High Representative supports improving the status of Serbs in HNK and FBiH

The High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Valentin Inzko, visited Mostar today where he attended a round table organized by the “Coordination of Serbs of Mostar” titled “The Non-Constituent Status of the Serb People in the Constitution of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton”.

In his welcoming address at the beginning of the meeting, the High Representative expressed support for efforts aimed at improving the status of Serbs in this canton, as well as in the entire Federation of BiH. The High Representative's participation in the round table is a continuation of previous efforts to improve the formal-legal status of Serbs as part of overall activities to ensure that all peoples and citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina are equally represented throughout the territory of BiH.

- By the decision of the High Representative from 2002, which introduced amendments to the Constitution of the Federation of BiH within the framework of the implementation of the decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH on the equality of constituent peoples, it was established that these amendments take precedence over all inconsistent provisions of cantonal constitutions, laws, regulations, and acts. In a legal sense, this means that it is not necessary to adopt other normative acts to ensure the legal force of these amendments in the cantons. However, regardless of the legal aspect of the matter, and I constantly emphasize this, cantons still have an obligation to harmonize their constitutions with the Constitution of the Federation of BiH - the High Representative stated during his presentation in Mostar today.

The High Representative expressed his conviction that the international community, the OHR, and he personally will continue to support all those who work on removing institutional discrimination and ensuring equality.