special merits in the defense of the country, strengthening peace, stability, and military cooperation in the country and the region.

In the previous period, we witnessed commendable results achieved by members of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the implementation of mine action, rescuing people and property from areas affected by natural disasters, and destroying unexploded ordnance.

In order to improve the reward system and provide greater incentives for the participation of members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in rescuing people and property from areas affected by natural, technical, or other disasters, as well as positive economic effects, which is part of the tasks of the mission of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Law on Amendments introduces a new decoration, namely the "Order of the Silver Coat of Arms of Bosnia and Herzegovina with Swords," which would be awarded to persons who achieve outstanding results in performing the aforementioned tasks.

- The goal of the proposed amendment to the Law on Decorations of Bosnia and Herzegovina lies in the intention of the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina to recognize individuals, members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for their demonstrated personal courage and sacrifice in rescuing people and property from areas affected by natural, technical, or other accidents or disasters, as well as in the implementation of mine action and the destruction of unexploded ordnance - these are the reasons for adopting these amendments to the law.