Address by Chairman of Council of Ministers of BIH at Donor Conference

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Vjekoslav Bevanda addressed to the Donor Conference titled “Durable Solutions for Refugees and Displaced Persons” in Sarajevo. (Chairman’s speech is posted hereinafter in its entirety). 

Dear Ministers, Excellences, Ambassadors, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me first greet you all most sincerely and welcome you to Bosnia and Herzegovina. I want to thank you for responding to our invitation to attend this extremely important international gathering.

Following a series of activities taking place in many cities and countries in the region, Bosnia and Herzegovina was honoured to host, in our view, perhaps the most important regional event of the year.

In that respect, let me express here my especial honour to you on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the participating countries.

I rise the importance of what has been done in the prearrangement of the Regional Housing Programme and this Conference by partner countries and international organisations, UNCH, European Commission, OSCE and the US Government, which all invested a lot of effort over the previous years to harmonise the individual goals of each country and transform them into a joint programme to be presented today.

Especially, I would like to express my respects to potential donors that responded to the invitation to take part at the Conference.

As you might be aware, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, Montenegro, and the Republic of Serbia have expressed their joint programme, within their regional cooperation, titled “Durable Solutions for Refugees and Displaced Persons”.

The Programme common aim is to contribute overwhelmingly to the closure of the issue of displacement by way of securing durable and sustainable housing solutions, with a full regard to rights of refugees and internally displaced persons and a joint obligation commitment to a tight cooperation to secure durable and sustainable solutions through the return and reintegration in the places of origin or through the local integration in their present place of habitation.

After two decades of their displacement, the Programme provides for a permanent solution of housing for almost 27,000 families in four countries of the region, and the projected budget for its implementation is about EUR 583.7 million, out of which the countries of the region are to secure EUR 82.8 million. A solution to EUR 500 million financial gap we all hope will be arrived at today’s Conference and through the follow-up activities.

I invite you to take one more effort and secure jointly the missing funds so that durable and sustainable solutions for refugees and displaced persons in the region would be eventually reached.

In order to leave time for addresses by numerous high officials and for thematic deliveries and presentations, I am left only to use this extraordinary opportunity and honour, in my capacity of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the host country of the Conference, to thank you all once again and declare the International Donor Conference open.

Thank you!

(end)