OHR

Delaying tactics in police
reform will only dash BiH’s  hopes of accession to the
EU

The RSNA is meeting today to vote on the agreement on police reform. Time has
all but run out. If today delegates fail to vote in favour of an agreement on
police reform that meets the EU’s three principles the chances of BiH signing a
Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU by the end of the year will
have disappeared.

The EU has consistently re-iterated the three principles according to which
the BiH authorities are expected to reach an agreement on police reform. Namely:
securing the exclusive state-level competences on police, the elimination of
political interference from police and ensuring that police regions are
determined on the basis of technical and professional criteria.

These principles are crystal clear. They will not change. Delaying
tactics will only dash BiH’s  hopes of accession to the EU, and
another chance may not appear before 2007.  

Last week, Commissioner Olli Rehn has said that the
proposal prepared by the BiH State-level authorities would meet these three
principles. The RS Government proposal does not. Commissioner
Rehn also reminded RS politicians that police reform is not a threat
to the future of the Entities, which are guaranteed under

Dayton

. And steps have been
taken to address legitimate concerns voiced by RS politicians during
negotiations. 

This is the last major reform that is necessary in order to start the SAA
process.Opinion surveys show that more than 80 per cent of BiH’s citizens
want to join the EU. They are expecting their political representatives to
deliver this. At a time when many EU citizens are questioning the merits of
further enlargement, failure to endorse an agreement on police restructuring
that meets the EU’s three principles would send an extremely negative signal.
 

OSCE

Going back to school

The OSCE Mission to
Bosnia and Herzegovina
extends its best wishes to the
children of BiH as they return to the start of another school year. 

We also take this opportunity to remind everyone about education reform.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

is home to Serbs, Bosniacs and
Croats and others, including national minorities.  Since the signing of the
Dayton Peace Accords, nearly 10 years ago, the OSCE Mission, along with its
international community partners have been working to make that home a viable
and prosperous place with equal opportunities for all. 

Education reform is part of that vision, that we trusted was shared by the
framers of the Education Reform Strategy presented to the Peace Implementation
Council in November 2002.  In it

Bosnia and Herzegovina

‘s education ministers declared that
their country’s “last and best chance for a viable future hinges on its young
people.”  And as a result, called for “taking politics out of the
classroom, where it has no place.” 

Given the monumental challenges facing BiH today, it is important that BiH’s
authorities not lose sight of this. 

Education reform is about every child, in every classroom throughout this
country.  It is meant to protect individual rights, so, for example, that a
Croat child in
Banja Luka

is
respected as much as a Serb child in Mostar or a Bosniac child in Brcko. 

Education reform is not an attempt to deprive anyone of his or her national,
ethnic, religious or cultural identity. Contrary, it is meant to protect that
right and guarantee that each person is respected. 

If, as BiH officials claim, they would like to see an education system that
truly benefits the children of this country, we hope that they move forward in
away that puts the interests of children first. 

EUPM

No statement.

EUFOR

There has been some interest about a joint EUFOR and local Police operation
in Sarajevo over the past two days.
This operation is similar to others conducted in BiH and was designed to support
local police in their efforts to disrupt and deter criminal activities. It was
conducted in specific areas in and around
Sarajevo .

There has been some confusion in the media about the powers or mandate under
which EUFOR can carry out such operations. Such authority was confirmed by UN
Resolution 1575 and
Dayton
following
the transfer of mandate from SFOR to EUFOR.

NATO

No statement.

RTQs:

Antonio Prlenda, Oslobodjenje:

Just to make it clear. The confusion, as you said, about the mandate. You
said to me yesterday, that it is according to legal framework agreement that you
conduct your day to day operations, and it has been said to me that it’s not
open to public. Can you confirm that, and  why it’s not possible to get it,
obtain it and quote it?

EUFOR, Tim Smith:

I think that was a misunderstanding. You spoke to Tom yesterday, I believe,
and that was a misunderstanding between he and you. And that’s why I wanted to
clarify that this morning – that a mandate and powers are the same thing.
Information is clearly available on the web site.  I can give you the web
site address afterwards, the actual address. But, I say, this is actually open
source information, so apologies for the misunderstanding yesterday.

Antonio Prlenda, Oslobodjenje:

But, also it is strange that when you conduct operations on a daily basis, it
is quite strange that your spokesperson have to search it for a whole day. 
I don’t refer to the spokesperson, I refer to the system in your headquarters
which is probably maybe sometimes too complicated even for you guys, that you
deal with the media.  So, take care about this.  It would be wonderful
for us, for all of us.

EUFOR, Tim Smith:

I take your point.  Yes.

 Fedzad Forto, FENA:

A question mainly for OSCE, but I would also like to get a comment from the
OHR.  Considering that it was announced that the two schools under the same
roof should be closed at the beginning of the new school year, we now see that
in Prozor, Stolac, we even have information from Busovača and Bugojno, that a
step backwards has been taken – that separate schools for Bosniac and Croat
children are being formed.  The Municipality Board of Prozor has taken a
decision to legalize the existence of two separate schools, one for Bosniacs and
one for Croats. Will you take any concrete action to stop this?

OSCE, Elmira Bayrasli:

I think we’ve been very clear on this situation with two schools under one
roof.  It’s long overdue. The authorities need to implement the decision on
administrative and legalunification.  It goes against the very spirit of
the framework law and all the other commitments that

Bosnia and Herzegovina
signed up to.  I have nothing
more to add to that.