YouSaid · the spoken record

Inzko

lines on the record: 398
first: 2009-05-28
most recent: 2019-11-05
sittings or episodes: 22
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“However, after a successful mission, we should not repeat the mistake we made in other countries when the international presence left too early. We should leave behind a monitoring or supervision mechanism. We should not leave too early or abruptly, as the foreign judges and prosecutors did 10 years ago. Withdrawal should be done gradually.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“I would just like to say that it is the self-declared foreign policy goal ofBosnia and Herzegovina. As you, Madam President, have said, article 84 of the Law on Defence refers to the future ofNATO. I am not the one speaking about the future of NATO; it is in the Law on Defence. Of course, one could change the Law on Defence and declare neutrality at the State level, but that law does not yet exist. It exists in my own country; we have declared neutrality. But in Bosnia and Herzegovina it is the Law on Defence and its article 84 that address NATO membership. It is true that, politically, there are those who disagree and those who agree with the law. Nonetheless, it exists. It is codified and must be implemented. As far as the Office of the High Representative is concerned, I agree with the Russian Ambassador that it should be shut down.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“Secondly, there is a sense of urgency. With regard to women and development and women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I am fully in favour of not only 40 per cent, which is provided for in law in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but of 50 per cent. However, that quota must be implemented. It is not enough if there is a mention of 50 per cent only on paper. The quota is now 40 per cent, but even that is not implemented. If a year after a Government is formed I say that women should be part of the Government, people would say that Valentin Inzko is a disturbing factor and a nuisance in asking for women to be in the Government. But there are no women - only men - in the Government, and that is a great injustice. I will not comment on Euro-Atlantic integration.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“It is equally outrageous that for 10 years the decision of the European Court of Human Rights has still not been implemented. I also believe that we, as the international community, must be ashamed that we are turning a blind eye to the situation. We should ensure that human rights are implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina and that double standards are not allowed. If in our own countries any citizen can be a candidate for any job, it must be the same in Bosnia and Herzegovina. That is the essence of Sejdie-Finci. Of course, to a certain extent, it would also change the Dayton Peace Agreement. But we have a judgment from the European Court of Human Rights, and we must respect it. In that connection, I would like to mention two minor issues. First, it is about implementation in Bosnia and Herzegovina; we have so many verdicts now.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“With regard to the Sejdie-Finci issue, Mr. Stephan Fuller is the former European Union Commissioner who worked for three years in an attempt to resolve it. Regrettably, he did not succeed, but, needless to say, every citizen who has a passport can be elected for any function. The President of Romania, Klaus Werner Iohannis, is of German heritage. There is a Mayor in London with foreign roots, but he is a citizen. In Bosnia and Herzegovina it is not enough to be a citizen. There is no egalite - one of the most sacred principles of the civilized world. As I said earlier, Mr. Alkalaj, a respected Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina, cannot even be a candidate, in theory, for the Presidency of the State. That is outrageous.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“We introduced democracy under the control of the Allied Forces; the Nazis did not return and the Marshall Plan was a success. The Allied Forces then left after 10 years. They stayed longer in other countries. That is a good model that could work. That also touches on other issues, which we discussed, such as war criminals, gratitude marches when Mr. Kordie returned. I am Catholic, but I am ashamed that a gratitude march was held for him. As we know, he is a convicted war criminal. We have heard that a student dormitory has been named after Karadzie. We have heard about concerts being held in support of war criminals in Bosnia and Herzegovina. All of that must stop. There is no place for convicted war criminals in public life. There are quite a few countries around the table that solved that issue after 1945.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“We now have a situation where the Constitutional Court of Albania has only one person, because after the vetting procedure only one person was left who was competent enough and who was not involved in a conflict of interest or in any corruption. But we hope that by next April, Albania will have a normal Constitutional Court once again, through vetting procedures and Mr. Priebe's recommendations. One anniversary that I did not mention: exactly 10 years ago, regretfully, I would say, we sent home international judges and prosecutors. I can say that because the Allied Forces were present in my own country, Austria, for 10 years. We had a large number of Nazis. We also had no Parliament before the Second World War, as it had been eliminated. All of that then changed.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“Priebe will make some recommendations; he made some for Macedonia a few years ago, and now he is working on the issue of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I believe that once we have a better High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council and a better and more independent judiciary, we will be speaking about a different country. It is not only about money or about the economy; it is about the rule of law and justice. One of the methods that has also been used by the international community is vetting. In Albania, judges and candidates for the Prosecutor's Office underwent a vetting procedure, and quite a few were eliminated because they were not competent enough.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“Mr. Inzko: Mr. Heusgen asked me some very difficult questions about the rule of law, the Sejdic' and Finci case and other issues, and on how to improve the situation. Of course, there is no magic wand or magic solution, but I think that certain procedures can be simply copy-pasted from our experience. Who is on the Supreme Court in our countries? Who sits on the constitutional courts in our countries? The best. That should also be a simple solution for Bosnia and Herzegovina; for example, the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council should appoint simply the best people - not party people, not people who are related to someone, but based on merit. I think that we will soon learn about the report of Mr. Priebe, a highly respected German lawyer who also worked in the European Union. Mr.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“In this regard, it is now more important than ever to preserve the Dayton structure and the tools at the disposal of the international community, including the authority granted to the High Representative under the General Framework Agreement for Peace and the relevant Security Council resolutions, including, of course, the European Union-led Operation Althea. It is of utmost importance that the international community work together to preserve the investments it has made over the past two decades and, above all, deliver on the promise of a better future for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As I have previously suggested, we must recognize backsliding when it occurs, and in such instances, acknowledge that our mission is not yet complete.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“We should remember that women in conflict situations across the world are experiencing great suffering, and that it is high time the international community and, above all, the politicians of Bosnia and Herzegovina, prioritize gender issues. I will look into this matter and encourage a more thorough discussion. The fundamental issue that we must all consider is not only how to help Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to face its challenges going forward but, more importantly, how to prevent Bosnia and Herzegovina from going backwards. The current trends and various public pronouncements clearly indicate an ongoing effort to roll back the reforms that have carried the country thus far.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“Bosnia and Herzegovina has proven serious problems related to the functionality of its institutions, the rule of law and the fight against corruption, the freedom of media and in many other areas, which are reflected by the pervasive separatism and divisive policies in the country and the general lack of focus of the country's political elite on issues of real importance to the citizens. Among these issues are gender equality, bearing in mind that on average women's salaries amount to only 50 per cent of men's salaries. Women are also severely underrepresented in the political sphere, despite there being a legal obligation for them to occupy 40 per cent of positions in the political institutions, which was mandated by a law that was passed without incident and with near- universal approval, but, of course, it remains to be implemented.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“Data from the World Bank Group's Fall 2019 Europe and Central Asia Economic Update, Migration and Brain Drain, suggests that almost half of Bosnia and Herzegovina's population has permanently emigrated from the country. According to the World Bank, the main domestic risk is the challenging political environment, which makes structural reforms more difficult. In simple terms, people do not just want jobs: they also want political stability and justice. Next year, we will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement. Unfortunately, over these 25 years, the expectations of many citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, or of the international community, have not been met.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“Public opinion polls show that three quarters of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina are extremely or mostly dissatisfied with the rule-of-law situation and the work of judicial institutions. Accordingly, I will make the rule of law and the functionality of judicial institutions my priority in the coming period, working together, of course, with the international community. Unbridled disrespect for the rule of law does not occur in a vacuum. A case in point is the tragic and still unsolved murder of the young David Dragicevie in Banja Luka almost two years ago. But dissatisfaction with the legal system remains one of the leading reasons for the brain drain that Bosnia and Herzegovina is experiencing. The brain drain is not unique to the country, but the phenomenon is particularly tragic in Bosnia, which has a small population.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“Moreover, the Court found that the authorities' failure has created a legal void that has, since 2012, led to Mostar being governed by a mayor who does not have the requisite democratic legitimacy, obviously because there have been no elections there since 2008. I call on the Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliamentary Assembly and political leaders to implement that judgment and all other judgments as a matter of priority, and to do so independently of other issues, by finding a political agreement to amend the Bosnia and Herzegovina election law. Bosnia and Herzegovina must be a State that is based on the rule oflaw, as stated and prioritized in the Dayton Peace Agreement. The rule of law and the fight against corruption should be priorities for Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“Unfortunately, as a result of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliament's failure to adopt necessary changes to the law, the ruling also remains unimplemented - and has been for nine years now e and Mostar has not held local elections since 2008. Can any of us imagine a city in our own countries not holding an election since 2008? That of course remains a black eye on Bosnia and Herzegovina's democratic record: yet another unimplemented Constitutional Court decision. Most recently, in another case the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the failure of the authorities to act prevented a citizen from voting in or standing for local elections, which amounts to discrimination on the basis of her place of residence.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“Sven Alkalaj, who belongs to a minority group, cannot run either for the State Presidency or for the House of Peoples. That is a real scandal. There is no equality for him, or for others. But the other scandal is that we have a 10-year-old judgment from the European Court of Human Rights that remains unimplemented. Parties need to do something to celebrate this anniversary, as it were. Similarly, 26 November will mark the ninth anniversary of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Constitutional Court's 2010 ruling that certain provisions in the Bosnia and Herzegovina election law pertaining to the city of Mostar were not in harmony with the Bosnia and Herzegovina Constitution.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“These proposals move even further away from implementing the judgment in the Sejdie and Finci case, which basically holds that every citizen - everybody who has a Bosnia and Herzegovina passport - can run for the State Presidency, which is, of course, logical, is it not? But that is not the case in Bosnia: candidates have to be Bosniak, Serb or Croat. Ifa candidate is not Bosniak, Serb or Croat, he or she cannot run for the State Presidency. As a result, people filed a complaint at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg nearly 10 years ago, and they obtained a judgment in their favour, but nothing has changed. By way of illustration, the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina, my respected friend and colleague, Mr.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“In the same vein, Bosniaks from Srebrenica cannot run for the State Presidency because they were born on the wrong side of the Inter-Entity Boundary Line. And it is not just a question of 16 minorities, for it is approximately 10 per cent of the population that is affected. Regretfully, nothing is being done to alleviate the situation. Moreover, recent proposals for electoral reforms, particularly on the part of Croat political parties, seek to attain so-called legitimate representation, through which ethnic representatives in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency and the State and Federation Houses of Peoples could be elected only through constituencies of the same ethnicity.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“Dervo Sejdie, a Roma, and Jakob Finci, a Jew, both citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, contested the provisions of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Constitution that reserved posts in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency and the Bosnia and Herzegovina House of Peoples exclusively for Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats, claiming that these provisions discriminated against them because it made them ineligible to stand for election for either body. The contested provisions meant that if a potential candidate belonged to any of the 16 minorities ~ there are 16 minorities in the country - or was the product of a mixed marriage, or was born in the wrong entity, that person could not stand for election for the State Presidency or the House of Peoples, just like the Serbs in Sarajevo, who cannot run for the State Presidency there.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“I would also like to thank all those individuals and organizations that keep the truth about Srebrenica alive and continue to search for justice, particularly the Mothers of Srebrenica. The mothers deserve our deep appreciation and respect. To honour the victims of genocide, the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina must introduce legislation that addresses genocide denial and the glorification and commemoration of war criminals. That will be a focus of mine in the coming period as we approach 2020, which will mark the passing of 25 years since the July 1995 Srebrenica genocide. December 22 will mark the tenth anniversary of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the Sejdic' and Finci v. Bosnia and Herzegovina case.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“It sends an alarming signal to the public. The international community needs to closely monitor this issue of separatist rhetoric and actions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We do not need a police arms race; rather, we need fewer police, not more. But what is most reprehensible is revisionism or outright denial when it comes to the issue of genocide, which, in the case of Srebrenica, is a legal fact, as confirmed in judgments of both international and domestic judicial bodies, including the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which was established by this very body in 1993 (resolution 827 (1993)). I want to take this opportunity to say once again that, as the ICTY concluded, genocide was perpetrated in Srebrenica in 1995, and nothing and no one can change this fact.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“Also worrying is the fact that these destructive tactics occur against a backdrop of continuing divisive and destabilizing rhetoric from many of the same political leaders who claim to be committed to Bosnia and Herzegovina's European path. Some political leaders from Republika Srpska continue to make statements expressing separatist tendencies or predicting the dissolution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while some Croat representatives seek a territorial rearrangement of the country. At the same time, the biggest Bosniak party adopted, as it had in 2015, a party platform advocating a Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina if agreed in Parliament, which was also not helpful under the circumstances. In this political environment, we must also be concerned about the potential militarization of police forces in Republika Srpska.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“Moreover, the Republika Srpska authorities have announced a session of the National Assembly later this month, in which they will discuss the decisions of the High Representative. Senior Republika Srpska officials have previously questioned the authority of the High Representative and the validity of decisions that established or helped to establish State-level institutions and have suggested that Republika Srpska might withdraw from those institutions regardless of their ratification by State and entity parliaments. Trouble even from a single institution would have grave effects on the State's sovereignty. I will monitor these developments and report to the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board and, if necessary, to the Security Council.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“As Council members will also recall following my previous briefing to the Security Council, numerous members rightfully called on the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement the 5+2 agenda consisting of the five objectives and two conditions to be fulfilled prior to the closure ofthe Office of the High Representative and the end of my mandate. However, the lack of authorities and a functional State parliament means that not only has there been no progress towards implementation of the 5+2 agenda, but the same forces working to block the parliament have also actively engaged in holding back previous progress and key reforms in this regard. We are moving away from the implementation of the 5+2 agenda, not towards it.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“As the goal of EU membership is one of the very few areas where there seems to be consensus across the political spectrum, this should have been a milestone on Bosnia and Herzegovina's European path, with political leaders rallying to meet the challenge. However, the failure to establish authorities and the continued blockage of the State parliament hinder any possibility for Bosnia and Herzegovina to enact the reforms needed to make improvements in the key areas set out in the opinion. Also in the EU-related context, I would like to warmly welcome the newly appointed European Union Special Representative, Johann Sattler, and wish him the best of luck.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“In this regard, I would also recall Republika Srpska's long- standing policy - since 2012 - of starving out State-level institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina by putting an unreasonable cap on the State-level budget, while at the same time increasing its own budget. I would also like to draw the Council's attention to the clear lack of substantive fiscal coordination in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the related blockade of the fiscal-coordination body known as the Bosnia and Herzegovina Fiscal Council. In May, the European Commission delivered its opinion on Bosnia and Herzegovina's application to become a State member of the European Union (EU). The Commission set out 14 key areas in which Bosnia and Herzegovina must improve as part of the process that will open talks on accession.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“While the parties in the Republika Srpska formed their authorities soon after the elections and the Government of Republika Srpska is functioning properly, the State remains without a newly appointed Council of Ministers, and the Federation remains without a newly appointed Government. Furthermore, the Council of Ministers from the previous mandate continues to function, but it remains hamstrung by the politically calculated and unnecessary blockage of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliamentary Assembly, which means that no new legislation can be adopted, including the State budget. The State is therefore forced to operate on quarterly temporary financing, which severely limits the scope of its activities and its ability to effectively deal with such emerging issues as the migrant crisis.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“Mr. Inzko: It is my honour to address this body today. In an ever-changing and frequently turbulent global environment and with so many important agenda items facing the Security Council, it is of utmost importance that Bosnia and Herzegovina not be forgotten. I sincerely thank the Council for its continued attention and interest. In May, I reported to the Council on the many months of efforts to build a political coalition and form the Government at the State and Federation levels following the October 2018 general elections (see S/PV.8522). At that time, despite clear differences between the majority political parties, I would not have believed that I would be standing before the Council again today, six months later, to report that the process had failed.”
2019-11-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8658 (2019) · source
“Otherwise, the exodus that we have witnessed for the last 10 years - 500,000 people have left Bosnia and Herzegovina - will continue, which is not good for the country, especially when the best people are leaving. I thank the members of the Security Council for keeping this issue on the Council's agenda. We should perhaps do a reset and have a fresh look at the issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then, together with local ownership, we can make a difference. The meeting rose at 12.20 pm.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“This is a great discrimination, and we are just beginning to look at it. I think we should have a more proactive approach in future as well as greater efforts to strengthen the rule of law. Believe me, I would be very happy ifI could say in one or two years that we have rule of law and good governance. At that point, I would be able to close my office, which would be a happy moment for me, believe me. We should probably take a fresh look at all the open issues. We rely on local ownership, with the local populations working together with us. We saw this approach worked in the Baltics; in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, local ownership worked. In this way, the wonderful people of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be able to build their own future.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“We also should not tolerate what we have to tolerate at the moment, in particular double standards. For example, hate speech is not allowed in our countries. In Bosnia, it is possible to use hate speech because there is no law prohibiting it. Holocaust denial is not allowed in our countries; in Bosnia, genocide denial is allowed because there is no law. But we have genocide laws specifically referring to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Belgium, in Canada, in Switzerland and in some other countries, but not in Bosnia. As I mentioned earlier, one of the most sacred principles of civilization - egalite' - is not being implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina. If one is a Jewish citizen or a Roma citizen or an ethnic Ukrainian citizen, that person cannot run for the State Presidency or for Parliament.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“We allowed local ownership in Mostar more than 10 years ago, and for some 10 years now we have had a decision by the Constitutional Court in Mostar that the electoral law should be changed. But nothing has happened. In the meantime, we are happy that the mayor is sane. He is distributing about $30 million a year, which means $300 million have been distributed in the last 10 years without a municipal council. So local people have had no opportunity to exercise their most basic democratic right, namely, the right to vote. Mostar is the fifth biggest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Can Council members imagine the fifth biggest city in their countries having no elections or no municipal council for 10 years? That is what we have to address in future.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“Regrettably, there has been a retreat on that progress in the last 10 years. We have not seen the establishment of very many new institutions, nor have many new laws been adopted. We mentioned Lord Ashdown earlier. When he was there, during his four-year tenure, 236 laws were adopted. In the last four years, only about 40 laws have been adopted. I therefore think we should reconsider our presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Maybe we should enter into a stronger cooperation arrangement with local leaders, a more robust and prescriptive cooperation, basing our presence, of course, on local ownership, and Bonn Powers should only be exercised as a last resort. When everything else fails then maybe we should intervene. Mostar could be a good example.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“The currency is pegged to the euro, and it is still called the mark - not the Deutsche mark, but the convertible mark 4 and it is a very stable currency. It can be exchanged, sent abroad and so forth. Also, there was no flag or national anthem. We still do not have lyrics for the national anthem, but at least there is a national anthem. There has been a lot of progress, and when a Common Minister for Defence was created - initially we had two Ministers for Defence and three armies, but about 11 years ago, a single army was created, with one Minister for Defence, and a defence law, which I mentioned previously, was adopted - the international community said we would have to use the Bonn powers less. We will now have to stress local ownership, because local ownership is the future anyway.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“However, to activate these Bonn powers, a conference took place in Bonn in 1997, at which the Peace Implementation Council under the strong leadership of Foreign Minister Kinkel, who passed away recently, welcomed the intention of the High Representative to use final authority and facilitate the resolution of difficulties in future much more robustly. Of course, the first 10 years were very active as far as High Representatives, including my predecessor, of course, were concerned. We established many institutions. There were only three ministries after Dayton and based on Dayton; now we have nine. There was no border police. There was no currency. As the Bosnian delegation mentioned this morning, the economy is doing quite well, and the country has perhaps the most stable currency in the Balkans. There is no inflation.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“That brings me to the so-called Bonn powers. The Permanent Representative of Germany might want to call them Berlin powers. There has been a change in capitals as well as a change in philosophy. We used the Bonn Powers exactly 958 times in the past. The Bonn powers are actually rooted in and extend from the General Framework Agreement for Peace, and they make the High Representative the final authority on the interpretation of the Dayton Accords and the actor that should facilitate the resolution of difficulties. This comes from the original Dayton Accords.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“Nazism did not return because there was an Allied Forces presence. Democracy was restored - we had not had a parliament since before the Second World War. In the presence of the Allied Forces, democracy was strengthened. And there was also the Marshall Plan. The foreign presence was therefore beneficial. Further, owing to the presence of the Allied Forces, certain judicial proceedings were commenced in Austria against Nazis. It was very good for our own country to come to terms with our past, to purify our secret service and to look towards the future. And now Austria is one of the most successful countries in the world. But, of course, this presence was limited. When all of what the Allied Forces wanted to do was implemented, they withdrew and left Austria, and we became a fully independent country.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“If they come from Bosnia and Herzegovina, certain diplomas are no longer being recognized, but this is all part of the wider issue of the rule of law. I think it would be very good if we could have the presence of foreign judges and prosecutors in Bosnia and Herzegovina again. I think Albania has asked for a vetting procedure, and we did have foreign judges and prosecutors in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the past. Regrettably - and this is my personal opinion - we allowed them to go home about 10 years ago, but maybe if they were to act in a monitoring capacity, their return would not be so bad. Today, 8 May, we celebrate the liberation of Europe. I would like to recall that we, in my own country of Austria, also had a sort of High Representative: the Allied Forces. It was very helpful.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“Such decisions have simply been ignored for 10 or more years, like those on Mostar and Sejdic and Finci. Then there is the outright rejection of certain decisions and verdicts from international or local tribunals, especially when it comes to war crimes. Some parties are rejecting outright the verdicts of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Corruption committed by political parties is also quite evident in the huge public sector, and I think we have to address this issue. It is widespread in such areas as employment and public tenders and bidding. It is all over the place. Recently, there was a huge scandal relating to fake diplomas. Germany has already prohibited nurses from working in Germany if they have fake diplomas from Bosnia and Herzegovina or Croatia.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“It also provides that foreign affairs issues are State issues, not regional issues. Under the original Dayton Accords, foreign affairs, foreign policy and foreign trade are State-level issues. So entities cannot send reports. In addition, I wonder whether this report was sent via the mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Security Council, because reports can become official United Nations documents only through a Member State. Otherwise they are illegal and do not exist as official documents. That is the case for this report. In response to the German and British questions on the rule of law, I would say that there are several categories of rule of law. One category is that of unimplemented decisions or verdicts of international and local constitutional courts.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“Politically, the Republika Srpska has declared neutrality but the defence law still exists. If somebody wanted to change Bosnia and Herzegovina's position they would have to change the defence law. The defence law was adopted with votes from members of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats party, to which Mr. Dodik belongs, and we have the signature of a previous member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Radmanovie, in support of the aforementioned defence law. So it is a legal obligation. As to the report of Republika Srpska, the late Ambassador Churkin, speaking in a very small circle, once joked that the report was like a report Chechnya would send to the Security Council. But, jokes aside, Dayton does not provide for reports by the entities. Dayton provides only for reports by the High Representative.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“Mr. Inzko: First, I would like first to respond to the statement made by the representative of the Russian Federation. He said that my report is "far from impartial". I will respond not with my own words but with those of the Prime Minister of Republika Srpska. Yesterday, he said that "[a]s far as the Republika Srpska is concerned, Mr. Inzko's support is among the best so far. For the first time, Republika Srpska is not a black sheep in the view of the High Representative". Those are the words of the Prime Minister of Republika Srpska. Yet, I hear from the Russians that I am not impartial. As far as NATO is concerned, I will not express my personal opinion again. Instead, I will recall that there is a defence law that exists in Bosnia and Herzegovina that foresees NATO membership and the membership action plan.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“That is why I am ending with an optimistic tone, and also with Lord Ashdown's quote that I mentioned at the outset: "Bosnia and Herzegovina is a place you cannot leave behind."”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“Additionally, I implore the leaders to abandon the destabilizing and divisive rhetoric rooted in the past and to take strides to keep the country moving forward on the path to the European Union, in the interest of all the citizens who they represent. It is of particular importance to establish a positive socioeconomic environment and ensure the rule oflaw in order to curb the exodus ofbrilliant young people, the country's most important natural resource. Citizens of Bosnian and Herzegovinian origin are now sitting in the Parliament of Austria, in the House of Lords in the United Kingdom and in at least one state legislature in the United States. Outstanding young people like them who have remained in Bosnia and Herzegovina represent hope for change and the future of the country.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“For my part, I continue to focus on fulfilling my mandate in accordance with annex 10 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace and the relevant Security Council resolutions. It is imperative to insist that the authorities remain focused on full compliance; otherwise we risk encouraging further rollback of the reforms. At the same time, I cannot govern in place of the elected leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Only they can take the steps necessary to move to the country forward. I therefore invite the political leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to make sincere efforts to overcome their differences and finally move forward with the appointment of the state and Federation executive authorities, and work with the authorities of the Republika Srpska and the cantons to fully implement the Dayton Peace Agreement.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“We have long taken it for granted that the great progress the country has made since 1995 is somehow irreversible, but it is important that we recognize backsliding when it occurs and acknowledge that our mission is not yet complete. The Office of the High Representative is in Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure that the Dayton Peace Agreement, including the Bosnia and Herzegovina Constitution, is respected and that the substantial reforms enacted to implement it are not only maintained but completed. That functionality is a logical precondition for the country to meet the challenges ahead, including the integration aspirations supported by all major political parties.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“As the authorities have expressed intentions to amend legislation related to public gatherings and the work of journalists, the international and non-governmental organization communities have spoken out against actions that would limit democratic rights and freedoms. In this context, I welcome the fact that the Republika Srpska authorities have taken steps to reflect such concerns with regard to the Law on Public Peace and Order, and I encourage continued dialogue on related initiatives. My intention today is to illustrate that Bosnia and Herzegovina still requires the attention and unified approach of the international community.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“In the context of the rule of law, I must also report that, following the recent decision to increase the sentence imposed on Karadzie, we have again heard denials of the genocide committed in Srebrenica, even though it has been confirmed by two international tribunals, one being the ICTY, established by this organ. We have also witnessed efforts over the past six months to curb freedom of expression and dissent. In December, the Republika Srpska authorities broke up the months-long daily protests in Banja Luka over what activists alleged was a cover-up in the suspicious death ofa young man and have impeded attempts to organize new protests.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source
“They can all vote but they cannot be elected. This is a group of some 300,000 people. It is now 24 years since Dayton and almost 10 years since the European Court of Human Rights first ruled on this issue, and representatives of minority groups still cannot run for the state Presidency or the House of Peoples. For this group of citizens, one of the most sacred principles of civilization, egalite, has not existed for a quarter of a century. This is unacceptable, and the authorities must act without delay to remedy the situation.”
2019-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8522 (2019) · source