OHR Press Releases

Sarajevo, 3 November 1998 The High Representative Carlos Westendorp remains disappointed with the progress achieved in implementing the Sarajevo Declaration. It is clear that the target of 20,000 minority returns to the city will not be met this year. However, while estimates of how many minority returns have taken place vary, it is clear that retu [...]

Sarajevo, 28 October 1998 The High Representative, Carlos Westendorp, welcomes the agreement signed today in Paris between the Paris Club creditor countries and Bosnia and Herzegovina.He considers the agreement an outstanding achievement, which takes into account Bosnia and Herzegovina's specific difficulties as well as the efforts of the country's [...]

Sarajevo, 9 October 1998 The High Representative wishes to remind all individuals holding public office in BiH that they must refrain from publicly taking sides, or inciting the population to take sides, should action be taken by the International Community in the event of further deterioration of the situation in Kosovo. Statements or reactions by [...]

Sarajevo, 8 October 1998 The High Representative has written this morning to Dragan Cavic, Vice-Chairman of the SDS, notifying him of his decision to remove him from office in the newly elected Republika Srpska Assembly, using the authority vested in him by the Bonn Peace Implementation Council.

The Office of the High Representative, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe express serious concerns as to the fairness of the trial and the judgement issued on 6 October 1998 by the Sarajevo Cantonal Court in the case of Ibrahim Djedovic. In spite of partial [...]

Sarajevo, 7 October 1998 The Deputy High Representative for Economic Matters acknowledges the October 6 letter from Minister Jelavic and Deputy Minister Mahmuljin concerning the decision on soldiers' claims taken by the Government of the Federation. The OHR notes that the Government of the Federation took a decision to reduce to 7 billion DEM, the [...]

Sarajevo, 6 October 1998 The Steering Board met in Sarajevo on 6 October, to review developments since the last meeting on 8 September. In particular the meeting focused on the General Elections held on September 11 and 12, and their outcome. It was generally agreed that the elections saw a positive reduction in the influence of hardline parties; g [...]

Firstly, last week's elections were conducted according to undisputed democratic standards.

Today is the anniversary of the helicopter crash near Fojnica when twelve members of the Office of the High Representative and the United Nations Mission were killed whilst en route to Bugojno. The High Representative, Carlos Westendorp, and all of his staff express their most sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims on this p [...]

Extension of the Deadline for Reclaiming Socially-Owned Apartments High Representative Carlos Westendorp is seriously concerned by the letter he received from Federation Prime Minister Edhem Bicakcic with regards to his decision to extend the October 4 deadline for filing requests for the restoration of occupancy rights on socially-owned apartments [...]