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7555th Security Council Meeting on Situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
7555th Meeting (AM)
The Security Council today renewed authorization of the European Union-led multinational stabilization force (EUFOR ALTHEA) in Bosnia and Herzegovina for another year, a decision taken ahead of its semi-annual debate on the situation there in the 20 years since the historic Dayton Accords had ended the Bosnian war.
Through the adoption of Chapter VII resolution 2247 (2015), the Council also renewed, for one year, the authorization contained in paragraph 11 of resolution 2183 (2014), which outlined the maintenance of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Headquarters. States acting under those provisions were authorized to take “all necessary measures” to ensure compliance with annexes 1-A and 2 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to ensure compliance with the rules governing command and control of airspace over the country.
More broadly, the Council authorized States to take all necessary measures, at the request of EUFOR ALTHEA or the NATO Headquarters, in their defence and to assist in carrying out their missions. It called on all authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and its residual mechanism to facilitate the Tribunal’s closure.
Presenting his six-month report (document S/2015/841), Valentin Inzko, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, said 21 November would mark the twentieth anniversary of the Peace Agreement, signed in Dayton, Ohio, that had ended Europe’s most brutal fighting since the Second World War. “The peace that Dayton brought was hard won,” he said, “and it must never be taken for granted.”
In the first decade after the war, Bosnia had been the “shining star” of peacebuilding and reintegration, he said. But in the second decade, it had not moved in the right direction. Political will to deliver reforms and an “unwavering” commitment to the Peace Agreement were required. Problems were systemic, reflecting the complex bureaucracy and vested interests of some political leaders and state-run enterprises in a dysfunctional status quo.
The immediate challenge, he said, was Republika Srpska’s decision to hold an independence referendum in 2018 and its July decision to hold another on whether their authorities must respect the country’s central judicial bodies or the High Representative. The country’s future was the European Union, a choice made by its people, he said, urging authorities to seize “with both hands” the European offer that was on the table. “We must stand up together to the real challenges of the Peace Agreement,” he said. Division and secession were strategies that had failed 20 years ago.
In the ensuing debate, the representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina said the 1 June signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union was among the most significant steps taken. In 2016, the country would apply for European Union membership in hopes of acquiring candidate status by 2017. It continued to cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in the fight against impunity, a “prerequisite” for national reconciliation.
The European Union representative welcomed the continued presence of EUFOR ALTHEA, which would support the country’s deterrence capacity, while focusing on capacity building and training. The bloc had agreed to keep EUFOR ALTHEA under regular review and looked forward to discussions on its reconfiguration. He called on Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities to meet the criteria for closing the Office of the High Representative.
While supporting the EUFOR ALTHEA presence, Croatia’s representative said the mission should not be seen as an obstacle to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European integration, but rather, an important part of the bloc’s future. Its advancement to NATO was also critical and he urged political leaders to intensify the implementation of the political agreement on registering immovable defence properties.
The representative of Serbia said the referendum in Republika Srpska on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s judiciary was an internal question to be resolved through dialogue among political actors within the existing legal system. Bosnia and Herzegovina was a key partner for Serbia. Political dialogue was at its peak, as the joint session in Sarajevo last week had shown, he said.
The meeting began at 10:07 a.m. and ended at 12:10 p.m.
Briefing
VALENTIN INZKO, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that in the first decade after the war, when Bosnia was the “shining star” of peacebuilding and reintegration, freedom of movement had been established, one million refugees had reclaimed their homes, the Government had been reinforced, the economy had stabilized and the State judiciary had been established. Three armies that had fought each other had been brought together under State control and a single Ministry of Defence and a single intelligence service had been created to the highest European standards.
In 2005, the country was perhaps the best example of what the international community could achieve when it was united in its commitment to a peace effort, he said, one worth remembering, as the country today had not been moving in the right direction. In entering the third decade of the peace process, “we need to raise our expectations”, he said, and again see concrete resolutions and positive momentum.
Progress would be possible in the coming decade with political will to deliver substantial reforms and an “unwavering” commitment to respect the peace agreement. “This will not be easy, but it is absolutely necessary,” he said, as the problems were systemic, reflecting the complex bureaucracy, weakness in the economy and the vested interests some political leaders and State-run enterprises had in a dysfunctional status quo. A programme of serious political, social and economic reforms that improved functionality, attracted investment and created jobs was needed.
Since his last address, Mr. INZKO said a commitment with the European Union had been signed and adopted by Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities in February, paving the way for the Stabilization and Association Agreement to enter into force on 1 June. State and entity authorities had adopted ambitious reforms in the social and economic spheres. Under the guidance of the European Union Special Representative, a new labour law had been adopted by Federation authorities. A border treaty had been signed with Montenegro and, just last week, the long-awaited joint session of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina had taken place.
Against that backdrop, he said it was difficult to understand how, in parallel, politicians had challenged the Peace Agreement, an accord which did not grant entities the right to secede. Any attempt to change it required the consent of all parties. The more immediate and official challenge was the July decision by the Republika Srpska Parliament to organize a referendum on whether those authorities must respect decisions of the country’s central judicial institutions or those by the High Representative to implement the accord.
Recalling that the European Council had concluded on 12 October that such a referendum would challenge the cohesion, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he said any decision by the Republika Srpska National Assembly had yet to enter into force and thus, there was still an opportunity to rectify that breach of the peace accord. “I expect the Republika Srpska authorities to step back from the brink,” he said.
The coming months would reveal whether authorities were committed to delivering on reforms, he said. The country had too often suffered from division and it “desperately” needed to work for a common purpose. He commended some of the “gesture” politics by the state presidency and Council of Ministers, and unprecedented moves by the Serbian Prime Minister in pursuit of regional and ethnic reconciliation.
The future for Bosnia and Herzegovina was the European Union, he said, as the democratically elected authorities had consistently set out as their primary objective. That had been a choice its people had made. To the authorities, he said a genuine offer was on the table from the European Union, which offered a chance for a secure, prosperous and dignified life.
“This offer must be seized with both hands,” he said. To succeed, the country needed assistance to accelerate positive momentum. “We must stand up together to the real challenges of the Peace Agreement” such as the referendum, he said. The drawing of borders was in the past. “Division and secession are failed strategies that were defeated 20 years ago,” he said in conclusion.
