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OSCE Mission urges Bosnia and Herzegovina entity to implement law on conscientious objection
SARAJEVO 4 March 2003
SARAJEVO, 4 March 2003 - Ambassador Robert Beecroft, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), today called on the authorities of the BiH Federation - one of the country's two entities - to fully implement the law that grants conscripts the right to conscientious objection to serve in the army.
"The right to conscientious objection must be fully implemented in the entire country," Ambassador Beecroft said. "We welcome the reported plans to establish a commission to identify social service institutions providing alternative employment for conscientious objectors. We also applaud the opening of a Service Centre in Sarajevo by the non-governmental organization Campaign for Conscientious Objection in BiH, which provides conscription candidates with information about alternative service.
"But the OSCE remains concerned about the fact that legal deadlines to apply for conscientious objection are still in place in both entities, despite the general failure to systematically inform conscripts about their rights," he said.
As a result, many applicants for conscientious objector status have missed the formal deadline to apply and now face criminal sanctions for not responding to military call-up papers.
Ambassador Beecroft urged the entity authorities to immediately begin providing conscription candidates with the full notice of their rights, as well as information concerning the procedure for application for conscientious objection status.
Bosnia and Herzegovina committed itself to realize the right to conscientious objection with its accession to the Council of Europe. This not only requires that authorities fully implement existing provisions, but also move ahead with legislative reform in this regard. The OSCE Mission is working closely together with the Council of Europe, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Development Programme, UN Volunteers and local partners to bring this about as quickly as possible.
"The right to conscientious objection must be fully implemented in the entire country," Ambassador Beecroft said. "We welcome the reported plans to establish a commission to identify social service institutions providing alternative employment for conscientious objectors. We also applaud the opening of a Service Centre in Sarajevo by the non-governmental organization Campaign for Conscientious Objection in BiH, which provides conscription candidates with information about alternative service.
"But the OSCE remains concerned about the fact that legal deadlines to apply for conscientious objection are still in place in both entities, despite the general failure to systematically inform conscripts about their rights," he said.
As a result, many applicants for conscientious objector status have missed the formal deadline to apply and now face criminal sanctions for not responding to military call-up papers.
Ambassador Beecroft urged the entity authorities to immediately begin providing conscription candidates with the full notice of their rights, as well as information concerning the procedure for application for conscientious objection status.
Bosnia and Herzegovina committed itself to realize the right to conscientious objection with its accession to the Council of Europe. This not only requires that authorities fully implement existing provisions, but also move ahead with legislative reform in this regard. The OSCE Mission is working closely together with the Council of Europe, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Development Programme, UN Volunteers and local partners to bring this about as quickly as possible.