Mario Brkic - OHR
On 2 April the High Representative, following the VZ Orao and Republika Srpska Army spying affairs, announced the creation of a Defence Reform Commission. This commission would work to correct the serious systemic failures in the civilian and state-level command and control over Bosnia and Herzegovina's armed forces preventing Bosnia and Herzegovina being put at risk of UN sanctions again. The High Representative yesterday announced that the Defence Reform Commission is to be formed by the end of the week under the chairmanship of the Honourable James Locher III. The Commission will identify the constitutional and legal barriers to effective state-level command and control, proposing amendments to address these with the view so Bosnia and Herzegovina can be a credible candidate for PfP by 1 January 2004. James Locher, as a professional staff member on the US Senate Committee on Armed Services, led the taskforce that produced the Goldwater-Nichols Defence Reorganisation Act of 1986. This is perhaps the most significant reorganisation and reform of U.S. Defence structures since their inception. Most recently, James Locker was a member of the US Secretary of Defence's Task Force on Defence Reform and the National Security Study Group of the U.S. Commission on National Security for the 21st Century. The Defence Reform Commission will include the three Secretary Generals of the Standing Committee for Military Matters (SCMM), the Entity Ministers of Defence and two further Entity Representatives nominated by the Entity Presidents and Representatives of the European Union's Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the OSCE, SFOR and NATO. The High Representative said today "we have seen that across Bosnia and Herzegovina, but particularly in the Republika Srpska, democratic control of the military does not work as effectively as it needs to. We saw in Serbia what happens when there isn't firm, open, democratic, civilian control of the security and military intelligence services. We have seen what can happen when the absence of that control makes it possible for the mafia and certain elements of the security and military intelligence to become enmeshed one with the other. Bosnia and Herzegovina's future is as a part of the Euro-Atlantic partnership and the Defense Reform Commission will plot the course Bosnia and Herzegovina must take".

The High Representative will patrol with Trebinje SBS unit during the night today. With that occasion, he will learn about their work and once again stress the need for the regional approach in combating organized crime. Media will have the opportunity to take a statement after his return from the night shift on Wednesday, in SBS HQ in Trebinje at 09:45. The High Representative will also visit Trebinje, Bileca and Gacko where he will speak with ordinary citizens on their problems.

I have brought along copies of the OHR quarterly economic newsletter, which is published today. One article, on the transport sector, indicates that Bosnia and Herzegovina will apply this year for membership in INTER RAIL, which has 29 European members - the INTER RAIL agreement provides for discount travel for citizens of member states, under the age of 25, on the railway systems of other member states. INTER RAIL membership is an example of practical politics delivering benefits to citizens. Negotiating agreements of this sort tends not to grab headlines, but the advantages that will come to Bosnia and Herzegovina young people as a result are considerable. The INTER RAIL process reflects the broader efforts underway to integrate Bosnia and Herzegovina more quickly and more decisively in European structures. This is not an end in itself -- as Bosnia and Herzegovina moves closer to the rest of Europe its citizens will enjoy more and more benefits as a result. While there are examples of encouraging economic progress, the trade figures published in the newsletter are extremely alarming. In the first two months of this year, Bosnia and Herzegovina imported 973 million KM worth of goods, and exported just 283 million KM. This whopping trade deficit -- of 690 million KM – cannot be sustained. Exports have to be increased. This can only be done when the authorities organise certification of products - food products are one important example - so that they can be exported with required guarantees of quality control. The authorities have committed themselves to doing this, most recently at the Bjelasnica Retreat, and the International Community will provide them with whatever assistance they require.

Urdur Gunnarsdottir - OSCE
No Statement Received

Jon Oskar Solnes - EUPM
One of the major tasks of the EUPM is to instigate reform in the Bosnia and Herzegovina police management on a strategic level. That is, to help Bosnia and Herzegovina police improve their skills at a management level in terms of enhancing operational and organisational capacities in a sustainable way. As a step towards this goal, the EUPM has facilitated a comprehensive top management seminar for all Bosnia and Herzegovina chief executive officers of law enforcement agencies, that is all police commissioners, PSC chiefs, the police chief in Brcko and directors of police in the entities. Furthermore, entity ministers of interior are invited as special guests. The seminar will be held in Sarajevo and Copenhagen, this summer, hosted and sponsored by the Danish Government in cooperation with the Danish National Police College.

The seminar underscores that the EUPM is assisting the police forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina which face a number of strategic management challenges on the road ahead to modern European standards of law enforcement. Given the seniority of the participants, the seminar will focus on the strategic level and cover following topics:

- Management, organisation and leadership
- Planning
- Policies in relation to Human Rights
- Public sector accounting

The seminar activities will be in the hand of senior management lecturers and specialists responsible from the Danish National Police College.

Representatives of the EUPM yesterday witnessed a positive event in Stari Grad Sarajevo. The occasion was the hand-over of a new car to the Canton 9 police, sponsored by Stari Grad Municipality. This car will be dedicated to the fight against drugs, an important initiative of the police. On this occasion, the Mayor of Stari Grad reminded the audience that citizens must also be dedicated towards building a society founded on the Rule of Law. To this extent, the donation of the car to the police was an important symbol. The EUPM has been working on improving the dialogue between police and municipal authorities in all of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and welcomes positive development like the one clearly under way in Sarajevo.

Bakir Jalovcic - UNHCR
According to the statistics announced by the PLIP agencies (OHR, UNHCR, OSCE, CRPC) today, 78% of property claims have been resolved throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina as of the end of March 2003. Property law implementation reached 82% in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the Republika Srpska resolved 72% of its property claims, while Brcko District reached an implementation rate of 81%. Around 177,000 claims out of the total of 227,598 property claims in the country as a whole have been resolved. As of now, less than 50,000 claims are still pending with the housing authorities. The PLIP agencies note that as many as 28 municipalities finalized their property claims caseload as of the end of March. It is fully expected that every municipality across Bosnia and Herzegovina will resolve its property claims before the end of 2003, ending the uncertainty still endured by thousands of people still unable to repossess their homes. Unfortunately, it appears that several municipalities have slowed down the completion of property law implementation, as, in spite of the chronological requirements, some of these municipalities leave the hardest cases for the end, or simply refuse to resolve the last outstanding claims. The PLIP agencies are concerned about this worrying trend and wish to remind these municipalities of their obligation to complete the repossession process without obstruction.

Refik Hodzic - ICTY
No Statement Received.

Major Jeff Coverdale - SFOR
Following the meeting in HQ SFOR on 22 April 2003, military and political leaders of the AFBiH will meet again this Friday 09 May 2003 in Banja Luka. The purpose of this meeting is to work toward an agreed structure for the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will then be presented to the Joint Military Commission when it meets on 23 May 2003. This process in conjunction with the work being done by various groups including the ongoing legal seminar workshop, the OHR’s Office of Defence Security and Co-operation, the Defence and Security Steering Group and the upcoming Defence Reform Commission, is designed to produce modern Armed Forces that are professional, affordable, and properly structured to carry out agreed missions. COMSFOR, Lieutenant General William Ward, said last night “This is an important opportunity for BiH to move forward, and it must not be wasted. SFOR has offered the representatives a number of options to consider in formulating their proposal, but as I have said before, the final plan must be owned jointly by the Federation and the RS. We in SFOR are keen to do whatever we can to help the process, and I look forward to continuing the constructive dialogue begun on 22nd April.”
Thank you.

Questions and Answers

Q: Lukic Amir – RFE
Mario, the government of RS has postponed a transformation of the Orao factory and the maintenance factory from Bratunac in Banja Luka. There are some allegations that the blockage was ordered by OHR. Is it really true that you actually asked for the transformation to be stopped? If yes, why?

A: Mario Brkic – OHR
I couldn’t comment on that.

Q: Lukic Amir – RFE
Why? Why not?

A: Mario Brkic – OHR
Because I’m not familiar with that information.

Q: Nedim Dervisbegovic – Reuters
Could give us more details about this proposal for reform of military forces?

A: Major Jeff Coverdale – SFOR
I’m sorry, repeat the question again.

Q: Nedmi Dervisbegovic – Reuters
Could you give us more details about different proposals that SFOR Commander has put forward to the entity armies? How to restructure their armed forces.

A: Major Jeff Coverdale – SFOR
Well I can’t comment on the proposals that he has put forward at this time. The focus is that state command and control of the armed forces. That’s the main focus of the meetings right now. I could probably get that information and get back to you with it.

Q: Nedmi Dervisbegovic – Reuters
Technically, how the armed forces are going to be split. There was some speculation in the media based on some documents, I don’t know if they’re authentic or not. Are there going to be three national corps, I don’t know, similar things?

A: Major Jeff Coverdale – SFOR
Well I can’t comment on anything that’s coming out of the media right now. I can get the information, the accurate information for you and get that back to you.

Q: Skejic Sensudin – Hayat
On the 19th of May Carla Del Ponte is visiting why?

A: Refik Hodzic – ICTY
Is this question for me?

Q: Skejic Sensudin - Hayat
Yes. Please allow me to ask you another question so you can answer together. UNHCR question for you. How much money has been planned for the return process this year and the last question is for SFOR, have there been any reactions to the letter containing the proposal for the restructuring of the armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A: Bakir Jalovcic – UNHCR
Well at this point I can’t confirm that Carla Del Ponte is definitely coming to Bosnia and Herzegovina on the 19th or any other day. As for the UNHCR could you be more specific as to which financial assets are you talking about and which part of the return process are you talking about because our assets are limited.

Q: Skejic Sensudin – Hayat
I mean generally the UNHCR budget for the year 2003.

A: Bakir Jalovcic – UNHCR
Close to seventeen m illion dollars. That’s the planned budget. It doesn’t mean
that it won’t turn out to be that much.

A: Major Jeff Coverdale – SFOR
I’m sorry did I miss a question?

Q: Skejic Sensudin – Hayat
Well you partially answered that question when you spoke about the letter COMSFOR sent to the representatives of the entity governments regarding the structure of the armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Have there been any comments, reactions to that proposal?

A: Major Jeff Coverdale – SFOR
I’m sorry, I don’t understand your question. None that I know of at this time.