Members of the House of Representatives’ Anti-Corruption Committee of PABiH met with the Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH

The Chair of the Anti-Corruption Committee of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PABiH), Branislav Borenović, the Committee’s Deputy Chairs Predrag Kožul and Ermina Salkičević-Dizdarević, and Committee Member Jasmin Emrić, met today with the Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, Ambassador Rick Holtzapple.

The meeting was dedicated to enhancing cooperation between this permanent parliamentary body and the OSCE Mission, with a particular focus on strengthening transparency, accountability and the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Chair Borenović briefed Ambassador Holtzapple on the Committee’s composition, competences and activities, emphasising that it is a parliamentary body that has demonstrated courage and determination in addressing corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina, making full use of available parliamentary tools to strengthen preventive action and cooperation with relevant domestic and international partners, including the OSCE Mission, with the aim of achieving more substantial and visible results.

Borenović underlined that an active and independent fight against corruption is fundamental to establishing the rule of law and remains a key requirement on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path. He announced that the Committee would continue to use all parliamentary mechanisms to ensure that the competent institutions, especially within the judiciary, perform their duties effectively and professionally.

Ambassador Holtzapple reaffirmed the OSCE Mission’s support for the Committee’s work and its activities aimed at advancing transparency and accountability. He emphasised the importance of parliamentary oversight in a democratic society, noting that it represents one of the key instruments for restoring public trust in institutions.

As a result of the constructive meeting, a general agreement was reached on continuing cooperation aimed at further strengthening institutions and anti-corruption mechanisms. The interlocutors agreed on the need for enhanced work on the exchange of best practices, the presentation of parliamentary oversight findings and the definition of concrete steps to improve legislation and procedures in line with European Union standards and OSCE recommendations.

They concurred that a joint, coordinated approach by parliamentary bodies and international partners is essential for achieving tangible progress in combating corruption. (End)