Bosnia and Herzegovina

Anti-coronavirus measures are exposing victims of human trafficking to further exploitation and limiting their access to essential services, a new analysis released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said today, noting also the emergence of new opportunities for organized crime to profit from the crisis.

Corruption and political stalemate still hamper post-war progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 25 years after the Dayton Peace Agreement, but the international community must not lose sight of what is at stake in the Western Balkan country, High Representative Valentin Inzko said during a 6 May videoconference meeting of the Security Council.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Ingrid Macdonald of Australia as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the host Government’s approval.

Following earthquakes that struck Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina this morning, two United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination technical support members will be deployed to Albania.  The United Nations stands ready to provide assistance if required, and is in contact with local authorities.

The Security Council today renewed its authorization of the European-led multinational stabilization force (EUFOR-Althea) in Bosnia and Herzegovina for another year, while urging parties there to proceed with forming a Government and to refrain from any polarizing unconstructive policy, action or rhetoric.

The new Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Nations, Sven Alkalaj, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

The senior United Nations official in Bosnia and Herzegovina urged the Federation’s leaders today to abandon destabilizing and divisive rhetoric, create governments at the local, state and federal levels, and keep the country moving forward along the path to integration with the European Union.

Adama Dieng, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, acknowledged today’s final appeal judgment by the Residual Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, largely upholding the 2016 guilty verdict against Radovan Karadžic and increasing his sentence from 40 years to life imprisonment.

Urging the parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina to speedily form a new Government following recent elections, the Security Council today renewed its authorization of the European-led multinational stabilization force (EUFOR Althea) for one further year, amid a briefing and debate on the situation in the country.

Civilians continue to suffer high casualties, with the combined use of suicide and non-suicide improvised explosive devices by non-government fighters remaining the leading cause, according to the latest report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).