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10 December 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights was signed. Two years after, General Assembly of the UN has proclaimed 10th December as the International Human Rights Day.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is now at the centre of the attention, following its elections on 12 October, the preparation of its review at the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the publication of the European Union progress report. It has a chance to take concrete steps to improve its human rights record. Little hope comes from the elections however on such steps.

Unprecedented heavy rainfall that hit the Western Balkans since 13 May calling for urgent humanitarian response in a highly volatile and diverse region. The international community, including the European Union and the United Nations, are currently assisting the responsible governments in the regions to distribute aid. In the current situation, it highly important that the governments incorporate a rights-based approach in their humanitarian assistance to ensure protection and avoid violation of human rights in a chaotic situation.

In March 2013, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on the protection of human rights defenders. It establishes principles and standards for States to create an enabling environment for human rights defenders. One year after its adoption, the Human Rights House Network calls upon States to implement this resolution.

In many parts of the Balkans, Caucasus and Eastern Europe human rights defenders face threats and violence, slander and intimidations, and are the targets of new laws restricting their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, and simply to work to defend human rights.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, activists and protestors have recently been harassed by police forces for various reasons. In Banja Luka, they were taken in custody for “informative talks”. In Sarajevo, peaceful protestors were in custody and interrogated about the 6 June and 1 July protests in front of Parliament.

18 years after their death in the Srebenica massacre, 409 newly identified victims were laid. Also on 11 July 2013, Radovan Karadžić’s acquittal for genocide in municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina was reversed.

The right to be a human rights defender has been reinforced by the resolution adopted by consensus at the Human Rights Council. The resolution focuses on legislation affecting, restricting and criminalising the work and activities of human rights defenders.

In an intervention in Geneva, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia-Herzegovina announced that its country will fulfil its obligations to end discrimination based on ethnicity to access the presidency.