OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina organizes visit of international community to Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, focusing on education

MOSTAR, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 11 April 2016 - Ambassadors and representatives of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council and other colleagues from the international community, led by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), concluded a visit today to the municipalities of Prozor-Rama and Čapljina.  

The representatives of international community visited schools and municipal authorities in Prozor-Rama and Čapljina.

“We were very pleased to facilitate the visit of so many colleagues in focusing on the critically important issue of education,” said Jonathan Moore, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “Quality education is a necessity for all children in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They all have the same right to learn and prosper.”

“If for no other reason, it is financially inefficient and unsustainable to maintain the existing education system of ‘two schools under one roof’,” said Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, Head of the EU Delegation to BiH and EU Special Representative in BiH. “While cultural diversity and tradition should be respected, a common core curriculum based on common standards should be widely used throughout the country allowing all children to learn and get acquainted with each other. This will also help the country to become more competitive within the EU educational standards.”  

Principal Deputy High Representative Bruce Berton said: “We are grateful to the OSCE Mission to BiH for organizing this visit. Education is one of the main priorities for Bosnia and Herzegovina as also reiterated at the last session of the Peace Implementation Council, held in December 2015.”

This is the second OSCE-organized visit of the international community members to the schools in BiH.