Good governance in security sector reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina in focus at OSCE-supported course

SARAJEVO, 15 May 2014 – The second stage of the Security Sector Reform training programme, co-organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Armed Forces of BiH Joint Staff and the Centre for Security Studies, concluded in Sarajevo today.

This course is an integral part of the OSCE Mission’s project on Democratic Oversight and Good Governance in the Security Sector, and aims at fostering a responsive security system in BiH capable of maintaining a stable security environment in the country.

“From the OSCE view, any improvement in the comprehensive security of a OSCE participating State, such as BiH, results in greater security for all OSCE States,” said Nina Suomalainen, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “A combined greater result can be achieved through this process, one which resonates far beyond the OSCE area.”

Anto Jeleč, Chief of BiH Armed Forces Joint Staff, said: “The course has so far confirmed the necessity of capacity-building and improving skills in our institutions as well as increased the understanding of reforms as a process that requires continued engagement from multiple stakeholders”.

The objective of the programme is to create a pool of expert security sector professionals in BiH. This stage of the programme covered the assessment of BiH’s current security and defence environment, broader regional challenges and reform of the prison system. Aspects such as accountability, transparency, responsiveness, cross-sector coordination, and respect for human rights were also discussed.