IV Osce
| Author | Arie Bloed |
| Published date | 01 June 1996 |
| Date | 01 June 1996 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/092405199601400208 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Human Rights News
IV
OSCE
Arie Bloed
A.
The
OSCE
and
Bosnia-Herzegovina
The Dayton agreements on a peace settlement for Bosnia-Herzegovina provided for a
substantial role for the OSCE in the reconstruction of this war-tom country. The major
tasks for the OSCE relate to the supervision of the organization of elections for various
organs, the monitoring
of
human rights and the promotion of regional stability through,
among other things, the creation and implementation
of
confidence- and security-building
measures.
For this purpose, the OSCE has created a large mission in Sarajevo, headed by the
United States Ambassador Robert Frowick. The mission has a staff
of
over 100 persons
(which implies that the staff
of
the OSCE as a whole has almost doubled!).
It
has opened
five regional offices in Tuzla, BanjaLuka, Bihac, Sokolac and Mostar. Besides, the OSCE
has a local presence at twenty other places through the European Community Monitor
Missions (ECMMs).
The OSCE has to perform a huge task under highly complicated circumstances, in
particular, since not all developments in the implementation of the Dayton agreements are
equally promising. The fact that de facto the Dayton process served as the basis for the
completion
of
the ethnic separation of the population groups is only one of them.
In July, the Swiss Chairman-in-Office must decide whether proper circumstances have
been created in order to have the elections in September. As it is clear already now that
not all conditions will be fulfilled, the taking of a decision in this issue will be difficult.
Although the peace process is progressing, the sanctions infrastructure still remains in
place (Sanctions Coordinator and Sanctions Assistance Missions), albeit at a lower level.
The reason is that sanctions would be reimposed immediately, once the peace process
would be interrupted. Only after the final lifting of sanctions - which is foreseen shortly
after the elections
-,
the sanctions infrastructure will be abolished. At the end
of
June, the
mandates for the various sanctions monitoring instruments have to be renewed.
B.
OSCE
Mission to
Croatia
After long lasting preparations, in the middle of April the Permanent Council (PC) finally
took a decision on the establishment
ofa
permanent OSCE Mission in Croatia.
It
will have
its headquarters inZagreb and two regional offices in Knin (South Siavonia) and Vukovar
(East Siavonia). The total staff will encompass up to 14 members. For the time being, the
Mission will stay in Croatia until 31 December 1996. This is a usual procedure in the
OSCE, as the mandate may be prolongated at the end of this year by decision of the PC.
Unusual seems to be the agreement that the appointment of the head of the new OSCE
mission by the Chairman-in-Office (at the time the Swiss Foreign Minister) 'will be
subject to consultation' with the Croat authorities (in other words: in practice the Croat
government can block an unwelcome appointment).
The mission has been granted an extensive mandate: 'The Mission will provide
assistance and expertise to the Croatian authorities at all levels, as well as to interested
individuals, groups and organizations, in the field
of
the protection
of
human rights and
of
the rights
of
persons belonging to national minorities. In this context and in order to
promote reconciliation, the rule of law and conformity with the highest internationally
219
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