Expressing support for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina as they seek to hold government officials accountable, prepare for elections at the state, entity, and cantonal level, and consider constitutional or other reforms to enhance the country's prospects for European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Bill: 113-hres-746
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
Introduced: 2014-09-18
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Alliances

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Economic development

Elections, voting, political campaign regulation

Europe

European Union

Human rights

International organizations and cooperation

Political movements and philosophies

Racial and ethnic relations

Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
Latest action: action_date: 2014-09-18
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-09-18
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Supports: (1) the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina within its internationally recognized borders; and (2) the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina as they seek democracy, economic prosperity, and successful European integration. </p> <p> Expresses dissatisfaction with the inability of Bosnia and Herzegovina's political leaders to agree on necessary reforms.</p> <p>Views the October 12, 2014, elections as an opportunity for voters to address Bosnia and Herzegovina's current political stagnation as well as to express support for reform and European integration, and calls upon authorities to ensure these elections are conducted in a free and fair manner. </p> <p>Encourages the growth of peaceful, civic activism. </p> <p>Calls upon the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to clarify the integration steps Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to take. </p> <p>Supports the maintenance of an international presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the retention of all powers accorded to the international community to meet the objectives and conditions set by the Peace Implementation Council. </p> <p>Urges the United States and members of the international community, in all aspects of their relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, to place emphasis on respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms held by the individual, which should not be compromised by privileges accorded to a group, ethnically based or otherwise.</p>

tv_txt: IV 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 746 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 18, 2014 Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. Keating ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Expressing support for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina as they seek to hold government officials accountable, prepare for elections at the state, entity, and cantonal level, and consider constitutional or other reforms to enhance the country’s prospects for European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Whereas a brutal conflict marked by more than three years of aggression and ethnic cleansing, including the commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide as well as the use of sexual violence, especially rape, as a tool of war, was brought to an end by the decisive actions eventually undertaken by the international community with the strong leadership by the United States, culminating in the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (commonly referred to as the Dayton Peace Accords ), which was agreed to at Wright Patterson Air Force base in Dayton, Ohio, on November 21, 1995, and signed in Paris on December 14, 1995; Whereas considerable progress on post-conflict recovery was achieved by Bosnia and Herzegovina in partnership with an actively engaged international community during the first decade of the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords, generating efforts to move beyond the Accord’s compromises that were originally intended to restore peace more quickly and preserve and protect human life, but have been considered in a more stable and secure environment to be a hindrance to the development of more democratic, efficient and effective political institutions, particularly at the state level, during a time when the prospects for European and Euro-Atlantic integration make the existence of such institutions necessary; Whereas the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission has concluded that the current constitutional arrangements of Bosnia and Herzegovina are neither efficient nor rational and need to be reformed to make state-level institutions more effective and democratic if the country is to move forward, and the European Court for Human Rights has found certain provisions of the constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina to be in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights because they establish ethnic criteria for certain elected positions that are discriminatory; Whereas the failure to reach consensus on constitutional reforms in the second decade of the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords has led to a deterioration of the political atmosphere in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has been marred by divisive rhetoric, unwillingness to work constructively with representatives of the international community, threats to the sovereignty, legal continuity, unity, and territorial integrity of the country and pervasive official corruption; Whereas citizens in various municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina reacted to their severely worsening socioeconomic conditions in 2014 with public protest and the formulation of demands for the accountability of government officials, an end to rampant corruption and numerous other actions to address their grievances, particularly at the local level; Whereas elections at the state, entity, and cantonal level are scheduled to be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 12, 2014; Whereas the European Union (EU) has expressed its full and firm support for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU perspective, considers the country to be a potential candidate country for membership, but views it at a standstill in the European integration process while other countries in the region are moving ahead; Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is committed to open membership to any European country in a position to undertake the commitments and obligations of membership and contribute to security in the Euro-Atlantic area, including Bosnia and Herzegovina once it has achieved the necessary progress in its reform efforts; Whereas the international community retains the robust powers given to it by the Dayton Peace Accords, but has declined in recent years to use those powers adequately to address the deterioration of the political atmosphere in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the resulting stagnation in the country’s progress toward integration; and Whereas it is in the national interest of the United States to ensure that the sovereignty, legal continuity, unity, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina within its internationally recognized borders, are respected and that Bosnia and Herzegovina make progress in achieving its aspirations for Euro-Atlantic and European integration through genuine reform efforts: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1) reaffirms its continuing strong support for the sovereignty, legal continuity, unity, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina within its internationally recognized borders; (2) affirms equally strong support for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina as they seek greater democracy, economic prosperity, and successful integration in European and Euro-Atlantic institutions; (3) expresses profound dissatisfaction with the inability of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s political leaders to achieve agreement on reforms necessary for progress in these areas; (4) deplores the divisive rhetoric and abuse of legal protections that have become part of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s political discourse, including the wrongful denial or mischaracterization of crimes and genocide associated with the conflict between 1992 and 1995, the excessive and unwarranted reliance on veto powers to block decisionmaking at the state-level even when such decisions do not present any reasonable threat to the vital interests of constituent peoples, and the general fomenting of distrust, division, and fear among citizens based on the country’s ethnic and religious diversity; (5) views the October 12, 2014, elections at the state, entity, and cantonal level as an opportunity for voters to address Bosnia and Herzegovina’s current political stagnation and associated problems as well as to express support for reform and for European and Euro-Atlantic integration; (6) calls upon the relevant authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure these elections are conducted in a free and fair manner; (7) encourages the growth of peaceful, civic activism to hold public officials accountable and to engage citizens in the political life of the country, including in the election process and any new initiatives to achieve structural or constitutional reform, in order to achieve increased public trust in the political process, broader consensus on the reforms to be adopted, and more effective, efficient, and democratic governance; (8) calls upon the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and their member states to make clear the specific steps Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to take in the integration process; (9) supports the maintenance of a robust international presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the full retention and necessary use of all powers accorded to the international community, including the Office of the High Representative, to meet fully the objectives and conditions set by the international Peace Implementation Council; and (10) urges the United States and concerned members of the international community, in all aspects of their relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, to place renewed emphasis, on respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms held by the individual, which should not be compromised by any collective protections and privileges accorded to a group, ethnically based or otherwise.