Third meeting of the Minority Coordination Group was held yesterday in Konjic. Participants discussed the proposals for new criteria for selection of members to council(s) of national minorities, especially Council of National Minorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
One of the key criteria discussed was limiting possibility of having one person as a member of more councils simultaneously. This would ensure more varied and efficient participation in the work of these advisory bodies. Also, Mr Jakob Finci, representative of BiH Council of National Minorities, emphasised that such a topic requires further discussion and that it is important to revise the Law on the protection of rights of persons belonging to national minorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order for these criteria to be implemented efficiently.
The following representatives participated in the meeting: Council of National Minorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Roma Board of Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers, Council of National Minorities of Republika Srpska, Council of National Minorities of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Government of Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Council of National Minorities of Una-Sana Canton, Alliance of National Minorities of Republika Srpska, Committee for Human Rights and Freedoms of the House of Peoples of the Federal Parliament, OSCE Mission to BiH and Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo.
Minority Coordination Group, as well as the aforementioned meeting, were organised within the project "Strengthening the protection of national minorities in BiH" that is funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe. This project is part of the joint programme called “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey”, implemented by the Council of Europe.
