Bosnia and Herzegovina Must Choose between Strong Institutions, Stagnation, High Representative Says as Security Council Delegates Urge Respect for Dayton Accord
Bosnia and Herzegovina is moving along “a narrowing path” that could lead either towards institutional sustainability and economic revitalization, or stagnation and deconstruction of State institutions, the Security Council heard today from the High Representative of the international community in that country.
Today’s briefing by Christian Schmidt, who occupies that Office, is taking place mere days after he announced his resignation. Mr. Schmidt was not appointed by the Council, but by the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council, an international body which supports the implementation of the 1995 General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina — also known as the Dayton Agreement.
That Agreement, adopted 30 years ago, ended the armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995, and provided a framework for the country’s two entities — the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, each with its own executive and legislative branches. The two entities are linked by a rotating tripartite inter-ethnic presidency and a legislative branch. Tensions have recently surged in the country.
Calm on Surface, Cracks Underneath
While the overall security situation is now stable, Mr. Schmidt cautioned: “Stability should not be mistaken for institutional health.” Highlighting disagreements over the interpretation and implementation of the Dayton Agreement, disrespect for the ruling of the highest court of the country and deliberate obstructions affecting State institutions, he warned that these may well cause the narrative about Bosnia and Herzegovina’s unviability to become a self-fulfilling prophesy.
The leadership of Republika Srpska continues to question the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he said, noting also the lack of progress on State property, which has become a major impediment to economic development and infrastructure investment.
He outlined four priorities for the current year: Preservation of the institutional order established under the Dayton Peace Agreement; restoration of institutional functionality; resolution of the issue of apportionment of State property; and the timely introduction of election technologies ahead of the general elections in October 2026.
Even as Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to experience a gradual erosion of institutional cohesion, “there is clear evidence of societal resilience”, he observed, warning against the use of nationalism for political gains. The international community must ensure that State institutional structures established under the Dayton Peace Agreement are preserved and strengthened. Domestic ownership “cannot mean institutional neglect”, he said.
No Á La Carte Implementation of Dayton Accord, Sarajevo Insists
Denis Bećirović, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, also stressed the importance of that Agreement, emphasizing that it “is not a menu from which you choose what you want and what you do not want”. It is “scandalous”, he said, that Republika Srpska leadership contracted with a lobbying firm to change United States policy towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, secure international support for secession and contest parts of the Dayton Peace Agreement.
Detailing his country’s progress towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration, he said its results would have been even better without Republika Srpska’s constant obstructions. He urged the Council to extend the mandate for the European Union’s Operation Althea in 2026 and underlined the need to “dynamize” his country’s path to full membership in both that bloc and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Belgrade Rejects Biased Interpretations of Constitutional Order
Serbia’s delegate called for good-faith implementation of the Dayton Agreement, adding that “it cannot be redefined without the consent of all”. He reaffirmed respect for the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and support for its European integration, adding that “as a country located in the heart of the Balkans”, Serbia has often chosen restraint in the interest of preserving regional stability.
He called for full respect for the constitutional competences of both entities and the equality of the three constituent peoples, as enshrined in the Dayton Agreement. The domestic dynamics in Bosnia and Herzegovina demonstrate the futility of imposing “politically biased interpretations of the constitutional framework”, he said, adding that as long as domestic actors rely on international intervention to resolve political disputes, incentives for compromise tend to diminish.
“Serbia neither interferes — nor seeks to interfere — in the internal affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he insisted, taking he floor again at the end of the meeting. Responding, the representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina held up a map of his country produced by Serbia, dividing it along ethnic lines. “We need you to actually stop implementing the slow-motion destruction of the Dayton Peace Accord and the slow-motion secession of the country by implementing the document that you officially adopted,” he said.
‘Reform’, Croatia Urges, as Others Call for Focus on European Path
“Croatia opposes all policies and rhetoric that undermine the Dayton framework, whether through secessionist narratives or attempts at political centralization,” said that country’s representative. Welcoming the opening of negotiations regarding that country’s accession to the European Union, he urged that this momentum be used to advance key reforms, particularly electoral ones.
Greece’s representative recalled that, 23 years ago, “the adoption of the Thessaloniki Declaration affirmed the European perspective of the Western Balkans”. This commitment was renewed in April with the adoption of the Delphi Declaration on the European Integration of the Western Balkans, she noted, “highlighting that the region remains firmly committed to the irreversible path towards EU accession”. The representative of Latvia also reaffirmed Riga’s strong support for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European perspective and commended the continued efforts of EUFOR Althea.
The representative of the European Union, speaking in his capacity as observer, noted the March 2024 European Council decision to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, while expressing regret that “the reform dynamic has since stalled”. EUFOR Althea continues to play a key role in supporting the authorities in that country to maintain a safe environment, he said, urging all political actors to renew focus on progressing on the European Union path. He also stressed that it is the task of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council to appoint a successor.
United States Calls for Less Oversight; Russian Federation Calls for None.
“Success can be bittersweet”, the representative of the United States said, commending Mr. Schmidt for his work. “Success for a High Representative means leaving a successor with a far more limited set of responsibilities”, she said, adding that the next High Representative should focus on transferring the responsibility for running State institutions to local leadership. Noting that a successor should be in place by June, she said the United States will oppose all candidates who threaten stability and will evaluate candidates on the basis of “trust and impartiality”. “We have our own candidates in mind if need be,” she added.
However, the representative of the Russian Federation said the Office of the High Representative is “the main source of instability” in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as it has been transformed into a “cudgel of the West, with virtually unfettered leeway to interfere in the domestic affairs” of that country. Stressing that the Office is “meting out legal violence against a sovereign country” and “continues to stoke domestic political unrest”, he called for the “immediate closure” of the Office. This, he stated, is “the very first necessary step to stabilization” in the country.
China’s delegate, Council President for May, speaking in his national capacity, recalled that the High Representative’s appointment was not endorsed by the Council. “Both the institution of the High Representative and the ‘Bonn Powers’ are special arrangements for a special period,” he stressed, adding that “they should not be prolonged”.
Somalia’s delegate noted that while the opportunity to appoint a new High Representative presents an appropriate opportunity for a review of the role of that Office, the selection process should be consistent with established practice. France’s delegate was among the several speakers who praised Mr. Schmidt’s unstinting commitment. He noted the forthcoming meeting of the Steering Board in June in Sarajevo.
It is now up to that Steering Board to begin the process of finding Mr. Schmidt’s successor, Denmark’s delegate said. She expressed grave concern about the secessionist policy and actions by the Republika Srpska leadership, alongside divisive and derogatory rhetoric based on ethnic and religious grounds. The United Kingdom’s representative expressed concern that recent elections in Republika Srpska were “marked by significant electoral fraud”. Bahrain’s delegate stressed that the forthcoming general elections must be held with transparency and integrity.
Srebrenica: Wars Start with Words
Panama’s delegate warned against divisive rhetoric, as did Pakistan’s representative, who said that the genocide at Srebrenica did not begin with the first shot or atrocity, rather, “it started with words” casting neighbours and fellow citizens as existential threats.
“Instrumentalization of identities inevitably rekindles tensions and delays the building of a shared future,” the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo observed, while Colombia’s delegate underlined the need to reject “denialism” and refrain from glorifying atrocity crimes.
“As a country acquainted with the long labour of rebuilding a fractured State,” Liberia knows that wars do not end when guns fall silent, that country’s representative said. They end when institutions become stronger than grievances, when citizenship becomes more powerful than ethnicity and when political leaders learn that “restraint is also a form of patriotism”, he stressed.
Elections must never become contests over who can most effectively inflame public fear, he said, adding: “The true strength of democracy is measured not by victory margins, but by the confidence of those who lose.” He urged all political leaders to reaffirm, through both word and conduct, their commitment to constitutional order, non-violence, inter-ethnic trust and the peaceful resolution of disputes.