Speaker of the House of Representatives of the PABiH Marinko Čavara participated in the meeting of representatives of government institutions and the OSCE Mission to BiH on solving the problem of gender-based violence

The Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PABiH) Marinko Čavara participated in Sarajevo in a meeting of representatives of all levels of government in BiH, organized by the OSCE Mission to BiH with the aim of taking concrete action and urgently address the problem of gender-based violence.

At the meeting, which was attended by the Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, Ambassador Brian Aggeler, ministers and representatives of the state, entity, cantonal and Brcko District of BiH authorities, the President of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, representatives of the Ministries of Justice and Internal Affairs, as well as representatives of gender equality institutions, deep sympathy was expressed to the families of the victims of the recent tragic events in Gradačac, Živinice and Bijeljina. It was agreed to undertake a series of concrete institutional actions were agreed with the aim of preventing and counteracting similar events in the future.

Noting that this is a common challenge for all in BiH, which requires joint action, more than 30 senior representatives of the authorities at all levels welcomed the organisation of this meeting, considering it an important platform for analysing the shortcomings of the system, understanding the reasons why victims often do not seek help and addressing the alarming problem of under-reporting of this type of crime.

The participants agreed that the fight against domestic violence requires carefully measured, multidisciplinary and sustainable response, the one that respects gender specificities, which focuses on victims and their needs, and that respects the nature of the traumatic experience. A number of joint commitments were agreed in order to carry out urgent, strategic, and systemic institutional actions at all levels of government to prevent and counteract all forms of violence, in particular gender-based violence.

It was also agreed that the OSCE Mission to BiH will organise a review meeting by the end of November this year to analyse the achieved progress in implementation of the said commitments which are aimed at prevention of gender-based violence cases and provision adequate support to victims. (end)