OSCE Mission Head calls upon the BiH Parliament to re-affirm its commitment to openness and transparency

SARAJEVO, 30 April 2013 – In a letter sent today to members of the Collegium of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Fletcher M. Burton conveyed his concern about and requested reconsideration of the Collegium’s decision to reject a request by the non-governmental organization Centres for Civic Initiatives (CCI) to attend the Assembly’s most recent session.

“Senior representatives of my Mission have also been discussing the situation with the cabinets of all Collegium members. It would be unfortunate if the decision to exclude CCI from this plenary session tarnished the reputation of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, which is one of the most open legislative bodies in the region,” Burton said.

“I welcome the statement by the First Deputy Speaker and Collegium member, Denis Becirovic, against the decision to exclude CCI. We hope other members will follow suit and that this will lead to a decision to permit CCI to attend subsequent plenary sessions. This will serve to re-affirm the Parliament’s policy of openness to all citizens, irrespective of their views and opinions,” Burton added.

He recalled positive steps taken by the Parliamentary Assembly, with the support of the OSCE Mission, to increase its transparency, including live streaming of plenary sessions and public debates, displaying parliamentary materials on its website and adapting it for visually impaired visitors.