Written declaration No. 575 | Doc. 13495 | 10 April 2014

Citizens' assemblies in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Signatories: - Alexander [The Earl of] DUNDEE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Brian BINLEY, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Marek BOROWSKI, Poland, SOC ; Mr André BUGNON, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr James CLAPPISON, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr David CRAUSBY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Jim DOBBIN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Baroness Margaret EATON, United Kingdom, EDG ; Lady Diana ECCLES, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Darina GABÁNIOVÁ, Slovak Republic, SOC ; Mr Zbigniew GIRZYŃSKI, Poland, NR ; Mr Andreas GROSS, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Dzhema GROZDANOVA, Bulgaria, EPP/CD ; Ms Ana GUŢU, Republic of Moldova, ALDE ; Mr Jim HOOD, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Stella KYRIAKIDES, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Robert NEILL, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Jim SHERIDAN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Petrit VASILI, Albania, SOC

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

We undersigned call on the Committee of Ministers to recognise the Plenum movement of citizens’ assemblies in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a significant voice for the democratisation of civil society and for social justice, and to acknowledge their importance as effective instruments for positive social, economic and political change and as agencies for participatory democracy and the further democratisation of representative institutions.

We undersigned call on the Committee of Ministers to help safeguard the human and civil rights of the Plenums’ participants, including their right of assembly, right to express their views peacefully in public spaces, and their right not to suffer intimidation in their workplaces and daily lives as a result of their democratically-held views and actions.

We undersigned call on the Committee of Ministers to ensure that Bosnia-Herzegovina upholds its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.