Bosnia and Herzegovina will have elections this year, and I urge all politicians to forget about divisions and focus on the rights of everyone in the country, to build a democratic and inclusive future based on equality of all citizens, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet in Sarajevo today.
At the end of a four-day official visit to BiH, Bachelet told a news conference that she had the opportunity to meet with senior government officials, civil society representatives, survivors and families of war victims, representatives of the judiciary and the international community.
They discussed, as she stated, peacebuilding, reconciliation, transitional justice, the fight against corruption, women's rights ... She singled out the visit to Srebrenica and the Potočari Memorial Center, where she met with the families of the victims, and pointed to the need for all those responsible to be held accountable for the crimes committed.
Bachelet said they are following the situation in BiH, and that this visit is a good opportunity to discuss a range of human rights issues and challenges that people in BiH, institutions, civil society and everyone else have been facing for almost three decades.
She added that the scars from the 1992-1995 war are still present, but that she is convinced that there is a will and determination among many to build a society for all BiH citizens, who would live in peace, whose rights would be respected and who will live with dignity.
- BiH has acceded to all international instruments for the protection of human rights and that is positive. It also actively cooperates with UN human rights mechanisms. BiH participates in that process, reports on the state of human rights and all that is positive. There are positive steps in terms of domestic laws as well, and I noticed that this week - stated Bachelet.
However, she added, there are also concerns about the implementation of the law, and that some laws are not fully in line with international standards.
- I think that the implementation of key laws in the field of human rights is weak, not all court rulings have been implemented yet, and the institutions that should promote and protect human rights are in a situation where the public does not trust them to a great extent. There are civil society organizations that work to promote transparency, accountability to the public and participation in the decision-making process - said Bachelet.
She believes that the socio-economic rights of the people in this country are influenced by different levels of government which leads to regional inequality. Social protection, health and education, she added, are also affected by the country's regional inequalities.
Speaking about the issue of reparations, she pointed out that it is very important that the victims and their families receive compensation. She added that new laws are needed and the establishment of a fund for compensation of victims, as well as a fund for missing persons, and that the fact that it is impossible to file claims for compensation due to obsolescence is worrying.
Bachelet especially pointed out that BiH has great potential, that everyone must live safely and that the rights of everyone in this country must be respected everywhere.
