OSCE-supported course on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s policy on prevention of terrorism concludes in Brčko

BRČKO, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 12 May 2017 – An OSCE-supported course on Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)’s security policy, focusing on the prevention of terrorism and the role of local communities, concluded today in Brčko. The course was organized by the OSCE Mission to BiH and the Council of Ministers’ Inter-ministerial Working Group on Monitoring the Implementation of BiH Security Policy.

More than 20 participants from different law enforcement agencies had the opportunity to increase their understanding of the policy and to exchange information about how it is implemented in practice.

Paul Martin, Policy and Information Officer at the OSCE Mission to BiH, emphasized the support the Mission provides to the host country in its efforts to control and prevent terrorism:  “We assist the country by promoting a co-operative and co-ordinated approach at all levels, including among national authorities, civil society and the media as well as regional and international organizations.”

He said that the course provided insight not only into the functioning of the security sector but also into one of the biggest threats addressed in BiH’s security policy, the threat of terrorism. “The course looked objectively into current BiH legislation and the strategy for the fight against terrorism, with a view to implementing improvements in its application at the local levels of BiH society.”

The Deputy Minister of Security of BiH, Mijo Krešić said: “Bosnia and Herzegovina remains committed to combating all forms of terrorism. Greater attention should be given to the challenges of financing of terrorism, the misuse of the Internet for terrorist purposes and the illegal arms trade. By facing and suppressing these challenges, we can achieve significant results in terms of cutting the resources for future terrorist organization activities, ultimately accelerating the process of their weakening and disappearance.”

This course is a part of a wider security policy training programme which aims to ensure better understanding of the security policy of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the place, role, and obligations of the BiH institutions and other actors in ensuring the efficient functioning of security sector.

This advanced course is accredited by the BiH Civil Service Agency with four credits and serves the professional development and career advancement of civil servants.