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12. Brčko Unsupervised
- Publication Date:
- 12-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- It is time to close international supervision of Bosnia's Brčko District. Once seen as a model of post-war reconciliation and good government, it is drowning in corruption and mismanagement that flourished despite its supervisors' best efforts. The territory is vital to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)'s stability: it links the two halves of both Republika Srpska (RS) and the BiH Federation (FBiH), and belongs technically to both entities but is independently governed and multi-ethnic. Many of its former leaders are under suspicion in a corruption probe that may have only scratched the surface; several high profile development projects are collapsing in bankruptcy and litigation. RS has a strong influence on the district but is not threatening to undermine its status. Nevertheless, the international community should ensure that Serb leaders of that entity are left in no doubt that any move to take Brčko over would meet a strong reaction. Stability is now dependent on whether local politicians, law enforcement and the judiciary can take responsibility. International supervision is no longer helping, and a new strategy is needed.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Security, Government, and Politics
- Political Geography:
- Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Balkans
13. Bosnia: Europe's Time to Act
- Publication Date:
- 01-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- After years of hesitancy, European Union (EU) member states should make 2011 the year when the lead international role in Bosnia and Herzegovina shifts from the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to a reinforced EU delegation. Bosnia has outgrown the OHR established in 1995 after the Dayton Peace Agreement and the creation of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC). Today the country needs EU technical assistance and political guidance to become a credible candidate for EU membership, not an international overseer to legislate for it or maintain security. Member states should rapidly install a comprehensive plan to reinforce the EU presence, including an embassy led by a strong ambassador, strengthen the membership perspective and build local credibility. OHR should withdraw from domestic politics and, unless a threat to peace emerges, focus on reviewing past decisions.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution and Treaties and Agreements
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Balkans
14. Supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Challenge of Reaching Self-Sustainability in a Post-War Environment
- Author:
- Predrag Jureković
- Publication Date:
- 01-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Austrian National Defence Academy
- Abstract:
- Progress has been lacking for more than three years in the peace-building process, since the Bosnian and Herzegovine (BiH) parliament failed in April 2006 to decide on a new constitution which would make "Dayton-Bosnia" a more viable state, with rational institutions compatible with future EU and NATO membership. As a consequence, BiH remains a dysfunctional state, with frequently blocked decision-making mechanisms, nationalistic rhetoric and policies, as well as a lack of cross-entity and cross-ethnic cooperation.?
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Peace Studies, and Fragile/Failed State
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Balkans
15. The Military and the Fight Against Serious Crime: Lessons from the Balkans
- Author:
- Cornelius Friesendorf
- Publication Date:
- 06-2010
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Connections
- Institution:
- Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes
- Abstract:
- Serious crime poses major obstacles in peace operations. International actors intervening in war-torn countries face the challenge of putting pressure on suspected war criminals, members of organized criminal groups, those who instigate interethnic violence, and corrupt officials. While it is widely acknowledged by now that serious crime and public security gaps cause lasting damage to international stabilization efforts, international and domestic policing structures remain weak. This article examines the law enforcement role of international military forces. It shows that in post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, military support for crime-fighting efforts has been unsystematic, although it has improved over time. Practical, political, and normative reasons stand in the way of employing the military for law enforcement tasks. However, under conditions of weak policing, preparing the military for law enforcement is necessary in order to better protect citizens against serious crime.
- Topic:
- Security
- Political Geography:
- Bosnia, Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Balkans
16. A New Kind of Balkans Drama
- Author:
- Daniel Serwer
- Publication Date:
- 06-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- The Balkans face more trouble in Kosovo as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina unless the United States and European Union take dramatic steps to get both back on track towards EU membership. In Bosnia, the international community needs to reconstitute itself as well as support an effort to reform the country's constitution. In Kosovo, Pristina and Belgrade need to break through the barriers to direct communication and begin discussions on a wide range of issues. This brief proposes specific diplomatic measures to meet these needs.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, International Relations, Diplomacy, and Ethnic Conflict
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, and Balkans
17. Adjusting to Stabilization and Reconstruction Operations
- Author:
- Robert Hoekstra and Charles Tucker Jr.
- Publication Date:
- 03-2010
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- PRISM
- Institution:
- Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS), National Defense University
- Abstract:
- Drawing on the lessons learned from coalition interventions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere, by mid-2004, a consensus developed within the executive branch, Congress, and among independent experts that the U.S. Government required a more robust capacity to prevent conflict (when possible) and (when necessary) to manage “Stabilization and Reconstruction Operations [SROs] in countries emerging from conflict or civil strife.”
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution and Government
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, United States, Iraq, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Kosovo
18. What to do about Bosnia and Herzegovina?: The Case for Accelerated NATO Membership and OSCE Coordination of Constitutional Reform
- Author:
- Edward P. Joseph
- Publication Date:
- 05-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- The policy choice in Bosnia revolves around one question: how much time does the country have? If one believes that the country is reasonably stable, that another election will produce more cooperative leaders, and that Bosnia's "EU future" is assured, then the way forward is clear: cede international leadership in Bosnia from the U.S. to the European Union.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, NATO, and Democratization
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Balkans
19. Unfinished Business in Bosnia and Herzegovina: What Is To Be Done?
- Author:
- Kurt Bassuener and James Lyon
- Publication Date:
- 05-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- This is the first of three papers USIP will publish this month on Bosnia, each with a different analytical perspective on what is happening in Bosnia and what needs to be done there to prevent a return to violence. We do this in the hope that these papers will generate a fuller debate on options that might be pursued by the U.S. government (USG), Europe and Bosnians.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, Democratization, Peace Studies, and War
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Balkans
20. U.S. Policy and Bosnia-Herzegovina: An Assessment
- Author:
- David Binder, Dr. Steven Meyer, and Obrad Kesic
- Publication Date:
- 06-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- This is the final of three papers (read the first and second papers) USIP will publish on Bosnia-Herzegovina, each with a different analytical perspective on what is happening in Bosnia and what needs to be done there to prevent a return to violence. We hope that these papers will generate a debate on options that might be pursued by the U.S. government (USG), Europe and Bosnians. These papers will be discussed at a public forum at the United States Institute of Peace on June 25, 2009.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, Foreign Policy, and Peace Studies
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Balkans