Message from the Conference “BiH 2024: Risks of Dysfunctionality”: Corruption is a Fundamental Threat to Peace and Security

“Almost 90% of employment positions in the public sector of BiH are distributed through clientelistic criteria, spending on public procurement in election years increases up to 40%, and all the resources of society are used to protect the levers of power of the ruling elites”. This is stated in the analysis “BiH: A Captive State and a Captive Society” that Transparency International in BiH (TI BiH) presented today in Sarajevo at the conference entitled “BiH 2024: Risks of Dysfunctionality”.

The analysis states that our country is a textbook example of the “captive state” phenomenon in which narrow interest groups take effective control over key institutions and processes. Presenting the analysis, the chairman of the board of directors of TI BiH, Srđan Blagovčanin, emphasized that even after receiving candidate status, BiH is still going through multiple crises, political, institutional and the crisis of the legitimacy of the governing structures.

– The deep structural causes of this situation can be found in the capture of the state and society by the ethno-political elites, who subordinated the overall functioning of the country to the realization of their own particular interests. Negative trends in the form of strengthening of authoritarian tendencies, deterioration of the rule of law and corruption are only the consequence of such a situation. What should also be emphasized is that such a situation carries important risks that can lead to the escalation of the crisis and endangering the basic functions of the state, said Blagovčanin.

These problems can have serious consequences, considering that numerous analyzes show a specific connection between the factors that influence corruption and the risks of conflict escalation. The joint report of the United Nations and the World Bank identifies the management system as a key dimension through which the preventive effects of conflict are achieved, which is certainly important to mention in the context of BiH, which has already experienced the tragic consequences of armed conflict.

– Corruption represents a fundamental threat to peace and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina due to its role in encouraging division between different groups and undermining the rule of law. This will require the fight against corruption, the defense of media freedom and human rights, the empowerment of women and girls, and opposition to secessionist rhetoric and actions that seek to undermine the institutions of BiH and are contrary to the stability, security and territorial integrity of BiH, Canadian Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Neelu Shanker said during the conference.

The conference, organized by TI BiH with the support of the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, brought together representatives of political parties, the academic community, civil society, domestic and international institutions, with the aim of opening a dialogue on the possibilities of overcoming the current political crisis and solutions that can contribute to the revitalization of key reform processes in the country.