Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Bećirović sent the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina a request for constitutional review of the decision of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (NSRS) regarding the appointment of members of the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was confirmed to Fena news agency from the Cabinet of Chairman Bećirović.
On July 7, the National Assembly of the RS supported by a two-thirds majority the statement of BiH Presidency member Željka Cvijanović, according to which the decision to appoint members of the Commission is very harmful to the vital interests of Republika Srpska.
59 deputies voted to confirm her statement.
Cvijanović vetoed the decision adopted by Bećirović and BiH Presidency member Željko Komšić, which provided for the appointment of a new convocation of the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments.
Mirzah Fočo and Zoran Mikulić as local members and Francesco Bandarin and George Okello Abungu as international experts were appointed as members of the Commission.
A representative from the Republika Srpska entity has not been appointed.
Bećirović’s cabinet announced earlier that the National Assembly of the RS does not have the constitutional authority to decide on this decision of the BiH Presidency, and it was announced that any attempt to usurp the competence of state institutions will be challenged before the Constitutional Court of BiH.
As explained, the Decision on the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments represents a general normative act, and not an act by which the BiH Presidency establishes or conducts foreign policy, which is why the procedure for protecting the entity’s vital interest cannot be applied to it.
The decision establishing the new way of working of the Commission was adopted on January 12, 2026, in accordance with Annex VIII of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH and the Rules of Procedure of the BiH Presidency, and on February 20, it was published in the Official Gazette of BiH.
On June 29, in accordance with that decision, the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted the decision on the appointment of Commission members by a majority of votes.
The Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments of BiH was established by Annex VIII of the Dayton Peace Agreement as an independent institution responsible for the proclamation and protection of national monuments.
The original Dayton model stipulated that the Commission would consist of five members, two from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one from the Republika Srpska and two international members nominated by the Director General of UNESCO.
International members were excluded from the composition in 2016, and the work of the Commission was later blocked, which is why no session has been held since 2023.
