Mario Brkic – OHR

Good morning. We have three points for you today.

Firstly, as you know the High Representative launched the Bulldozer initiative on 12 November, to enable Bosnia and Herzegovina’s business people to get directly involved bulldozing away legislative and bureaucratic barriers to business growth and job creation.

What I can announce today is that the Bulldozer Committee is sending out a questioner to 500 businessmen across Bosnia and Herzegovina, to ask them what needs to be changed or improved. This questionnaire is simple and action oriented. After the press conference we are distributing copies here just as an example.

High Representative's position on this is very clear, if Bosnia and Herzegovina is to become business friendly and attract the investment and create new jobs, we will need the help of the business community, because they understand the problems best. That is why the Bulldozer Committee was established, to give the business community a voice in changing the system and a forum to work with, which consists of OHR, IMF, WB, EC and USAID.

Secondly, I would like to give you a read out of the High Representatives meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Ivanov. The High Representative expressed his thanks to Minister Ivanov, for the positive role that Russia has played in recent Bosnia and Herzegovina developments and the positive contribution of Ambassador Alexander Grischenko, during the recent discussions on Council of Ministers reform and on the decision to establish a Ministry of Security at the state level rather than a Ministry of Internal Affairs and Security.

Minister Ivanov highlighted the importance of economic reform and supported the plan to unify the customs system and replace the divided and corrupted sales taxes system with a cheaper single VAT administration. As you probably know, Russia is also introducing the VAT system. The High Representative and Minister Ivanov discussed the technical application and implementation of these reforms.

The final point from OHR, the High Representative is meeting the Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto Antonione, this afternoon, at the OHR. They will be discussing the agenda for reform, focusing on the rule of law and economic reform. Also on the agenda at the meeting is Bosnia and Herzegovina's integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. There will be a short photo opportunity at the start of the meeting at 13:10 and both the High Representative and the Italian Deputy Foreign Minister will make a short statement to the press following their meeting at 13:30. As usual please arrive some twenty minutes early for the necessary security checks. Thank you that is all from the OHR today.

Henning Philipp – OSCE

Good morning everybody. I have one point, in aftermath of this weeks OSCE conference on local governments.

The annual Municipal Infrastructure Finance and Implementation programme conference, MIFI for short, this conference brought together Mayors and Assembly Speakers from over 50 municipalities throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the conference they discussed various issues of local governance and one of the results was the identification of the need to thoroughly re-examine the present distribution of competencies between municipal and higher levels of governance. This includes adequate funding and capacities to deliver high quality services to citizens. Municipalities have committed to working together on the issue with the aim of establishing a common position. It was also commonly agreed by the conference participants that consistent with obligations already undertaken by Bosnia and Herzegovina, governance should be brought closer to all citizens throughout the country. Thank you.

Alun Roberts – UNMIBH

Good morning from UMIBH.

Today, the Special Representative of the Secretary General Jacque Paul Klein, is in New York Headquarters. The Special Representative of the Secretary General, later today is scheduled to present the report of the Secretary General on the mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Security Council.

Also, today UNMIBH will continue with the process of accreditation’s of police and law enforcement agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At a ceremony today in Zenica, the UNMIBH Deputy Secretary General Mr. Souren Seraydarian will accredit the Canton 4, Zenica-Doboj, Ministry of Interior. The Canton 4, Ministry of Interior are considered by UNMIBH to have fulfilled conditions to be accepted as meeting basic requirements on democratic policing.

Also, UNMIBH can give you the dates of two further Cantons, in Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation, to receive accreditation. On Monday, 16 December at a ceremony in Gorazde the Canton 5, Ministry of Interior are scheduled to receive UNMIBH accreditation and on Tuesday, 17 December at a ceremony in Tuzla, the Canton 3, Ministry of Interior, are scheduled to receive UNMIBH accreditation as well.

Finally, UNMIBH-IPTF reported an explosion incident in Prijedor, at a coffee bar called calypso the explosion, which caused damage to the coffee bar owned by a Serb, occurred on Wednesday at 03:30. The incident is not believed by the police to be ethnically related. The local police were quickly at the scene and the local police believe that the explosion was caused by a plastic explosive device that was thrown towards the coffee bar, no persons were injured and the police investigation is open and on going. That is all I have this morning, thank you.

Bakir Jalovcic – UNHCR

Good morning. There is no statement from UNHCR today.

Rafik Hodzic - ICTY

Good morning. I have one item related to the sentencing hearing for Biljana Plavsic starting on Monday.

As you probably know, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the sentencing hearing will be held. It comes following her plea of guilty to Count 3, of her indictment. I will just remind what the count implied and what Miss Plavsic, plead guilty to, she was in this count charged with persecution of non-Serbs on political, racial or religious grounds. In her plea Plavsic, accepted responsibility for crimes described, which include her role in the systematic attack directed against a civilian population. She admitted to intentionally committing acts or omissions against victims violating their basic or fundamental human rights. In addition, she admitted that her conduct was committed on political, racial or religious grounds and with a deliberate intent to discriminate.

Having this in mind, it is important to remember that count 3, to which Plavsic pleaded guilty, refers to crimes against Bosniak, Bosnian Croat and other non-Serb Populations in some 37 municipalities these crimes include:

Killings during and after attacks on towns and villages in these municipalities, cruel and inhumane treatment including torture, physical and psychological abuse, sexual violence, forced existence under inhumane living conditions, forced transfer or deportation, unlawful detention in detention facilities where inhumane living conditions were established, killings and cruel and inhumane treatment in those facilities, forced labour, appropriation and plunder of property, intentional and wanton destruction of property.

In accordance with the plea agreement, the Prosecution has withdrawn the other counts of the indictment and it was decided that a public sentencing hearing would be held where the Prosecution and the Defence would present arguments as to the appropriate sentence. The sentencing hearing will be held from 09:30 to 16:00 on Monday and Tuesday, 16 and 17 December and closing arguments will be held from 14:30 on Wednesday, 18 December. Just a reminder for you, those of you that are interested in following this can do so via our internet site, where the sentencing will be broadcast live.

After the hearing the Trial Chamber will withdraw to deliberate and in due course pass their judgement.

I have the detailed summery of yesterdays decision, which may interest you on the Randell case where the legal criteria was established for journalists testifying before the Tribunal.

Lieutenant Commander Yves Vanier - SFOR

Good morning. I have two points for you today.

My first point concerns the Wall of Pain in Zagreb. On Monday, 9 December the Wall of Pain in Zagreb was damaged. SFOR takes this incident very seriously. Investigations are actively continuing, and if it transpires that SFOR personnel were involved then appropriate action will be taken. SFOR is aware of the importance of the Wall of Pain to the people of Croatia and as such wishes to re-iterate its respect for people of Croatia and their institutions.

My second point relates to Operation HARVEST. As almost everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina knows by now, Operation HARVEST has achieved a level of success in 2002 that has never been seen before. The number of illegally-held small arms, ammunition, grenades, mines and other war-making devices that have been collected since this year's operation began is truly remarkable.

During the January to November time frame, more than 7,965 small arms and 2,256,948 rounds of ammunition were collected. Additionally, over 35,385 hand grenades, 4,120 mines and 8,106 kg of explosives have been turned in to project participants. Furthermore, over 47,492 mortars, mortar rounds, rifle grenades and handmade ordnance have also been collected so far this year.

Project Harvest has proven to be a highly successful operation but there is still work to be done. Efforts this year have already achieved excellent results. SFOR and its project partners will continue to implement this project with enthusiasm.

SFOR believes much of Operation HARVEST's success this year is due to a slightly different approach to the collection process. Instead of creating central collection points and then waiting for citizens to bring illegally-held weapons and munitions to them, collection teams are now going door to door, informing residents of Operation HARVEST and asking them to turn in any illegally-held items they might have in their household.

The number of illegally-held small arms, ammunition, grenades, mines and other war-making devices that have been collected since we began this year's operation is truly remarkable. The number of small arms, ammunition and hand grenades collected during the period Jan. 1 to Nov. 30 2002 represents an increase of 150 percent compared to the same eleven-month period last year.

Since Operation Harvest began in 1998 close to 9 million rounds of ammunition, nearly 110,000 hand grenades, 27,000 small arms, 28,000 mines and over 24,000kgs of explosives have been collected.

While people who store weapons or ammunition in their houses endanger themselves and their families, those who store such items in their apartments also endanger their neighbours and their families. SFOR calls on the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to turn in all illegally held weapons, ammunition, grenades, mines and other war-making devices. Help make Bosnia and Herzegovina a safer place for your friends, your family and especially for your children. Thank you.

Mario Brkic – OHR
Questions please.

Questions and Answers

Q: Antonio Prlenda – Oslobodenje
Mario, some local politicians said that there were requests for the High Representative to impose a law for the citizenship, because the approaching deadline in the New Year. Have you received any requests and will the High Representative impose such a law?

A: Mario Brkic – OHR
It was in the media as what we understand to be a request from Minister Mihajlovic, and rest assured that the High Representative will act in best interests of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina in due course.

Q: Antonio Prlenda – Oslobodenje
Is that all you can say right now?

A: Mario Brkic – OHR
Yes.

Mario Brkic – OHR
Thank you very much.