Short Takes
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Bosnia and Herzegovina is a part of Europe, and full membership in the Council of Europe is one of the country’s major goals, says Jadranko Prlic, Bosnia’s minister of foreign affairs. He discussed “Bosnia and Herzegovina: Its Future in Europe” at an Institute current issues briefing on October 7. A professor of economics and international economy at Mostar University, Prlic was promoting his recent book, Democracy, Economic Development, and the National Interest in the Transition Period in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia’s gross domestic product per capita is only $750, Prlic said. By comparison, Denmark’s per capita GDP is around $22,000. “Seventeen percent of families in Bosnia have a monthly income under 200 deutsch marks [less than $120].” The country will not be able to join the Council of Europe until its economic picture improves dramatically, Prlic said.
Further, he said, the country lacks the two basic requirements of a modern state: a mechanism for collecting taxes and an army. Prlic called Bosnia a social experiment and stressed that its success depends on the continued involvement of the international community.
UNHCR Training
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) staff attended an Institute of Peace conflict resolution training seminar in Budapest on September 20–23. The training, directed by Barbara Wien, program officer in the Education and Training Program, focused on providing tools to analyze and manage conflicts, especially in situations that involve UNHCR staff in tense and difficult negotiations. Participants included 16 field directors and program officers from Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Georgia, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Serbia, Sudan, Switzerland, and Tajikistan. Their work ranged from overseeing refugee operations in conflict areas to assisting individuals seeking political asylum.
The seminar—designed in close consultation with UNHCR—provided opportunities for UN officials to think about strategies for responding to refugee crises and to practice team-building, problem-solving, and leadership skills. Program faculty included Institute senior fellows John Menzies and P. Terrence Hopmann, consultant Jaco Cilliers, and Pamela Aall, education and training director.
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