The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, held a meeting today with representatives of the Basic Trade Union Organization of the Srebrenica Memorial Center – Potočari, on the occasion of the multi-year challenges faced by the employees of this institution, as well as the latest events and pressures they are exposed to.
During the meeting, they discussed the real circumstances in which the employees of the Memorial Center work, who on a daily basis bear a large part of the responsibility for its functioning, the implementation of projects, research and educational work, preserving the memory of the victims of genocide and opposing its denial. Special attention is paid to the position of employees, the problems they face in the performance of their duties, as well as the need for stronger and systemic institutional protection of the Memorial Center and the people who work there. The need for the urgent adoption of the Rulebook on the internal organization and systematization of workplaces, as well as the provision of larger budget funds that would enable the stable functioning of the Memorial Center and the adequate position of its employees, was particularly pointed out. Minister Konaković emphasized that the resolution of these issues should no longer be postponed and that he would contact the Office of the High Representative (OHR) on this occasion, with the aim of finding an institutional solution that would ensure the long-term stability, functionality and protection of the Memorial Center.
Minister Konaković emphasized that the Srebrenica – Potočari Memorial Center is not only a place of remembrance and resting place for the victims of genocide, but an institution of lasting importance for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the international community. Its mission of preserving the truth, documenting facts, educating future generations and fighting genocide denial must be protected from any form of political, institutional or other pressure.
He especially pointed out that the people who professionally and responsibly carry out this mission must not be left alone in the face of the pressures that arise precisely from their work to establish and preserve the facts about the genocide in Srebrenica. The protection of the Memorial Center also includes the protection of its employees, their professional safety, dignity and right to perform their work without intimidation and pressure.
We remind you that at the beginning of August, Minister Konaković sent a letter to the member states of the United Nations, warning of deeply worrying events in relation to the Srebrenica – Potočari Memorial Center and its employees. In the letter, he specifically pointed to the hearings of at least 28 current and former employees and associates of the Memorial Center after the publication of the genocide denial report, warning that actions that may have the character of pressure or intimidation of persons engaged in documenting the facts and the fight against genocide denial require serious attention from domestic institutions and the international community.
On this occasion, Minister Konaković also confirmed his full and continuous support for the work of the Srebrenica Memorial Center – Potočari and its employees, stressing that preserving the culture of memory is not only a matter of relationship to the past, but a responsibility to the future.
The truth about the genocide in Srebrenica was established by the judgments of international and domestic courts. Protecting that truth, the dignity of the victims and the institutions that deal with it represents a civilizational and institutional obligation. The memorial center and the people who carry out its mission must have clear, strong and unequivocal support.
