Tagged: Bosnia and Herzegovina

According to Petsinclude, the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a unique decentralized system of government. It is divided into two entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Republika Srpska (RS). Each entity has its own constitution, president, parliament, government, and judiciary. The FBiH is further divided into 10 cantons with their own constitutions, governments, and parliaments. The country also has a central government with a three-member Presidency consisting of one Bosniak, one Croat and one Serb member. The Council of Ministers is made up of ministers from both entities who are responsible for overseeing the implementation of laws in the country. The state legislature is composed of the two houses in the Parliamentary Assembly: House of Representatives (lower house) and House of Peoples (upper house). The lower house consists of 42 members who are elected for four-year terms in an open list proportional representation system based on the D’Hondt method. The upper house consists of 15 delegates from each entity plus 5 delegates from other national minorities. The judicial system in Bosnia and Herzegovina consists primarily of four levels: entity courts; district courts; cantonal courts; and Constitutional Court. These courts handle civil, criminal, administrative law cases as well as appeals to decisions made by lower courts. The Supreme Court serves as the highest court in Bosnia and Herzegovina with jurisdiction over all other court decisions. It also serves as a constitutional court interpreting the Constitution when necessary. Bosnia and Herzegovina has a long history of foreign relations, stretching back to its independence from Yugoslavia in 1992. Since then, the country has sought to maintain friendly relations with its neighbors in Europe and beyond. The country currently maintains diplomatic ties with over 130 countries, including the United States, China, Russia, and the European Union. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s foreign policy is based on principles of non-interventionism and respect for international law. The country seeks to promote regional cooperation through membership in organizations such as the Council of Europe (CoE), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program (PfP) and other regional bodies. Bosnia and Herzegovina is also a founding member of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA). Bosnia and Herzegovina has traditionally maintained close ties with its neighbors in Europe, particularly Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro. Additionally, the country works closely with other countries in Central Europe such as Hungary, Austria etc., to promote regional integration initiatives. In recent years, Bosnia and Herzegovina has developed closer ties with China which has provided it with various forms of economic assistance as well as military aid to help protect its sovereignty. In addition to this, Bosnia and Herzegovina is also a member of various international organizations such as United Nations (UN), World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF) etc., through which it works towards achieving global peace and security while also striving for sustainable development goals both regionally and globally. See relationshipsplus for Bosnia and Herzegovina defense and foreign policy.