Newsroom
OSCE Mission encourages BiH entity on new conscientious objection instruction
SARAJEVO 28 October 2003
SARAJEVO, 28 October 2003 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina is encouraging the Federation BiH Minister of Defence to proceed rapidly with the implementation of a new instruction on conscientious objectors.
Miroslav Nikolic, the Federation Minister of Defence, signed an instruction on 24 October that paves the way for conscientious objectors in the Federation BiH (FBiH) to perform social work instead of military service.
"The OSCE Mission to BiH, together with its partner agencies - the Council of Europe, the UN Development Programme/UN Volunteers, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - sees this initiative of the FBiH Ministry of Defence as a basis for full implementation of the right to conscientious objection," said Ambassador Victor Tkachenko, Acting Head of the OSCE Mission.
The next steps include the conclusion of contracts regulating the performance of alternative service with public institutions and non-governmental organizations chosen by public tender, and the initiation of a pilot project for placement of conscientious objectors with these bodies.
The right to be recognized as a conscientious objector to military service and to be allowed to perform alternative social service has, so far, only been partially implemented in the country. Full implementation of this right is one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's post-accession obligations to the Council of Europe and remains a human rights priority for the OSCE Mission.
In the Federation BiH, the Commission that decides on applications for conscientious objectors status under the Ministry of Justice has issued more than 600 decisions recognizing this status. However, the Federation BiH has lacked a mechanism for providing these people with an alternative service of a civilian nature. The Ministry of Defence's passage of the new instruction ends this legal limbo and creates a framework for conscientious objectors to begin performing alternative service.
The experience of the Federation BiH in implementing this instruction will be an important contribution in the effort to make sure that the right to conscientious objection is respected throughout the country.
Miroslav Nikolic, the Federation Minister of Defence, signed an instruction on 24 October that paves the way for conscientious objectors in the Federation BiH (FBiH) to perform social work instead of military service.
"The OSCE Mission to BiH, together with its partner agencies - the Council of Europe, the UN Development Programme/UN Volunteers, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - sees this initiative of the FBiH Ministry of Defence as a basis for full implementation of the right to conscientious objection," said Ambassador Victor Tkachenko, Acting Head of the OSCE Mission.
The next steps include the conclusion of contracts regulating the performance of alternative service with public institutions and non-governmental organizations chosen by public tender, and the initiation of a pilot project for placement of conscientious objectors with these bodies.
The right to be recognized as a conscientious objector to military service and to be allowed to perform alternative social service has, so far, only been partially implemented in the country. Full implementation of this right is one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's post-accession obligations to the Council of Europe and remains a human rights priority for the OSCE Mission.
In the Federation BiH, the Commission that decides on applications for conscientious objectors status under the Ministry of Justice has issued more than 600 decisions recognizing this status. However, the Federation BiH has lacked a mechanism for providing these people with an alternative service of a civilian nature. The Ministry of Defence's passage of the new instruction ends this legal limbo and creates a framework for conscientious objectors to begin performing alternative service.
The experience of the Federation BiH in implementing this instruction will be an important contribution in the effort to make sure that the right to conscientious objection is respected throughout the country.