Inter-institutional co-operation in focus of OSCE-supported security policy course in Bosnia and Herzegovina

SARAJEVO, 16 June 2016 – An-OSCE supported course on security policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) for some 30 participants from government institutions, parliament, police, armed forces, civil society, academia, media and industry concluded today in Sarajevo.

The two-week course, organized by the OSCE Mission to BiH and Council of Ministers’ Inter-ministerial Working Group on Monitoring the Implementation of BiH Security Policy, focused on the necessity of a multi-disciplinary approach and co-ordination and co-operation among various security actors. The course also aimed at increasing their knowledge of the BiH security policy and security system.

“The responsibility for security is not the exclusive domain of any one particular ministry or institution. No single institution has sufficient resources or mandate to address what have become global security concerns and problems,” said Michael Delacruz, Head of Security Co-operation Unit at the OSCE Mission to BiH.

Momir Brajic, member of the Council of Minister’s Inter-ministerial Working Group, said: “Implementation of the security policy requires a particular accent to be placed on the establishment and improvement of inter-section co-operation, principally on co-operation between the government and civil sector. Therefore, this course is an excellent forum for exchange of opinions and experiences between different actors in the area of security.”

Dario Busic, Head of the Department at the BiH Ministry of Communication and Transport, said: “The course covered very interesting topics, some of which were new for me. It, therefore, enabled me to see the field of transportation, as my field of expertise, from a new perspective.”    

The OSCE Mission to BiH and Inter-Ministerial Working Group have been organizing security policy courses since 2007 to raise understanding of BiH’s security policy and to exchange information in this area. The course is accredited by the BiH Civil Service Agency with ten credits and serves for the professional development and career advancement of civil servants.