Ombudsman and EU Ambassadors urge protection of human rights in BiH

Mr. Ljubomir Sandić, one of the three members of the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman in Bosnia and Herzegovina, addressed the regular meeting of ambassadors of EU Member States in Sarajevo today.  Mr Sandic presented the activities undertaken by the institution in 2013 as well as the challenges and priorities for 2014. Mr. Sandic reported a 12.23% increase in the number of cases submitted to the Ombudsman compared to 2012. The majority of complaints were related to the issues of employment, free access to information, mis-administration and  discrimination.

Commenting after the meeting, Head of Delegation/EU Special Representative Ambassador Peter Sorensen said:

“Respect for and protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law are fundamental values of the EU. Upholding these values is expressly mentioned in the Lisbon Treaty of 2009 and is also reinforced by the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights.

“The EU strives to ensure that all human rights – be they civil, political, economic, social or cultural – are respected everywhere. Every country that aspires to join the EU must put respect for and protection of human rights at the heart of its policy agenda. This is no different for Bosnia and Herzegovina – citizens who want to report a case of discrimination may to do so directly through the Human Rights Ombudsman Office in BiH, in line with the Anti-Discrimination law.”

The Human Rights Ombudsman Office in BiH plays a crucial role in ensuring the implementation of the country’s Anti-Discrimination Law. The establishment and functioning of an independent Ombudsman is one of the main criteria used by the EU to assess a country’s administrative capacity in implementing fundamental rights and is an unavoidable condition in the EU membership path. In order to comply with EU standards, the  institution of the Ombudsman is expected to be functionally independent, accountable and publicly accessible to all.

Ambassador Sorensen on behalf of the Ambassadors present expressed continued appreciation for the work of the Human Rights Ombudsman Office in helping to implement the BiH Anti-Discrimination Law and extended full political support for its financial and institutional independence. During the discussion it was noted that compliance by the BiH institutions with the recommendation made by OBD should be improved, equally awareness of the work of the Ombudsman should be raised in order for BiH citizens to be able to address complaints on a broader number of issues such as discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Read more about the work of the Human Rights Ombudsman office here

Europa.ba