Recommendation 1664 (2004)

Honouring of obligations and commitments by Bosnia and Herzegovina

Author(s): Parliamentary Assembly

Origin - Assembly debate on 23 June 2004 (20th Sitting) (see Doc. 10200, report of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee), rapporteurs: Mr Surján and Ms Shakhtakhtinskaya). Text adopted by the Assembly on 23 June 2004 (20th Sitting).

1. Referring to Resolution 1383 (2004) on the honouring of obligations and commitments by Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Parliamentary Assembly considers that Bosnia and Herzegovina must continue to benefit from the Council of Europe?s assistance and co-operation programmes in order to undertake and implement the reforms necessary to strengthen pluralist democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights.

2. 2. The Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

2.1. pursue its assistance and co-operation programmes in order to assist the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina in their efforts to ensure compliance with European principles and standards, in particular in the fields of human rights, the rule of law, pluralist democracy and education;

2.2. continue its assistance in view of the merger of the existing Ombudsman institutions;

2.3. continue its co-operation with the European Commission in the framework of the Joint Programmes for Bosnia and Herzegovina;

2.4. maintain Council of Europe presence on the ground in Sarajevo and consider the possible opening of an office in Banja Luka;

2.5. invite the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to make the best possible use of Council of Europe membership, in particular in submitting its future draft legislation for Council of Europe expert evaluation;

2.6. invite the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to take full advantage of its accession to the Council of Europe Development Bank;

2.7. ask its member states to consider assistance by way of human, material and financial resources to support the Bosnia and Herzegovina Constitutional Court, in particular its human rights commission, as well as the future War Crimes Chamber within the State Court;

2.8. continue to follow closely the question of freedom of the media in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in particular the independence of the Communications Regulatory Agency, and ensure that the public service broadcasting laws are adopted and implemented as soon as possible in accordance with the relevant European standards.