Question Period Note: Political Situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)

Bosnian-Serb leader, Milorad Dodik, has provoked a blockade of all state institutions in BiH, which undermines the Dayton Peace Agreement and threatens stability in the country.

• Canada is deeply concerned with recent developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), growing instability in the Western Balkans and along Europe's border, and efforts to undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement.
• Following the December 11th statement by the Republika Srpska (RS), Canada reaffirmed our commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH and urged all leaders to return state institutions to full capacity, in a statement with the US at the OSCE.

• Canada is judicious when it chooses to deploy sanctions and is committed to their effective and coordinated use, when appropriate.
• Since 1992, Canada has played a significant role in BiH's development in terms of peacekeeping, security, reconstruction, institutional reform, the promotion of good governance and the rule of law, as well as the strengthening of state-level institutions.
• Canadian officials continue to encourage Bosnian officials at all levels to take every step to see these goals realized. As a member of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board, we are also working with allies and partners to further peace and stability in BiH.

In recent months, the Bosnian-Serb member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency and leader of the Republika Srpska (RS) nationalist party, Milorad Dodik, has provoked a blockade of all state institutions by refusing to participate in decisions made by the tripartite presidency. These efforts undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement, which threaten political stability in the country.

Canada is concerned with the rising political instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), and continues to monitor the situation and encourage further dialogue to ensure the promotion of good governance and de-escalation of the situation.

Since Bosnia and Herzegovina's emergence as a state in 1992, the Government of Canada has played a significant role in its development, in terms of peacekeeping, security, reconstruction, institutional reform, the promotion of good governance and the rule of law, as well as the strengthening of state-level institutions.

Canada invested heavily in stabilizing the Western Balkans and is committed to seeing Bosnia and Herzegovina's multi-ethnic democracy develop fully to ensure a secure and prosperous future. One way that we do this is through our active support of the Office of the High Representative and our participation as a member of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board (PIC SB).

At the most recent PIC SB meeting in Sarajevo on December 7-8, 2021, Canada and the other members reaffirmed their unequivocal commitment to the territorial integrity and fundamental structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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