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40-690: De jure, the Brčko District belongs to both entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska ) but in practice it is not governed by either; practically, Brčko is a self-governing free city . Its name is very likely linked to the Breuci (Greek Βρεῦκοι), one of the Pannonian tribes of the Illyrians who migrated to the vicinity of today's Brčko from

80-585: A Croat-majority federal unit instead of several cantons. SDA and other Bosniak parties strongly oppose this. In September 2010, the International Crisis Group warned that "disputes among and between Bosniak and Croat leaders and a dysfunctional administrative system have paralyzed decision-making, put the entity on the verge of bankruptcy and triggered social unrest". In January 2017, Croatian National Assembly stated that "if Bosnia and Herzegovina wants to become self-sustainable, then it

120-581: A capital , government , president, parliament, customs and police departments and two postal systems. It occupies about half of the land of Bosnia and Herzegovina. From 1996 until 2005 it had its own army, the Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina , later merged in the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The capital and largest city is Sarajevo with 275,524 inhabitants. The basis for

160-703: Is also ex officio the Brčko International Supervisor . This international supervision was frozen since 23 May 2012. During the 1862 exodus of Muslims from Serbia , some Belgrade Muslims who were expelled by the Serbian government settled in the town. In the Bosnian War , Brčko was the location of the Brčko bridge massacre on 30 April 1992. Later, it was the narrowest point of the Brčko corridor that connected two parts of Republika Srpska . Brčko

200-937: Is also a fluctuating number of observers. Since the London conference, the PIC has come together at the ministerial level another six times to review progress and define the goals of peace implementation for the coming period: in June 1996 in Florence , Italy ; in December 1996 for a second time in London; in December 1997 in Bonn , Germany ; in December 1998 in Madrid , Spain , in May 2000 and February 2007 in Brussels , Belgium . The PIC clarifies

240-644: Is an international body charged with implementing the Dayton Peace Agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina . The Council was established at an implementation conference held in London , United Kingdom , on December 8 and 9, 1995, subsequent to the completion of the negotiations of the accord the preceding month. The Council is, in effect, the realisation, through the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina , which it appoints, of

280-462: Is necessary to have an administrative-territorial reorganization, which would include a federal unit with a Croatian majority. It remains the permanent aspiration of the Croatian people of Bosnia and Herzegovina." In 2010–14 the Federation's Government was formed by SDP without the consent of major Croat political parties, leading to a political crisis. In parallel to EU-facilitated talks on

320-534: Is on the north, riparian border of Bosnia, across the Sava River from the village of Gunja in Croatia. Brčko is the seat of the Brčko District, an independent unit of local self-government created on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina following an arbitration process. The local administration was formerly supervised by an international supervisory regime headed by Principal Deputy High Representative who

360-515: Is one of the two entities composing Bosnia and Herzegovina , the other being Republika Srpska . The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of ten autonomous cantons with their own governments and legislatures. The Federation was created by the 1994 Washington Agreement , which ended the Croat–Bosniak War within the Bosnian War , and established a constituent assembly that continued its work until October 1996. The Federation has

400-410: Is supposed to ensure that the interests of Croats, Serbs and national minorities are fairly represented during government creation and in the legislative process. The Federation is also divided into ten highly autonomous cantons. They each have their own governments, assemblies and exclusive and shared competencies. In 2010, the Federation's Constitutional Court ruled that two Federation's ministries –

440-611: The Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia , and this territory was added to the federation ( Una-Sana Canton ). Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995–1999) – OHR.int By the Dayton Agreement of 1995 that ended the four-year war, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was defined as one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina , comprising 51% of country's area, alongside Republika Srpska . Cantons and federal structure were built rather slowly after

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480-621: The Office of the High Representative (OHR) imposed amendments to the Federation's Constitution and its electoral law, in compliance with the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the political equality of the three constituent peoples (U-5/98). This triggered the grievances of Bosnian Croats , who claimed they were deprived of their rights to representation as Bosniaks had come to control

520-768: The Sejdic-Finci issue at State level, in February 2013 the US embassy supported an expert working group which presented its 188 recommendations to the FBIH House of Representatives in 2013, aiming to address the costly and complex governance structures with overlapping competences between the Federation, the Cantons and the municipalities as currently entailed in the Federation Constitution. The initiative

560-626: The University of East Sarajevo and a local theatre festival. Brčko is twinned with: [REDACTED]   Una-Sana [REDACTED]   Central Bosnia [REDACTED]   Posavina [REDACTED]   Herzegovina-Neretva [REDACTED]   Tuzla [REDACTED]   West Herzegovina [REDACTED]   Zenica-Doboj [REDACTED]   Sarajevo [REDACTED]   Bosnian Podrinje [REDACTED]   Canton 10 Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

600-539: The World Bank . Australia , Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina , European Investment Bank , Estonia , Holy See , Human Rights Ombudsperson in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland , International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies , International Mediator for Bosnia and Herzegovina , International Organization for Migration , Latvia , Lithuania , New Zealand , Liechtenstein , South Africa and

640-1349: The Council of the European Union , European Commission , and Organisation of the Islamic Conference , represented by Turkey . The Steering Board provides the High Representative with political guidance. In Sarajevo , the High Representative chairs bi-weekly meetings of the Ambassadors to BiH of the Steering Board members. In addition, the Steering Board meets at the level of political directors every six months. Albania , Austria , Belgium , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Bulgaria , Canada , China (resigned in May 2000), Croatia , Czech Republic , Denmark , Egypt , Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (succeeded by Serbia ), Finland , France , Germany , Greece , Hungary , Ireland , Italy , Japan , Jordan , Luxembourg , North Macedonia , Malaysia , Morocco , Netherlands , Norway , Oman , Pakistan , Poland , Romania , Russian Federation , Saudi Arabia , Slovakia , Slovenia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , Turkey , Ukraine , United Kingdom and United States of America ; Office of

680-638: The Federation are dominated by three large parties, the Bosniak Party of Democratic Action (SDA), the multi-ethnic Social Democratic Party (SDP BiH) and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ BiH). Entity-level institutions include: Since Bosniaks compose roughly 70.4% of the Federation's population, Croats 22.4% and Serbs just around 2%, the Parliament's House of Peoples (with equal representation for all three nationalities)

720-840: The High Representative , Brčko Arbitration Panel (dissolved in 1999 after the Final Award was issued ), Council of Europe , European Bank for Reconstruction and Development , European Commission , International Committee of the Red Cross , International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia , International Monetary Fund , North Atlantic Treaty Organization , Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe , United Nations , UN High Commissioner for Human Rights , UN High Commissioner for Refugees , UN Transitional Administration of Eastern Slavonia (disbanded in January 1998), and

760-467: The Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Culture and Sports – are unconstitutional since education and culture are an exclusive competence of the cantons. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina comprises ten cantons ( Bosnian : kantoni , Croatian : županije ): The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina comprises 51% of the land area of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is home to 62.85% of

800-558: The Property Law Implementation Plan have improved the situation regarding property and return. Today, Brčko has returned to a strategic transshipment point along the Sava River. The population of Brčko has not returned to its pre-war ethnic mix of Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats. Brčko sits at the east–west apex of Republika Srpska, the ethnic Serb portion of Bosnia & Herzegovina, and as such is critical to

840-591: The RS for its economic future. Brčko was one of the main points discussed in the Dayton Peace Accords . After several weeks of intensive negotiation, the issue of Brčko was to be decided by international arbitration. Brčko Arbitration ruled in Feb 1997 that Brčko would be managed by an ambassadorial representative from the international community. The first Ambassador to Brčko was an American with support staff from

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880-664: The UK, Sweden, Denmark & France. Brčko Arbitration in March 1998 suggested the Brcko area could be a special district, which they finally decided likewise in March 1999. The first international organization to open office in Brčko at that time was the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Following PIC meeting on 23 May 2012, it was decided to suspend, not terminate,

920-753: The Venice Commission on the same matter. Lacking legislative amendments to revise the Election Law, in Summer 2018 the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina provisionally enacted a new formula for the composition of the House of People, based on the minimal representation formula (one deputy per each constituent people per each canton) and on the 2013 census . In 2022, the High Representative imposed amendments to

960-420: The constituent peoples. A significant portion of Brčko District was also part of the Federation; however, when the district was created, it became shared territory of both entities, but it was not placed under control of either of the two, and is hence under direct jurisdiction of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Currently the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has 79 municipalities. The government and politics of

1000-504: The country's total population. group [REDACTED]   Una-Sana [REDACTED]   Central Bosnia [REDACTED]   Posavina [REDACTED]   Herzegovina-Neretva [REDACTED]   Tuzla [REDACTED]   West Herzegovina [REDACTED]   Zenica-Doboj [REDACTED]   Sarajevo [REDACTED]   Bosnian Podrinje [REDACTED]   Canton 10 Peace Implementation Council The Peace Implementation Council ( PIC )

1040-717: The creation of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was laid down by the Washington Agreement of March 1994. Under the agreement, the combined territory held by the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council forces was to be divided into ten autonomous cantons along the lines of the Vance-Owen plan . The cantonal system was selected to prevent dominance of one ethnic group over another. However, much of

1080-670: The federal Constitution and the Election Law, implementing the Ljubic verdict. The changes also reconstructed the original balance of power between Croats and Bosniaks in the Federation, as envisioned in Washington Agreement. In 2023, the High Representative suspended the federal Constitution for one day in order to impose a new government. This created a huge scandal and political crisis. Some see this as an act of "treason". The Inter-Entity Boundary Line (IEBL) that distinguishes Bosnia and Herzegovina's two entities runs along

1120-469: The forming warring factions. The ZOS was one kilometer wide of no man's land , where special permission was required for Serbian or Bosnian forces to enter. Various checkpoints and observation points (OP's) were established to control the separation. Although Brčko was a focal point for tension in the late 1990s, considerable progress in multi-ethnic integration in Brčko has since occurred including integration of secondary schooling. Reconstruction efforts and

1160-828: The frontlines as they existed at the end of the Bosnian War , with adjustments (most importantly in the western part of the country and around Sarajevo), as defined by the Dayton Agreement. The total length of the IEBL is approximately 1,080 km. The IEBL is an administrative demarcation and not controlled by the military or police and there is free movement across it. Five of the cantons (Una-Sana, Tuzla, Zenica-Doboj, Bosnian Podrinje and Sarajevo) are Bosniak-majority cantons, three (Posavina, West Herzegovina and Canton 10) are Croat-majority cantons, and two (Central Bosnia and Herzegovina-Neretva) are 'ethnically mixed', meaning there are special legislative procedures for protection of

1200-490: The international community's governance of Bosnia and Herzegovina after signature of the Dayton Agreement. The international control over Bosnia and Herzegovina is to last until the country is deemed politically and democratically stable and self-sustainable. The PIC comprises 55 countries and agencies that support the peace process in many different ways by assisting it financially, providing troops for EUFOR Althea , or directly running operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There

1240-542: The largest river port in Bosnia, on the Sava river. Brčko has three football clubs ( FK Jedinstvo Brčko , FK Lokomotiva Brčko , FK Izbor Brčko , FK Dizdaruša Brčko and the youngest club FK Ilićka 01 ). They all play in the Second League of Republika Srpska . The city is home to some of the most successful volleyball teams in the country Mladost and Jedinstvo . The city is home to an economics school of

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1280-495: The majority in the upper house as well. Dissatisfied Croat politicians set up a separate Croatian National Assembly , held a referendum parallel to the elections and proclaimed their self-rule in Croat-majority areas in the Federation. Their attempts ended shortly after a crackdown by SFOR and legal proceedings. Dissatisfied with the representation of Croats in the Federation, Croat political parties insist on creating

1320-450: The mandate of Brčko International Supervisor. Brčko Arbitral Tribunal, together with the suspended Brčko Supervision, will still continue to exist. A railway station is near the city centre on the line from Vinkovci to Tuzla . However, no passenger trains operate to Brčko anymore. The closest operating railway station is in Gunja, Croatia ; just on the other side of the border. Brčko has

1360-658: The responsibilities of the High Representative as the main implementing body of the civilian part of the Dayton Agreement, as set out in Annex 10 the Dayton Agreement. For example, the 1997 Bonn session provided the Office of the High Representative with the so-called "Bonn authority" to dismiss elected and non-elected officials who obstruct the implementation of the Dayton Agreement. The High Representative from 2006–2007, Christian Schwarz-Schilling , used that power sparingly to promote confidence in elected domestic government. That strategy

1400-679: The territories of the Yamnaya culture in the 3rd millennium BC. Breuci greatly resisted the Romans but were conquered in 1st century BC and many were sold as slaves after their defeat. They started receiving Roman citizenship during Trajan's rule. A number of Breuci migrated and settled in Dacia , where a town called Bereck or Brețcu , a river ( Brețcu River ) and a mountain Munții Brețcului in today's Romania were named after them. The city

1440-574: The territory Croats and Bosniaks claimed for their Federation was at that point still controlled by the Bosnian Serbs. The Washington Agreement was implemented during the spring of 1994, by convoking a Constitutional Assembly, which on 24 June adopted and proclaimed the Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1995, Bosniak forces and Bosnian Croat forces of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated forces of

1480-467: The war. Separatist Croat Herzeg-Bosnia institutions existed and functioned parallel to Federation ones up until 1996–97, when they were phased out. On 8 March 2000, the Brčko District was formed as an autonomous district within Bosnia and Herzegovina and it was created from part of the territory of both Bosnian entities. Brčko District is now a condominium that belongs to both entities. In 2001–2002,

1520-454: Was a geographic point of contention in 1996 when the U.S.-led Implementation Force (IFOR) built Camp McGovern between the villages of Brod and Brka . Camp McGovern under the overwatch of 3-5 CAV 1/BDE/1AR Division (US) was constructed from a war torn farming cooperative structure in the Zone of Separation (ZOS) for the purpose of establishing peacekeeping operations. The mission was to separate

1560-549: Was finally not adopted by the Parliament. Following an appeal by HDZ BiH Božo Ljubić , in December 2016 the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina abolished the electoral formula for the indirect election of the Federation House of People, stating that it did not guarantee the legitimate representation of constituent peoples. Notably, the ruling did not concur with an amicus curiae opinion of

1600-505: Was reversed by the new appointee to that post, Miroslav Lajčák , who imposed several decisions on his first day at work. The London peace implementation conference established the Steering Board of the PIC to work under the chairmanship of the High Representative as the executive arm of the PIC. The Steering Board members are Canada , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , Russia , United Kingdom, United States , Presidency of

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