Press Releases
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 51st Session
04/04/2016
Vijeće ministara Bosne i Hercegovine
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a report of the Directorate for European Integrations on preparations for delivery of answers to the European Commission questionnaire, thereby starting its activities within the process.
Several conclusions were adopted concerning activities that the Directorate for European Integrations is to carry out in cooperation with competent intuitions of BIH in the process of preparation of answers to questionnaire of the European Commission.
An integral part of the report were guidelines for preparation of answers to the European Commission questions, and they are technical instructions to be complied with by all institutions in the process of preparation of their answers, all for the purpose of drafting high quality, clear, concise and methodologically uniform answers.
Based upon questionnaires received by Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina might expect about 2,500 potential questions for political and economic criteria, in addition in relation to 33 chapters.
BIH AND CHINA PROMOTE THEIR COOPERATION IN EDUCATION
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Agreement on Cooperation in Education between the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China for 2016-2019, which promotes bilateral cooperation.
The two states will promote cooperation in the areas of primary, secondary and high education, including expert training of adults, as well as exchange of students and scientists, and will provide for an opportunity for eventual scholarships , joint seminars and scientific-research projects.
The Proposal Agreement will be provided to the BIH Presidency, and the Minister of Civil Affairs was proposed for the BIH signatory.
SUPPORT TO MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUNM ENTERPRISES
The Council of Ministers of BIH took a conclusion, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, to confirm that a financial investment of the OPEC Fund for International Development in a form of credit line of “Raiffeisen Bank, jsc. BIH” is in compliance with an Agreement on investment Promotion and Protection between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the OPEC Fund for International Development.
This would enable the OPEC Fund for International Development to disburse a loan to “Raiffeisen Bank jcs. BIH” in amount of EUR 15 million for support to micro, small and medium enterprises in Bosnia and Herzegovina to the end of increase of employment and enterprises competitiveness.
ABOUT 20,000 MISSING PERSONS FONUND TO DATE
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information of the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees on missing persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina and an Opinion on ICMP Initiative on taking over the competence by the Council of Ministers of BIH.
According to the Information, the Institute for Missing Persons has verified about 20,000 files of missing persons to date, or about 75 per cent of total number of missing persons,. And the verification process is to be continued as it has to be finalised for all persons still unaccounted for.
For the purpose of implementation of a Decision of the Constitutional Court, the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees will launch an initiative for harmonisation of the Law on Missing Persons and Entity laws regulating the rights of civil war victims in BIH.
The Institute for Missing Persons of BIH will speed-up the verification process of files of missing persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in regard with the verification process it will report the Council of Ministers of BIH at least once a year, and through it the Parliamentarian Assembly Joint Committee for Human Rights.
The Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees is responsible to launch a negotiations procedure for amendments and supplements of an Agreement on taking over the role of co-founder of the Institute for Missing Persons of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the International Committee for Missing Persons, in compliance with an Opinion of the Council of Ministers of BIH and Initiative of the International Committee for Missing Persons.
The procedure of amendment s and supplements of the Agreement on taking over the role of co-founder of the Institute for Missing Persons of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the International Commission or Missing Persons will be launched, in accordance with the Law on procedure and execution of international treaties.
The Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees will provide this information and opinion to the BIH Parliamentarian Assembly Joint Committee for Human Rights, in compliance with tis conclusion from its 4th session of May 19, 2015.
SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF MINISTRY OF DEFENCE’S “PERSPECTIVE” PROGRAMME
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information of the Ministry of Defence on implementation of the “perspective” Programme of transition and taking care of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces of BIH released personnel in 2015.
The Council of Ministers of BIH endorsed the efforts and activities of the Ministry of Defence of BIH on implementation of its own “perspective” programme of transition and taking care of released personnel.
Bosnia and Herzegovina implements tis own “Perspective” Programme of transition and care taking of released personnel, after the completion of implementation of the NATO-led International “Perspective” Programme, on December 31, 2013.
35 HUMAN TRFFICKING VICTIMS IN LAST YEAR
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Security, a Report on the state of affairs in human trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015, prepared by the anti-human trafficking state coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Report indicates that last year totally 35 potential human trafficking victims were identified, of which 18 adults and 17 underage persons. This group includes victims of prostitution-incitement, sexual exploitation, trade with people for the purpose of begging, trade for marriage, i.e. extramarital community with underage person.
Out of 35 victims of human trafficking, there are 27 females and eight males. Among them 24 persons were exposed to begging, six were sexually exploited, and four were victims of sales for forced marriage and extramarital community with underage person, and one person was incited to prostitution. Among these victims there were foreigners, while 14 potential human trafficking victims found a sanctuary in safe houses/shelters.
According to the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BIH, 20 investigations against 30 individuals were ordered in 2015 for criminal acts of human trafficking or related acts, and courts made 10 convictions against 14 individuals, of which seven prison sentences against nine individuals and three probation sentences against four individuals.
According to the Report, competent bodies of BIH have implemented, alone and in cooperation with civil society organisations and international partners a number of activities for the purpose of prevention an decrease of number of victims fo human trafficking, and a progress was made in implementation of the Strategy for Human Trafficking Suppression in Bosnia and Herzegovina and accompanying Action Plan, under which 80 measures were implemented.
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