Thirty years ago, the United States brokered the Dayton Peace Accords that ended the Bosnian War and brought peace to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). BiH now sits at a crossroads between its stalled EU and NATO ambitions, on the one hand, and Russian-backed destabilization, on the other.
After thirty years, BiH’s political leaders have failed to develop a viable replacement for the country’s hastily-negotiated constitution contained in Article 4 of the peace agreement. In the absence of constitutional reform, BiH remains mired in Dayton’s rigid ethnic logic that disenfranchises significant portions of the population and contributes to profound dysfunction. Meanwhile, secessionist moves by the country’s Serbian entity, Republika Srpska, and creeping Russian influence are undermining BiH’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Taken together, this state of affairs heightens the urgency for BiH to make progress toward its EU and NATO aspirations or risk falling prey to destabilizing forces.
This hearing examines the path forward for BiH to advance its political development and integration into Western institutions. Expert witnesses discuss the role that U.S. leadership in this new era can play in preserving peace in BiH while encouraging reforms that will make BiH more stable, democratic, and prosperous.
