Why Bosnia Still Needs a High Representative

The Office of the High Representative in Bosnia is a sui generis institution. It originated more than three decades ago, at the Dayton peace negotiations in 1995, as a body to oversee the civilian implementation of the peace agreement. The military part of the agreement was overseen by the US-led Implementation Force, IFOR, and then its continued mission known as Stabilisation Force, SFOR.

Americans took the lead on military and security issues, and this is the primary reason why this aspect of the Dayton peace accords was implemented successfully. After the talks at Dayton were concluded, a Peace Implementation Council, PIC, comprising 55 states and agencies was established to implement the civilian part of the agreement. The PIC names the High Representative, a position always – to date – held by a European. But, in the PIC, the voice of the US is the key.

In fact, the OHR was most impactful when the US provided security in the form of its boots on the ground and when the OHR was headed by a strong-willed Paddy Ashdown from 2002 to 2006. Many of the state-level institutions established after Dayton were formed during Ashdown’s tenure and with US backing.