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Bosnia and Herzegovina

Monthly Event Reports

September 2023 | Republika Srpska’s legislature approves draft ‘foreign agent’ law
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The Parliament of the Republika Srpska (RS), the Serb entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, approved in its first reading a draft law that proposes to create a special registry of NGOs that receive foreign funding. The legislation passed the first of two planned votes in Parliament on 28 September, with 48 votes in favour and 11 against. The law was proposed by RS President Milorad Dodik in March with the stated goal of “preventing the misuse of non-profit organizations,” according to the Justice Ministry.  As a next step, the draft law will be open to 30 days of public debate before returning to Parliament for a final vote. The draft legislation would require NGOs with certain amounts of foreign funding to register with the government and to comply with administrative and financial reporting rules. It would also block these NGOs from participating in vaguely defined political activities, which could impact their advocacy work. The law could also make activities that seek to influence decision-making punishable offences. The legislation has been criticized by civil society organizations and international organizations, who argue it can be used to silence dissent and discourage freedom of expression.

August 2023 | Attacker livestreams murder of ex-partner, sparking protests against femicides
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The European Court of Human Rights found that territorial and ethnic rules applicable in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)’s state-level elections are discriminatory, violating the general prohibition of discrimination in the European Convention of Human Rights. BiH’s Constitution defines a power-sharing arrangement whereby the three “constituent peoples” (the Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs) are equally represented in the House of Peoples (a parliamentary chamber) and the tripartite presidency. People outside the three dominant ethnic groups are not included in these arrangements and cannot be elected to these institutions. The ruling held that elections are “undemocratic” because they entrench advantages of the main ethnic groups over others. The case was brought by Slaven Kovačević, an adviser to a member of BiH's Presidency who is not affiliated with any ethnic group, who argued he was not genuinely represented in the 2022 elections.

July 2023 | OHR annuls Republika Srpska laws that threaten Dayton Agreement institutions

On 1 July, the Office of the High Representative (OHR) moved to annul two laws passed in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity. The laws, adopted by the RS Parliament in June, refuse to recognise decisions taken by two key institutions established by the Dayton Agreement which ended the Bosnian war in 1995, namely BiH’s Constitutional Court and the OHR itself. In its decision, the OHR stated that the laws undermine the Dayton Agreement, as well as BiH’s stability and unity. The OHR also amended BiH’s criminal code to facilitate the prosecution of any illegal action in contravention of the country’s constitutional order, and the Prosecutor’s office has since ordered the questioning of Milorad Dodik, President of RS, over his refusal to execute decisions of the High Representative. Dodik remained undeterred and, in July, threatened on social media to hold a referendum on the status of RS within BiH.

June 2023 | Republika Srpska passes law preventing recognition of Constitutional Court rulings

Republika Srpska (RS), one of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)’s two entities, passed a new law rendering state-level Constitutional Court decisions invalid within RS and rejecting their authority. Authorities claim that the court  operates under foreign influence and supports a power imbalance against RS. The law was supported by 56 out of 65 MPs. Three of the court’s nine judges are appointed by the European Court of Human Rights in consultation with BiH’s Presidency, two by RS National Assembly, with the remainder appointed by the Federation entity. Earlier in June, Judge Knežević, the final serving member appointed by RS, decided to retire following pressure from the RS National Assembly, which aimed to freeze the court. In response, the Constitutional Court revised its quorum regulations so that it could continue to operate. The law was condemned by observers as undermining BiH’s constitutional order and the Dayton Agreement, and experts have linked the move to RS President Milorad Dodik’s secessionist plans.

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GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022

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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
3 263 460
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Zoran Tegeltija (since 2019)
Head of government party
Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD)
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
19.1%
Women in upper chamber
13.3%
Last legislative election
2022
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
10.68
Head of state
Chairperson of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željka Cvijanović, Denis Bećirović, Željko Komšić
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (plurality)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
13/11/2019
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
98.55%
Population Tooltip
3 263 460
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Zoran Tegeltija (since 2019)
Head of government party
Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD)
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
19.1%
Women in upper chamber
13.3%
Last legislative election
2022
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
10.68
Head of state
Chairperson of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željka Cvijanović, Denis Bećirović, Željko Komšić
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (plurality)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
13/11/2019
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
98.55%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
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International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
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Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
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Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
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Convention on the Rights of the Child
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International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
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International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
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International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
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International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
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Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
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Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
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Equal Remuneration Convention
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Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
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Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
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Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
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Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
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Regional Treaties
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
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Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
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Protocol No. 4 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
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Protocol No. 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
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Protocol No. 7 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
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Protocol No. 12 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
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Protocol No. 13 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

Representation neutral Representation
Sep 2023
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Representation neutral Rights
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Representation neutral Rule of law
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Representation neutral Participation
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Global State of Democracy Indices

Hover over the trend lines to see the exact data points across the years

Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Annual value

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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