Republika Srpska pushes to shut Bosnia's Office of the High Representative

Deputy President of Republika Srpska Ćamil Duraković issued a declaration rejecting a unilateral call to close the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He stressed that any closure must meet the conditions of the so‑called Agenda 5+2 and that Republika Srpska must demonstrate equal protection for all citizens, including Bosniaks, Croats and others. Duraković outlined ten demands for genuine equality, covering institutional representation, language use, education, police staffing, budget allocation, returnee assistance and the fight against discrimination.

At the same time, Nenad Stevandić, President of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, presented a separate “Declaration on the Closure of the OHR” containing eight points. The text protests the appointment of a new High Representative after Christian Schmidt’s resignation and says that if a successor with “Bonn‑type powers” is named, Republika Srpska “retains the right to use all legal and political means to protect its interests and constitutional position in BiH.” The declaration calls on the Peace Implementation Council and the UN Security Council to decide on the OHR’s final shutdown and requests that the document be sent to relevant international bodies.

Both declarations argue that the OHR has become an obstacle to internal dialogue and stability, while insisting that any move to end its mandate must be based on legal criteria and full protection of non‑Serb communities.