THE SUSTAINABILIUTY OF THE DAYTON PEACE AGREEMENT AND PERSPECTIVES FOR BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Апстракт

After a series of unsuccessful attempts by the European Community and the
European Union, which only contributed to the escalation of armed actions, the Dayton Peace
Agreement ended the civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and represented a successful peace
solution. Although at that time it was hailed as a significant achievement, it created a complex
political and administrative structure that, even after nearly thirty years, faces challenges
that call into question its sustainability and the provision of long-term peace for Bosnia and
Herzegovina. The Dayton Agreement established a power-sharing constitutional framework
among Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs to prevent ethnic domination. However, it also deepened
ethnic divisions and created a complex governance system composed of two entities—the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska—and the Brčko District. Today,
Bosnia and Herzegovina faces renewed national tensions and ethnic intolerance, which are
direct consequences of internal political developments and external influences and changes
in the geopolitical landscape, seriously raising questions about the future and survival of the
state. The rhetoric from the leadership of Republika Srpska about a “peaceful separation” from
the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the abandonment of the Dayton Agreement
presents a serious security challenge, upon which the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina
largely depends. For Bosnia and Herzegovina to survive as a state, constitutional reforms
are necessary, which would mean reforms to the Dayton Agreement itself. However, these
reforms must be implemented with maximum care and with international support to avoid
violating the rights of the constituent peoples, which could lead to new tensions. To enable
the functionality of the state and its economic progress, anti-corruption measures, economic
development, and strengthening of the rule of law are also necessary. 

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