32 years ago, BiH became a UN member, flag with lilies raised

(Patria) - Bosnia and Herzegovina became a member of the United Nations on May 22, 1992 (Resolution 757), thus becoming a contracting party to all conventions and agreements ratified by SFRY as its successor.

The relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Nations are conditioned by the current international political and economic situation, which is directed by monitoring and actively participating in resolving international crises, UN bodies of which BiH is a member, then potential elections to bodies for which BiH applies, as well as the dynamics of work within those bodies.

Political issues are mainly related to monitoring the work of the Security Council, as well as the Assembly and its committees.

The following issues discussed at the 61st session of the General Assembly are of particular importance to Bosnia and Herzegovina:

- the situation in the country;

- maintenance of international peace and security - good neighborly relations, stability and development in Southeastern Europe;

- the fight against terrorism;

- human rights and humanitarian issues;

- international law, the International Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia;

- conflict prevention in the world and peacekeeping;

- disarmament;

- the fight against AIDS:

- UN financing - the issue of BiH's debt to the UN after gaining independence;

- the situation in the Middle East - Iraq, Israel and Palestine;

- candidacies - elections to UN bodies and organs.

Bosnia and Herzegovina simultaneously actively participates in regular coordination activities of country groups within the UN: Eastern European Group, Central European Initiative, Group of 77 and China, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as potential EU member states.

From an object of international policy, BiH is gradually taking on the role of an active participant in resolving international problems.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is involved in peacekeeping operations around the world, including: Ethiopia-Eritrea, Haiti, Iraq, Afghanistan, Liberia, Sierra Leone.

It is a member of numerous UN bodies, active in organizing conferences and other multilateral activities.

In strengthening its responsibility as a member of the United Nations, Bosnia and Herzegovina has put forward its candidacy for a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2010/2011 term, in elections to be held during the 2009 General Assembly session.

In accordance with the provisions of the UN Charter, as well as the final document of the 2005 World Summit, the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) was formed as an intergovernmental advisory body responsible to the UN Security Council, focusing its work on post-conflict peacebuilding.

In December 2005, BiH put forward its candidacy for membership in this body and thus, for the first time since becoming a UN member, faced the process of intensive lobbying for one of the UN bodies, including going through elections.

The positive reception of the candidacy was conveyed by a number of UN member states, which welcomed the efforts to change BiH's image through a legitimate demand for more active participation in international affairs, primarily within the UN system.

BiH has decided to continue with a new proactive approach regarding BiH's candidacies, and candidacies of experts from BiH for membership in UN bodies: ECOSOC, PBC, UN human rights committees such as the Committee Against Torture (CAT), Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families (CMW), Human Rights Committee (CHR), Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), etc.