Civil Society and the Bosnian Police Certification Process: Challenging ‘the Guardians’

Abstract

This chapter focuses on a very particular aspect of the democratic reform of police forces that took place in Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of the post-conflict reconstruction efforts.1 It provides an account of the ‘certification process’ - or vetting - of all police officers, carried out by the UN Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina (UNMIBH) and the International Police Task Force (IPTF). This process, which officially was completed at the end of 2002 when the United Nations (UN) mission left the country, was kept alive - at least in part - by the activities of two groups (Association of Decertified Policemen of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Republika Srpska Association of Decertified Policemen), which contested the outcome of the process on the basis that it suffered from operational and, more importantly, structural shortcomings. In other words, they considered that the process had been undemocratic and its outcomes were having adverse repercussions for the rights of decertified police officers. The two associations engaged in a legal battle, and a political fight, for the policy and related legislation to be changed. Their efforts failed to yield the desired response from national actors due to the powers enjoyed by the UN during its mission in Bosnia. However, the matter was referred to the UN Security Council, which ultimately was forced to overrule its policy of UN decisions being final and binding, and reach a negotiated solution.KeywordsCivil SocietyUnited NationsSecurity CouncilCertification ProcessCivil Society ActorThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.