The Ambassadors of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board (PIC SBA) reject the adoption of the Conclusions of 11 November 2019 by the ruling coalition in the RS National Assembly as based on an erroneous interpretation of the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA). The interests of Republika Srpska are served not by rolling back essential reforms, but by implementing forward-looking reforms that support and strengthen the security, stability, and prosperity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and reduce BiH’s reliance on international supervision.
The PIC SBA recalls the following facts:
- BiH was recognized as a sovereign country in 1992 and transformed with the signature of the DPA into a State consisting of two Entities. The RSNA Conclusions contradict these facts.
- BiH enjoys sovereignty and the BiH Constitution does not leave any room for any “sovereignty” of the Entities, which only exist legally by virtue of the BiH Constitution. This has been affirmed by the BiH Constitutional Court on many occasions.
- Republika Srpska has no right to secede and operates under the DPA which recognizes the territorial integrity, political independence, and sovereignty of BiH.
- The BiH Constitutional Court has, in its decisions, developed a comprehensive jurisprudence on BiH, its competencies and the status of the constituent peoples. The decisions of the BiH Constitutional Court are final and binding, and it does not belong to the RSNA to select which decisions it chooses to apply. The presence of the international judges in the Constitutional Court is regulated by the BiH Constitution and it belongs to the BiH Parliamentary Assembly to decide on their presence.
- The RS is obliged by the DPA to comply with the decisions of the BiH institutions and to “provide all necessary assistance to the government of BiH in order to enable it to honor the international obligations of BiH.”
The PIC SBA fully supports the state-level institutions which are required for the effective functioning of both entities and calls upon the RS authorities to refrain from undermining them.
The PIC SBA also fully supports the High Representative and his mandate and commends the efforts of the High Representatives in implementing the DPA. The PIC SBA further lends its support to all agencies that were involved in the implementation of the peace settlement. The international community retains the necessary instruments to uphold the DPA.
* The Russian Federation disagrees with this statement.
