May 13, 2009, Washington, DC: The United States House of Representatives has passed a resolution urging constitutional reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina and sustained US engagement in the Balkans.

The successful vote comes after months of lobbying by the Bosnian diaspora in the US, including the Bosniak-American Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BAACBH), an Advocacy Project (AP) partner based in Washington.

BAACBH promoted the resolution with the help of lawmakers, including Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (shown, right, with BAACBH Executive Director Elmina Kulasic), who spoke at Bosnian Women’s Day on Capitol Hill in March. BAACBH is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for Bosnian-Americans living in the United States and promoting peace and economic development in the Balkans.

House Resolution 171 was introduced by Rep. Howard Berman on February 13, 2009. It calls for immediate and urgent constitutional reform that will enable Bosnia and Herzegovina to become an efficient and effective state, and work toward full membership in the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The resolution emphasizes that the U.S. should appoint a Special Envoy to the Balkans who can work in partnership with the EU and political leaders in Bosnia to facilitate government reforms, while also assisting the political development of other countries in the Balkan region.

The resolution strongly insists that efforts should be made domestically and at the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to achieve justice for the victims of war crimes and genocide. Furthermore, it does not recommend the closing of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) until the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) can determine that the country’s reforms have met the five objectives and two conditions set by the PIC.

The resolution recommends that the United States work closely with and support the EU in the transition to a European Union Special Representative (EUSR), upon closure of the OHR.