Press Releases
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 144th Session
05/30/2018
Vijeće ministara Bosne i Hercegovine
The council of Ministers of BIH took note of information concerning the situation with migration HQ and results of the Operative HQ meeting of May 25 this year, in line with the Council of Ministers conclusions on regular reporting on the matter.
Over the past period of time, tens of activities were taken on preventing illegal migrant entries to BIH, securing additional accommodation for migrants, in addition to concrete steps for getting an international assistance for solving the migrant crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
According to the BIH Minister of Security, in time period from January 1 to May 27 this year, BIH was entered by the registered 4,870 illegal migrants, of which 4,215 expressed their intention to seek asylum, while 423 of them sought asylum.
The deploying additional police force to BIH border proved effective, as the illegal entries dropped for 50% after the urgent measures plan was adopted, and blocking activities at BIH border with its Eastern neighbours continue by deploying additional police staff.
The police agencies of BIH, in cooperation with responsible all-level police bodies, will step-up their activities on detecting and suppressing human trafficking connected criminal acts.
The Council of Minsters sent the Urgent Measures Action Plan concerning an increased migrant in-flow to BIH to the European Commission, in order to seek international assistance for solving the migrant crisis in BIH.
The Ušivak military barracks in Hadžići will be furbished for accommodation of migrants, and it would expand the capacities with the existing Asylum Centre in Dlijaš and Immigration Centre in East Novo Sarajevo. In the Unsko-Sanski Canton, a new site will be prepared for accommodation of migrants.
The Minister of Security of BIH will host a regional Ministers of Interior meeting on June 7, in Sarajevo, on the issue of migrations. Simultaneously, the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BIH continues communication with competent bodies of the countries of the region and representatives of relevant international institutions, to the end of defining the direction of action in terms of human rights protection.
The Operative HQ for Migrant Issues, being convened weekly, should prepare, for the first next session of the Council of Ministers of BIH, a written information to contain, among other things, a proposal additional sites for migrant accommodation, in addition to clearly indicated degree of implementation of the earlier adopted Action Plan measures realisation. That information should include activities implemented in a consistent compliance with the Law on Movement and Stay of Foreigners and Asylum in BIH-
APPROVED EMPLOYMENT OF POLICE CADETS
The Council for Ministers of BIH took a decision, proposed by the Ministry of Security, to define a plan of admission of Police Academy cadets to BIH-level police agencies for year 2018, thus further staffing the BIH Border Police, State Investigation and Protection Agency, and Directorate of Police Bodes Coordination of BIH.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA EQUAL AT INTERNATIONAL POSTAL MARKET
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Platform for adopting five acts of the World Postal Organisation, adopted in 2016 at the 26th congress, in Istanbul. That would enable Bosnia and Herzegovina an equal participation at the international market of postal services.
BIH will thus accept the Fifth Additional Protocol of the World Postal Union, First Additional Protocol to General Rulebook of the World Postal Union, World Postal Convention, and Agreement on Postal Financial Services.
By fulfilling its obligations taken by membership in the World Postal Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina will contribute to economic sustainability of domestic postal operators, simultaneously securing postal service provision, especially the universal postal services, conforming to international standards and ITC progress.
The Ministry of Communications and Transport of BIH will provide the Proposal Basics to the BIH Presidency for further acceptance procedure, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs was proposed for the BIH signatory.
INFORMATION SOUGHT FROM NEGOTIATING TEAM ON PROPERTY PROTECTED UNDER AGREEMENT ON SUCCESSION ISSUES ANNEX G
The Council of Ministers of BIH charged the Negotiating Team for Implementation of the Agreement on Succession Issues Annex G to submit for the fist next session of the Council of Ministers of BIH a report on its work and activities taken in connection with the protection of property and rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Republic of Croatia.
PUPILS FROM BANJA LUKA MAY GET PASSPORTS FOR FREE FOR THEIR RETURN HOME
The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to enable pupils from Banja Luka, who got their documents destroyed in a fire that took their bus during the excursion in Italy, to get for free travel documents for return to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
SUPPORTED ACTIVITIES OF MINISTRY OF DEFENCE IN “PERSPECTIVE” AND ”PREVENTIVE” PROJECTS
The Council of Ministers supports efforts and activities of the Ministry of Defence at the implementation of the “Perspective” transition programme for released military personnel, and implementation of the “Preventive” Project for protection of mental health of the Ministry staff and members of BIH Armed Forces.
This was concluded after the Council of Ministers was informed of the Ministry of Defence programme implementation in 2017.
The Ministry of Defence has been successfully for over five years implementing its own “Perspective” programme of transition and care taking of military personnel released from military service due to age and length of military service, in compliance with the Law on Service in the Armed Forces of BIH. In the implementation of the multi-annual “Perspective” Programme, total KM 344,333.33 was spent from 2016 to March 20, 2018 for assistance to 120 released staff-members.
The Ministry has been successfully implementing the “Preventive” Project for three years now, targeting development and strengthening mental health protection and psycho-social assistance to members of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces.
In 2016 and 2017, 209 members of the Armed Forces, returnees from peace-keeping missions, went through the “Preventive” Project, to which KM 54,426.39 was spent.
ADOPTED REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF REVISED ACTION PLAN FOR SOLVING ISUES OF ROMA POPUALTION
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BIH, a Report on implementation of a 2013-2016 Revised Action Plan of Bosnia and Herzegovina for solving the issues of the Roma population in employment, housing and health care and on related spending grant funds in 2016, with recommendations for the improvement of situation in this area.
The Report indicates that in 2009-2016, KM 19,522,000 was earmarked from the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees Budget, while co-financing part amounted to KM 9,387,308.57, totalling more than KM 28.9 million.
For the needs of the Roma, 541 housing units were built, and 744 Roma used funds intended for employment and self-employment. Funds for health care were implemented in cooperation with public health institutes in the Federation of BIH and Institute for Public Heath in Republika Srpska, including responsible bodies of the Brčko District of BIH, for the aim of promotion of access to health care by members of the Roma national minority.
Earlier, the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees registered 16,771 Roma or 4,308 households existing in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, considering the fact that a certain number of households rejected to get registered, and due to the movement of population, estimates suggest that 25-30 thousand Roma live in BIH, among whom about 19.5 thousand persons in need of some form of assistance and support, who are included in the Action Plan.
605 MEASURES FORM ACTION PLAN REALISED
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Final Report on Action Plan measures implementation for realisation of priorities from the EC 2016 Bosnia and Herzegovina Report, to be provided to the Parliamentarians Assembly of BIH and European Commission.
The Report of the Council of Ministers of BIH Directorate of European Integrations indicates that by the end of this February, responsible State-level, Entity, Cantonal and Brčko District institutions realised 376 out of 631 planned measures, and continue to implement the Action Plan.
Out of 209 measures planned for realisation, in the first two months of this year realised were 174 or 63 per cent. Also realised was 28 measures from the previous period.
The European Commission 2016 Report for Bosnia and Herzegovina contained 76 priorities classified by sectors, based on which the Council of Ministers, in cooperation with all-level institutions, adopted an Action Plan last year. It is a whole-state document implemented by competent State, Entity, Cantonal and Brčko District institutions.
CONSENT FOR VOTE BY TURKISH CITIZENS IN BIH
The Council of Ministers of BIH granted its consent, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for voting by citizens of the Republic of Turkey in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the occasion of the repeated general elections in the Republic of Turkey. The balloting will be held in the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Sarajevo, in the first cycle on June 16 and 17, 2918, and in the second cycle on June 30 and July 1, 2018, in time between 9,00 hrs and 21.00 hrs,
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