OSCE Mission to BiH, British Embassy launch joint project on modernizing entity parliaments and Brcko District assembly for Europe

SARAJEVO, 12 June 2012 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the British Embassy launched a joint project on "Modernizing entity parliaments and Brcko District Assembly for Europe" today.

Drawing on the Mission’s extensive and substantial experience of co-operating with the BiH Parliamentary Assembly since 2001, this project aims to modernize the services of entity parliaments and the Brcko District assembly, and support their effective preparation for the BiH’s stated goal of EU integration. 

Lasting until mid-2013, the project will address key areas relevant to these parliaments’ abilities to effectively carry out their functions in line with the general standards of democratic governance. These areas include strategic planning, ICT strategy, internal management and communication and competencies of committee secretaries.

“Legislative bodies play a crucial role in meeting the challenges of integration with the EU. In BiH, we can expect that over 80 per cent of legislation will be harmonized at the entity level and in the Brcko District,” said Fletcher M. Burton, the Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, who signed Memoranda of Understanding with representatives of the entity parliaments and Brcko District assembly. “Today, we are joining efforts to achieve efficiency, transparency, and accountability in this process.”

British Ambassador to BiH Nigel Casey said: “Supporting BiH’s progress towards EU accession is our highest priority. The accession process will demand the full engagement not only of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, but also of the Assemblies in the Federation, Republika Srpska and District Brcko. This particular project will utilize the OSCE’s extensive and substantial experience of working with the BiH Parliamentary Assembly to tackle management, communication and strategic development. We are keen to see the FBiH Parliament, RS National Assembly and District Brcko Assembly more efficient, transparent and accountable and becoming the beacons of the EU accession process.”

More information on the work of the Parliamentary Monitoring and Support Section of the OSCE Mission to BiH can be found at http://www.oscebih.org/Default.aspx?id=4&lang=EN