,,iv #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #gdf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,september #ah1 #bjad ,mr4 ,smith of ,new ,jersey 7for himself and ,mr4 ,keating7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,,resolution ,expressing support for the people of ,bosnia and ,herzegovina as they seek to hold government officials accountable1 prepare for elections at the state1 entity1 and cantonal level1 and consider constitutional or other reforms to enhance the country's prospects for ,european and ,euro-,atlantic integration4 ,whereas a brutal conflict marked by more than three years of aggression and ethnic cleansing1 including the commission of war crimes1 crimes against humanity1 and genocide as well as the use of sexual violence1 especially rape1 as a tool of war1 was brought to an end by the decisive actions eventually undertaken by the international community with the strong leadership by the ,united ,states1 culminating in the ,general ,framework ,agreement for ,peace in ,bosnia and ,herzegovina 7commonly referred to as the ,dayton ,peace ,accords71 which was agreed to at ,wright ,patterson ,air ,force base in ,dayton1 ,ohio1 on ,november #ba1 #aiie1 and signed in ,paris on ,december #ad1 #aiie2 ,whereas considerable progress on post-conflict recovery was achieved by ,bosnia and ,herzegovina in partnership with an actively engaged international community during the first decade of the implementation of the ,dayton ,peace ,accords1 generating efforts to move beyond the ,accord's compromises that were originally intended to restore peace more quickly and preserve and protect human life1 but have been considered in a more stable and secure environment to be a hindrance to the development of more democratic1 efficient and effective political institutions1 particularly at the state level1 during a time when the prospects for ,european and ,euro-,atlantic integration make the existence of such institutions necessary2 ,whereas the ,council of ,europe's ,venice ,commission has concluded that the current constitutional arrangements of ,bosnia and ,herzegovina are neither efficient nor rational and need to be reformed to make state-level institutions more effective and democratic if the country is to move forward1 and the ,european ,court for ,human ,rights has found certain provisions of the constitution of ,bosnia and ,herzegovina to be in breach of the ,european ,convention on ,human ,rights because they establish ethnic criteria for certain elected positions that are discriminatory2 ,whereas the failure to reach consensus on constitutional reforms in the second decade of the implementation of the ,dayton ,peace ,accords has led to a deterioration of the political atmosphere in ,bosnia and ,herzegovina1 which has been marred by divisive rhetoric1 unwillingness to work constructively with representatives of the international community1 threats to the sovereignty1 legal continuity1 unity1 and territorial integrity of the country and pervasive official corruption2 ,whereas citizens in various municipalities of ,bosnia and ,herzegovina reacted to their severely worsening socioeconomic conditions in #bjad with public protest and the formulation of demands for the accountability of government officials1 an end to rampant corruption and numerous other actions to address their grievances1 particularly at the local level2 ,whereas elections at the state1 entity1 and cantonal level are scheduled to be held in ,bosnia and ,herzegovina on ,october #ab1 #bjad2 ,whereas the ,european ,union 7,,eu7 has expressed its full and firm support for ,bosnia and ,herzegovina's ,,eu perspective1 considers the country to be a potential candidate country for membership1 but views it at a standstill in the ,european integration process while other countries in the region are moving ahead2 ,whereas the ,north ,atlantic ,treaty ,organization 7,,nato7 is committed to open membership to any ,european country in a position to undertake the commitments and obligations of membership and contribute to security in the ,euro-,atlantic area1 including ,bosnia and ,herzegovina once it has achieved the necessary progress in its reform efforts2 ,whereas the international community retains the robust powers given to it by the ,dayton ,peace ,accords1 but has declined in recent years to use those powers adequately to address the deterioration of the political atmosphere in ,bosnia and ,herzegovina and the resulting stagnation in the country's progress toward integration2 and ,whereas it is in the national interest of the ,united ,states to ensure that the sovereignty1 legal continuity1 unity1 and territorial integrity of ,bosnia and ,herzegovina within its internationally recognized borders1 are respected and that ,bosnia and ,herzegovina make progress in achieving its aspirations for ,euro-,atlantic and ,european integration through genuine reform efforts3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 reaffirms its continuing strong support for the sovereignty1 legal continuity1 unity1 and territorial integrity of ,bosnia and ,herzegovina within its internationally recognized borders2 7#b7 affirms equally strong support for the people of ,bosnia and ,herzegovina as they seek greater democracy1 economic prosperity1 and successful integration in ,european and ,euro-,atlantic institutions2 7#c7 expresses profound dissatisfaction with the inability of ,bosnia and ,herzegovina's political leaders to achieve agreement on reforms necessary for progress in these areas2 7#d7 deplores the divisive rhetoric and abuse of legal protections that have become part of ,bosnia and ,herzegovina's political discourse1 including the wrongful denial or mischaracterization of crimes and genocide associated with the conflict between #aiib and #aiie1 the excessive and unwarranted reliance on veto powers to block decisionmaking at the state-level even when such decisions do not present any reasonable threat to the vital interests of constituent peoples1 and the general fomenting of distrust1 division1 and fear among citizens based on the country's ethnic and religious diversity2 7#e7 views the ,october #ab1 #bjad1 elections at the state1 entity1 and cantonal level as an opportunity for voters to address ,bosnia and ,herzegovina's current political stagnation and associated problems as well as to express support for reform and for ,european and ,euro-,atlantic integration2 7#f7 calls upon the relevant authorities of ,bosnia and ,herzegovina to ensure these elections are conducted in a free and fair manner2 7#g7 encourages the growth of peaceful1 civic activism to hold public officials accountable and to engage citizens in the political life of the country1 including in the election process and any new initiatives to achieve structural or constitutional reform1 in order to achieve increased public trust in the political process1 broader consensus on the reforms to be adopted1 and more effective1 efficient1 and democratic governance2 7#h7 calls upon the ,european ,union and the ,north ,atlantic ,treaty ,organization and their member states to make clear the specific steps ,bosnia and ,herzegovina needs to take in the integration process2 7#i7 supports the maintenance of a robust international presence in ,bosnia and ,herzegovina and the full retention and necessary use of all powers accorded to the international community1 including the ,office of the ,high ,representative1 to meet fully the objectives and conditions set by the international ,peace ,implementation ,council2 and 7#aj7 urges the ,united ,states and concerned members of the international community1 in all aspects of their relations with ,bosnia and ,herzegovina1 to place renewed emphasis1 on respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms held by the individual1 which should not be compromised by any collective protections and privileges accorded to a group1 ethnically based or otherwise4