As part of the ongoing efforts to reform the judiciary and strengthen institutional capacities, the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC BiH/Council) hosted an official reception for a high-level delegation from the Kingdom of Sweden.
The delegation consisted of Andreas Norlén, President of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sweden, Helena Lagerlof, Ambassador of Sweden to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ms. Eva Gibson Smedberg, Director of the Development Cooperation Department at the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).
The delegation was received by members of the Presidency of the HJPC BiH: President of the Council Sanin Bogunić, Vice President Sanela Gorušanović-Butigan, and Permanent Member of the Council Sedin Izdrizović.
The visit was carried out with the purpose of presenting the results achieved within the framework of international cooperation with Swedish institutions, and also represents a basis for deepening the strategic dialogue on key directions of judicial reform and further strengthening partnership relations based on shared values.
The independence of the judiciary, the transparency of the work of institutions, efficient work and management, as well as gender equality in the judiciary, are the basis of the long-standing cooperation between the judiciary of Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A special segment of cooperation is the strengthening of the institutional capacities of the HJPC BiH in order to strengthen the regulatory role of the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The cooperation is carried out with the financial support of the Swedish Development Agency – SIDA, based on professional and technical cooperation with the Swedish Court Administration (SNCA) and the Swedish Enforcement Agency (SEA). They discussed the challenges faced by the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina in relation to political pressures, as well as the process of drafting a new Law on the HJPC BiH.
Representatives of the delegation of the Kingdom of Sweden expressed full support for the efforts that the HJPC BiH is investing in the reform and improvement of the judicial system, and expressed satisfaction with the results achieved within the framework of cooperation. Full support was also expressed for the work of the HJPC BiH as a key player in the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This visit once again confirms the strong partnership between Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the area of the rule of law and represents an important contribution to building a professional, efficient and independent judiciary serving citizens.
