The Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Kathleen Kavalec, and the President of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) of BiH, Milan Tegeltija, signed today a Memorandum of Understanding on the handover of the War Crimes Case Map.
The War Crimes Case Map, launched in 2014, is an interactive online tool developed by the OSCE Mission to BiH that contains up-to-date information on completed war crimes cases finalized by the BiH judiciary. The overarching goal of the Map is to increase transparency in the processing of war crimes cases in BiH and to enable the public to better understand the work of the BiH judiciary in relation to war crimes cases.
The OSCE Mission to BiH recognizes that the HJPC Judicial Documentation Centre plays a vital role in collection and dissemination of judicial holdings and legal opinions.
“In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the War Crimes Map, the Mission has identified the Centre as the most appropriate unit to administer and update the Map. The Mission firmly believes that the HJPC should further support the Judicial Documentation Centre by both strengthening capacities and expanding its role within the Council,” said Kathleen Kavalec, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH.
The HJPC President Tegeltija expressed his appreciation to the OSCE Mission to BiH for its continued support, extended over many years, in the area of the protection of human rights and of rule of law in general. He stressed that the BiH HJPC will take over the War Crimes Map from the OSCE Mission, which was created with the aim of presenting the public with a summarized overview of all completed war crimes cases in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I am convinced that the HJPC and the OSCE Mission to BiH will continue their partnership and collaboration, not only in the area of war crimes cases but also within efforts invested in taking systematic steps in strengthening the overall judicial system in BiH,” said Tegeltija.
The War Crimes Map also aims to bridge the gap between judiciary investigating and processing of war crimes and the need for the public to have access to credible information on cases completed by the judiciary.
