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SARAJEVO, September 2 (FENA) - After carefully following the process of appointing three ombudsmen for human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Initiative for Monitoring European Integration in BiH believes that the procedure for appointing an ombudsman for human rights should be more transparent.
Both houses of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH voted for the appointment of three ombudsmen for human rights of BiH at the last sessions. Jasminka Džumhur, Nevenko Vranješ and Nives Jukić have been appointed.
Although the members of the Temporary Joint Commission of both chambers of the BiH Parliament for the implementation of the procedure for the appointment of three human rights ombudsmen were appointed in July 2021, the constituent session of this body was held only in March 2022.
In the meantime, the mandate of the previous ombudsmen has expired. Five sessions were held in March, May, July and August. The start of work was delayed for months, and during the summer the Commission accelerated the process so that the current convocation of the Parliament would appoint new ombudsmen.
Given that the Commission did not adequately promote its work with the aim of involving interested parties, as they state, primarily civil society, the Initiative only started to actively monitor the work and appointment process after the second session.
The initiative pointed out to the Commission the shortcomings of the Rules of Procedure, which do not provide for consultation with civil society organizations dealing with issues of protection and promotion of human rights and civil liberties. Although one member of the Commission proposed amending the Rules of Procedure, that item was not included in the agenda of the third session.
"The process of appointing ombudsmen once again showed the necessity of amending the Law on Human Rights Ombudsmen. This Law ignores the role of civil society and other interested parties in the appointment process, and civil society organizations are frequent users of human rights protection mechanisms offered by the Institution of Ombudsman for Human Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina," said the coordinator of the Initiative, Edo Kanlić.
The Commission for the appointment of the ombudsman, he added, has shown with its positions and communication that it does not see civil society as a partner, but as a disruptive factor that interferes with their work.
"This is deeply worrying, taking into account the importance of cooperation between institutions and civil society in the field of protection of human rights and civil liberties. We emphasize that this cooperation is not important because of international bodies, but because of the strengthening of democratic principles in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the most effective protection of human rights in our country," concluded Kanlić.
(FENA) S. R.
