The Ninth Annual Regional Rule of Law Forum for South East Europe was held in Tirana from 25 to 26 November 2022, organized by the AIRE Centre and the Civil Rights Defenders organization. High-ranking representatives of governments, judicial institutions, the academic community and non-governmental organizations from the Western Balkans region gathered at the Rule of Law Forum, with the support of the Government of the United Kingdom, Sweden and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation. The focus of this year’s gathering is the protection of human rights in times of emergency.
Amongst other participants from BiH and the region, the President of the Constitutional Court of BiH, Valerija Galić and Registrar of the Constitutional Court of BiH, Sevima Sali-Terzić attended the Forum.
President of the Constitutional Court of BiH, Valerija Galić, pointed out the challenges faced by BiH in this matter, stressing the importance of continued regional dialogue and cooperation for the purpose of more efficient protection of human rights in the Western Balkans.
“The deficiencies observed in Bosnia and Herzegovina with regard to the measures taken during the Covid-19 pandemic are reflected in the passivity of the legislative branch to clearly and swiftly establish a framework for the action of the executive branch within their competences. The executive branch adopted appropriate emergency measures, without involving the legislative branch. The regional exchange of case law in the Western Balkan region is important, given that it is reflected in obtaining new case law in the field of justice and human rights protection. These countries are connected through their historical development, and have similar or the same goals for future development in this segment. In addition, these countries are involved in similar projects concerning judicial reform and human rights protection systems, which can significantly strengthen the rule of law and legal certainty,” said President of the Constitutional Court of BiH, Valerija Galić.
