Status 'B' in six OUN Commissions

Association of refugees and displaced persons B&H

Sarajevo, 07 July, 1997 (AIM) - Association of refugees and displaced persons B&H got status 'B' (consultative status) in the Council for Economic and Social Affairs at the NGO Committee OUN. This status gives all rights in a view of deciding and consulting with other members, which is very important because B&H Association has the authority to protect the interests of similar Croat Association which is active in west Mostar as well as the associations at RS territory. That, also means that B&H Association can present the Report (1.920 words) about it's activities. Mrs. Mirhunisa Komarica, President B&H Association, stated that "such status will give a World the real picture about Bosnia, because the information will come strait from the field. Also, The B&H Association can be used for monitoring for other organizations which take place in B&H reconstruction and development". Official announcement will take place in Geneva by the end of this month.

B&H Association is facing a reorganization by which it will be closer to the B&H Laws, but, also it should became a real NGO, more flexible and more independent in deciding and realization of it's plans and programs.

This is the youngest member of NGO Committee OUN, but with greatest number of members: Croat Association has 400.000 members (150.000 at B&H territory), and Associations in RS have 420.000 members (displaced persons from B&H Federation territory) out of which 360.000 are out of B&H. According to the evidence, there are 720.000 displaced Bosniaks out of B&H, and inside B&H Federations there are 580.000.

Mrs. Komarica pointed out that, by the evidence of the Red Cross from Belgrade, 18.000 refugees, living on the territory of former Yugoslavia, who are waiting for Immigrant Visa USA. Also, significant number of RS citizens (Banjaluka) who are coming to the B&H Federation, are immigrating to USA. The similar situation is with B&H refugees abroad: at 10 August, 1997 about 5.000 B&H refugees should immigrate to USA, and another 2.000 are waiting for next term. Canada is opening to the B&H refugees too. The explanation for such behavior is general position of mentioned persons that, they see no perspective in B&H, but, also, that there is no organization which would really take care of them upon their return.

In the regions Doboj South and Doboj East, there were (December, 1996) 780 applications to the RS Government, for return of the Bosniaks to the villages: Miljkovac, Makljenovas and others. Today, they are still waiting for the approvals, even they accept RS identity documents (DEM 10,00 per person). The biggest problem is, that nobody wants to help them, so that they reconstruct their houses by themselves, and demining the territory by themselves. Mrs. Komarica expressed her protest to the High Representative Office for weak activates in implementation of Annex 7 of Dayton Agreement.(End)