Building trust and confidence

“When the war started, I was a student in Sarajevo and during the war I served in the police force. In early 1996, I got a job working for the OSCE as a driver. It was a great opportunity to work and earn some money after so many years of hard living. After a few months, I was given the opportunity to work for then-Deputy Head of Mission for Regional Stabilization, Brigadier General Per Skov-Christensen.

Our department had the very demanding task of working on confidence- and security-building measures under Article II of Annex 1B of the Dayton Peace Accord, but also to help with implementation of Article IV of Annex 1B, on arms control. It was hard to believe that it was possible to go again normally, without fear, to Serbia, Montenegro, and Croatia in order build peace and confidence together. The OSCE Missions in the entire region stood firm on their impartiality.

I am thankful for this opportunity to express my gratitude to all those who have worked for the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina team, for all their efforts to get my children’s country on the path to prosperity.”

Semin Numić, currently serving as a Logistics Assistant in the Arms Control division of the Mission’s Security Co-operation Department

This article first appeared in issue 4/2010 of the OSCE Magazine.