High Representative and OSCE welcome progress made in Bosnia and Herzegovina, call for more reforms

VIENNA, 18 October 2001 (OSCE) - The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch, and the Head of the OSCE Mission there, Robert M. Beecroft, have welcomed the progress made on political and economic reconstruction in the country. At the same time, they have called for more political efforts by the authorities to drive the reform process ahead.

"Peace implementation in Bosnia and Herzegovina has come a long way in the last six years, but there remains a great deal still to do - and time is running out", said Mr. Petritsch. "I believe that the conditions now exist for a real transformation - if the political leadership of the country is willing to embrace reform and take the tough decisions that come with it".

"The events of 11 September have reverberated throughout the world. They have also served as a wake-up call for the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities, who see the focus of international attention shifting inexorably away from their neighborhood", said Mr. Beecroft. "What is called for now is tangible change in political action by the authorities".

The High Representative and the OSCE Mission Head, who addressed the 55-nation OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna today, again used the opportunity to commend the Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliamentary Assembly for having passed an election law on 23 August.

"The passage of the election law marked a significant breakthrough for Bosnia and Herzegovina and indicates that political compromise among parties of different views is in fact possible", said Mr. Beecroft, who also urged for an accelerated pace regarding the transfer of the election machinery to the authorities.

In this context, the High Representative welcomed the favourable opinion of the Council of Europe's Political Committee with regard to Bosnia and Herzegovina's application for membership. Mr. Petritsch also stressed the "effective and seamless co-operation" between his office and the OSCE Mission on this crucial legislation.

With regard to the economic situation, Mr. Petritsch called the progress made in this regard "patchy", and said that the country's two entities were facing serious financial problems, in particular the Republika Srpska. "Efforts have been made to improve the State and entity finances, professionalize the civil service, promote the work of independent regulatory agencies, and establish a modern legal framework", Mr. Petritsch said.

Mr. Beecroft outlined the work the OSCE Mission has done to complete audits of military expenditure in both entities, which constitutes a large part of their annual budgets. "Despite some obstructionism, the progress is well under way in the Federation", he said, "and we also hope to soon complete the Republika Srpska accounts".

One of the priorities of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the return of refugees and displaced persons. "The latest figures confirm an unstoppable momentum in the pace of refugee return", said Mr. Petritsch. "In the first eight months of this year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has registered more than 50,000 minority returns countrywide - an increase of around 69 per cent over the same period last year".

Mr. Petritsch outlined that the work to create a political environment conducive for return was continuing in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The High Representative reported that he was pressing both of the country's entities to adopt amendments to their respective constitutions to ensure that none of their citizens would experience inequality because of ethnicity or religion. This, he stressed, was in accordance with last year's ruling of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Constitutional Court.

Mr. Beecroft called upon the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities for further efforts to improve its standards. "Among the key areas where this needs to take place are transparency in decision-making, accountability of government officials, more effective and efficient use of the country's limited financial and economic resources, and the pursuit of non-discriminatory rules and practices", he said.

In conclusion, the High Representative, Mr. Petritsch drew a positive picture of the achievements in Bosnia and Herzegovina. "Governments in both entities and at State level are beginning to show a new willingness to implement reform", he said. "They have to do much more and they have to translate promises into deeds, but the foot-dragging and obstruction which for years sabotaged every effort to clean up corruption and get the economy moving have at last been consigned to the past."