OHR
OHR Welcomes Establishment of the Common Register
OHR welcomes last Friday’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the BiH Council of Ministers, the FBiH Government, the RS Government and the Brcko District on establishing a common register of all associations and foundations registered and operating in BiH.
This is an important measure in the fight against organized crime and money laundering and organizations supporting terrorist activities. With the information collected on associations and foundations, BiH will be in a better position to meet its international obligations.
OHR strongly supports the common register and calls for its quick establishment.
PDHR to Introduce Quarterly Survey of BiH Economy
And a reminder that following this press conference, the Principal Deputy High Representative, Donald Hays, will present the OHR’s Economic Newsletter for the final quarter of 2004. The presentation will include a survey of the BiH economy and will also deal with tax reform and the hard choices that BiH’s political leadership must address in order to avoid a budgetary collapse in 2006. There will be a Q & A session at the conclusion of the presentation.
OSCE
The results of the Tuzla Citizens’ Forum Corruption Survey of TuzlaUniversity is a step in the right direction
It is well known that corruption is a phenomenon which prevents progress, especially in societies undergoing transition. In an effort to combat this issue, the BiH based NGO Tuzla Citizens’ Forum has conducted a survey of Tuzla University to determine how students, professors and university staff view the ongoing discussions on the alleged presence of corruption at Tuzla University. The survey was initiated by the students themselves and its results will be presented tomorrow in Tuzla .
The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina commends both the University as well as the Tuzla Citizens’ Forum for undertaking such an initiative. This survey is a step in the right direction. We encourage more initiatives that work to tackle corruption.
EUPM
No formal press statement.
EUFOR
EUFOR conducts routine vehicle check point operations against organised crime and corruption in support of the bih authorities
EUFOR is presently conducting an enhanced routine operation designed to detect and disrupt illegal activities by those involved in organised crime and corruption. This operation includes a series of vehicle check points throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina . EUFOR remains committed to helping the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities to bear down on organised crime and corruption and strengthen the rule of law in this country.
COM EUFOR calls on FBiH President, FBiH Prime Minister and Senior officials of SIPA and SBS
Today, the Commander of EUFOR, Major General David Leakey, will call on The President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina , Mr Niko Lozancic, The Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina , Mr Ahmet Hadzipasic and senior officials of the State Investigation and Protection Agency and the State Border Service. A press release, covering the key topics discussed during these calls, will be released later today.
NATO HQ
On 2 February 2005, at approximately 1330, BG Steve Schook, Commander of NATO HQ Sarajevo, will host a ceremony to start the NATO Advisory Team’s operation at the Ministry of Defence in ‘Graditeljstvo’ at Hamdije Kresevljakovica 96. The ceremony will be held at the part across from Building 96.
This ceremony highlights a significant effort by NATO for defence reform within Bosnia-Herzegovina. The NATO Advisory Team has 15 international officers assigned to NATO Headquarters Sarajevo to Defence Reform and instructing the Armed Forces Bosnia-Herzegovina on Partnership for Peace and NATO requirements. The NATO Advisory Team will move from Camp Butmir to ‘Graditeljstvo’ for daily interaction with personnel of the Ministry of Defence.
RTQs
Aida Duric, TV PINK BiH
Q: EUFOR is keep denying that it is trying to arrest war criminals at large, particularly Gotovina, in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, but you are also saying that you are fighting against the organized crime which is closely related to the people supporting the war criminals. Could you tell me if EUFOR will be in position to engage 2,000 soldiers if there are some indications that the war criminals are hiding in the mentioned region?
EUFOR:
A: An answer to your question, directly, yes. If EUFOR has intelligence, reliable intelligence, that the Hague indictee is in Bosnia , we will take action to act and construct an operation to apprehend that Hague indictee. Preferably, that will be in conjunction with the BiH authorities, but if necessary for whatever reason, that may be required, we will do it on our own. So, let me be quite clear on that. Just coming to your earlier point, the current EUFOR VCP operations, as I said earlier, that is designed to detect and disrupt illegal activities, one of the reasons that these Hague indictees are still at large is because of the significant support they receive from networks that are closely related to organized crime is therefore EUFOR’s intention to conduct operations to disrupt these networks and bear down an organised crime. And that is what these operations that you see at the moment are beginning of.
Fedjad Forto, FENA
Q: For OSCE, any concrete data on corruption that you have mentioned?
OSCE:
A: Of course, I don’t have concrete results of the polling, having in mind that the polling were conducted by the Forum of Tuzla Citizens and they are the ones who will present these results at tomorrow’s round table. Maybe I could add that Mr Vehid Sehic will attend the presentation of these results, as well as the Rector of Tuzla University Prof Dr Isudin Kapetanovic.