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Human Rights Council – Universal Periodic Review

For use of information media; not an official record

Date: Wednesday 17 February (afternoon)

Country under review: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Concerned country - national report

  • Represented by a 17-person delegation and headed by the Minister of Human Rights and Refugees, H.E. Dr. Safet Halilović
  • National report presented by H.E. Dr. Safet Halilović

Highlights

  • Law on Prohibition of Discrimination.
  • Strategies to prevent violence against children and to combat juvenile delinquency.
  • Working on a Strategy for Transitional Justice and a Law on the Rights of Victims of Torture and Civilian Victims of War.
  • Institute for Missing Persons.
  • Protection programmes for children and women victims of trafficking, in partnership with the NGO sector.
  • Revised Action Plan for Roma Education to increase presence of Roma children in schools.
  • Ratified the Convention for Protection of Persons with Disabilities.

Interactive discussion

Number of States taking part in the discussion

  • Member States: 22
  • Observer States: 25

Positive achievements

  • National War Crimes Strategy.
  • Judicial reform to improve the independence of the judiciary.
  • Strategy to prevent and combat domestic violence.
  • Law on Gender Equality.
  • Poverty eradication programmes
  • Emphasis on public healthcare.

Issues and questions raised 

  • Trafficking in persons.
  • Violence against women and children.
  • Threats and assaults on human rights defenders and journalists.
  • Ethnically-motivated violence.
  • Political pressure on judges and prosecutors.
  • Living conditions in detention centres.
  • Refugees and internally displaced persons.
  • Discrimination and assaults against lesbians, gays, transsexuals and bi-sexuals.

Recommendations

  • Increase efforts to fight impunity for war crimes, in particular sexual violence.
  • Take further steps to combat and prosecute women’s trafficking.
  • Investigate and prosecute assaults on human rights defenders and journalists.
  • Eliminate discriminatory provisions from the legislation.
  • Eliminate references to capital punishment from the Constitution of the Republika Srpska.
  • Strengthen the freedom of expression and freedom of religion.
  • Develop a multi-ethnic educational environment and a curriculum that promotes tolerance.
  • Ratify the Convention for the Protection of All Persons From Enforced Disappearance.

Response of the concerned country

  • Discrimination – Constitution will be amended to guarantee the rights of minorities to be elected to the Presidency and Parliament.
  • Violence Against Children – Measures have been successfully implemented. Further monitoring of the problem will help provide children with assistance and protection.
  • Violence against women – Reforms of the Criminal Code adopted. Follow-up will be undertaken to adequately protect women against domestic violence.
  • Gender Equality – State agencies established to implement the Law on Gender Equality.
  • Displaced persons – Measures to ensure health care, education and social services for internally displaced people.
  • Ethnically segregated schools – Two schools in two cantons. Due to education competence of the cantons, not been able to find a solution so far.
  • Mine Removal – Bosnia and Herzegovina is the most mine infested country in Europe and this issue has to be seriously dealt with on the short-term.

Adoption of the report by the UPR working group scheduled on
Friday 19 February, as from 15:00

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