UN Security Council Session: Discussion on the Situation in BiH, Status of the OHR, Extension of the EUFOR Mission

(Patria) - The UN Security Council session will be held today, chaired by Russia. High Representative in BiH Christian Schmidt will not speak at this session nor is he allowed to attend.

At this session, the EUFOR Althea mission in BiH is expected to be extended for one year. This has been confirmed from multiple sources, and Russia has also taken a stance in favor of extending the mission. This was confirmed by SNSD leader Milorad Dodik during his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week in Minsk.

Chairman of the BiH Presidency Željko Komšić will address the UN Security Council session regarding the Report of the High Representative for BiH. Link to follow the address: https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en

It is expected that this session will consider the issue of the further role of the OHR in BiH, at the initiative of the Russian Federation. SNSD leader Milorad Dodik, in numerous meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, insists on the closure of the OHR, especially after he was finally convicted for disregarding the decisions of the High Representative. The entity of Republika Srpska, as always, has submitted its report, and due to the Russian presidency, it is possible that they will seek a discussion on certain issues delegated from the entity of Republika Srpska. Russia previously announced that it would have uncomfortable questions during the UN Security Council session.

Although Schmidt submitted a report to the UN Security Council for the six-month period, the question remains how much the allegations in the report will be considered and how much the ambassadors of member states will be willing to discuss the situation in BiH.

In his report, Schmidt particularly emphasized the issue of state property, i.e., the ban on disposing of state property under the decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH.

“The issue of state property stands out as a matter requiring our attention. The current situation, in which the disposal of this property is prohibited due to a decision of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, puts those who respect the rules at a disadvantage. Due to the higher level of compliance with the Constitutional Court's decision and the ban on disposal, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is more exposed to negative economic consequences that could lead to a complete standstill. In the current political context, it is unrealistic to expect that a comprehensive solution on the distribution of state property can be reached at the state level with the consent of the authorities of Republika Srpska. However, for Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is important that the ban on disposal is eased to ensure that authorities that respect the rule of law are not punished and prevented from launching development projects,” Schmidt stated in the report, although it is not yet known in what form it will be presented at the session itself.

That discussions about changing the status of the OHR are growing louder was confirmed yesterday by Elmedin Konaković after the session of the Council of Ministers of BiH. He pointed out that he wrote letters to members of the PIC, as well as the OIC, which is represented in the PIC by Turkey. It is increasingly likely that Christian Schmidt is leaving BiH and that the OHR could be relocated from Sarajevo.