Principal Deputy High Representative and Brčko District Supervisor Michael Scanlan expresses his full support for the efforts undertaken by Brčko District institutions to maintain public health and contain the spread of COVID-19. The close cooperation and coordination of the District authorities with representatives of other levels of government, including the BiH Presidency and the Council of Ministers, are highly commendable and essential to successfully face the challenge confronting BiH.
The Supervisor particularly praises the excellent professional work and coordination between the Police of Brčko District of BiH, the Prosecutor’s Office of Brčko District of BiH, the Prosecutor’s Office of Posavina Canton, and the BiH Prosecutor’s Office, as well as the Central Investigation Office of the BiH Border Police, which led to the arrest of a border police officer who allowed illegal entry into BiH of three persons arriving from a high-risk area. Thanks to the quick response by police and judicial bodies, all three persons have been located and placed under isolation, while the BiH Border Police officer was arrested under suspicion of committing a criminal offence from the domain of corruption.
The Supervisor urges all citizens to act responsibly and closely follow the instructions issued by medical experts and relevant institutions, including limiting exposure as much as possible, shifting work where possible to virtual formats, practising social distancing, reporting to the authorities in case they have been travelling to high-risk areas, and self-isolating if ordered to do so. Here the leaders of Brčko District have a chance to lead by example, a sign of true leadership. The High Representative, the OHR staff and I are following these guidelines.
All segments of society must work together to tackle this crisis seriously and responsibly. The sooner the crisis is over, the sooner the citizens can return to their daily routines, and the authorities can continue their work on essential good governance, infrastructure and private sector growth-oriented initiatives that will create a better future for the District.
