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LIVNO, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, 4 NOVEMBER 2004 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia
and Herzegovina issued the following statement today:
“The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina has been hosting a series of public
meetings in the Federation of BiH (FBiH) Canton 10 on different municipal matters,
including budgeting, rules of procedure, and citizen participation. Today, the
OSCE Mission will host a public hearing on the budget of Livno municipality,
which will emphasize that accountability in government requires a transparent
budget processes.
Citizens need to be aware of the way the budget process works and what represents
realistic budget planning. One example is that the municipality can afford to
spend only what it takes in revenue. Citizens and Municipal Councilors need
to weigh what is important to the community, what needs and obligations the
municipality must meet versus what the budget can actually bear.
On 11 November the OSCE Mission host the same topic for public discussion in
Tomislavgrad.
The municipal councilors of Bosansko Grahovo, representatives of the non-government
sector and citizens of Bosansko Grahovo will have a chance to discuss the OSCE
document on Rules of Procedure on 10 November, during an OSCE sponsored roundtable
entitled “New Rules of Procedure for the Municipal Council” in Bosansko Grahovo.
The document on Rules of Procedure does not only represent one legal act, but
offers new opportunities and challenges, for direct citizens’ participation
in the decision making process.
The participants will have an opportunity to choose a focus; to discuss the
importance of the economic and social development of the municipality, as well
as the involvement of citizens and non-government organizations in its development
and creation.
On 16 November, the OSCE Mission will host a training session on the Rules
of Procedure in the municipality of Glamoc, focusing on the benefits of the
adoption of the Rules of Procedure and how to improve the capacity of the municipal
council to draft and enact the legislation.
On 12 November, the OSCE Mission will host another in a series a public discussions
on the "Code of Ethics for Elected Officials" in Drvar. The Mayor
of Drvar, councilors, representatives of the non-government sector and citizens
of Drvar will have a chance to discuss this very important document.
The Code of Ethics was designed to establish a standard of ethical behavior
for elected officials in the municipal council, contributing to increased transparency
and accountability of their work.
Human Rights Day 2004
Human Rights Day is held every year on 10 December. The OSCE Mission to Bosnia
and Herzegovina will honor this day with a series of events during the month
of November.
In Canton 10, eight different events will be organized in Livno, Kupres, Bosansko
Gragovo and Drvar, in co-operation with primary and secondary schools.
This will be an opportunity for young people to participate in the debates
on human rights and run open discussions with one another.
The events will take place during the period 10 November to 10 December. The
media will be informed about the details of each event.
Media partnership
As announced some time ago, the OSCE Mission has entered into a partnership
with 25 radio stations in BiH. In Canton 10, Radio Studio N and Radio Drvar
have been successfully running OSCE Mission radio shows since May 2004. Every
second week, on the same day and time, listeners can participate in interactive
radio shows on different topics that are part of the OSCE mandate.”
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