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Preporuke za unapređenje sistema javnih nabavki u Bosni i Hercegovini

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Bosnian

Javne nabavke u Bosni i Hercegovini (BiH) čine značajan udio u ukupnoj budžetskoj potrošnji. U periodu od 2010. do 2014. godine, javne institucije na različitim nivoima vlasti potrošile su 15,5 milijardi KM za nabavku roba, usluga i radova. S obzirom na to da na taj način dolazi do transfera značajne sume novca iz javnog u privatni sektor, javne su nabavke izuzetno podložne korupciji i zloupotrebama. Bosna i Hercegovina u tom smislu ne predstavlja izuzetak. Prema istraživanju koje je 2014. godine proveo Centar za društvena istraživanja “Analitika”, 20% ispitanika od ukupno 511 navelo je da je od predstavnika njihove kompanije traženo ili očekivano da daju mito, poklon ili protuuslugu kako bi dobili posao u postupku javnih nabavki. Također, od ukupno 2.500 anketiranih predstavnika poslovnog sektora, 88,2% ispitanih smatra da je korupcija u obliku mita ili druge vrste zloupotrebe javnih ovlasti za ličnu korist prisutna u javnim nabavkama u BiH. Prema odgovorima većine ispitanika, kompanije su prisiljene učestvovati u koruptivnim radnjama kako bi opstale na tržištu, a za dobijanje poslova u javnim nabavkama potrebno je imati političke i lične veze.

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Labor Market Reforms in BiH: Flexibility without Security?

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

The labor market in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is facing mounting challenges. Unemployment is continuously high and employment low. Factors such as the wartime destruction of industrial infrastructure, loss of business links due to the dissolution of Yugoslavia, inadequate adaptation to the new business and technological environment, failed privatization processes, and a generally unfavorable macroeconomic climate have had a negative impact on creating new jobs. In addition, the almost daily protests by workers owed salaries or benefits by their employers indicate grave weaknesses in the system of social security and protection of workers’ rights.

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Analysis of Legal Protection in Public Procurement Procedures in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Author(s): Stanka Pejaković / Language(s): English

Legal protection in public procurement procedures implies a set of legal norms which govern the mechanisms available to participants in these procedures with the objective of protecting their rights and interests. The legal protection framework ensures the realization of several important objectives of public procurement. Competitive and transparent procedures in public procurement assist legal public authorities to get the best value for money when they procure products and services. This results in cost-effective spending of public funds, faster economic growth and greater competitiveness among entrepreneurs. Open and transparent procedures in public procurement influence prevention of discrimination, cronyism and corruption. From the standpoint of the European Union (EU) the objective of public procurement is also to open the market of public procurement for member states, enabling the participation of entrepreneurs in public procurement procedures outside the boundaries of a particular state. Legal protection is very important for the realization of the above objectives of public procurement. Legal protection regulations should ensure equal legal position for all entrepreneurs in public procurement, the efficient and timely implementation of public procurement procedures, and should also enhance legal security in this area. Unregulated or insufficiently regulated legal protection may cause direct damage to the economy as it enables the choosing of bids that are not necessarily the best. The fallout of this includes other negative effects (political, economic, sociological). Efficient legal protection increases the trust of the public in the transparency of procedures, and encourages entrepreneurs to participate in public procurement procedures. Efficient legal protection can also act as a preventive measure against a concrete contracting authority or other contracting authorities, in the sense of ensuring that there is no infringement of public procurement rules. Apart from their prominent position in any legal system, national norms regarding legal protection in the EU member states, candidate status states and accession states are founded in European Law, and as such, they are the result of the harmonization of national legislation with the requirements of European law. In this way the harmonization of legal protection in member states, candidate states and potential candidates is achieved. The request for harmonized procedures in member states derives from an understanding that different procedures in different states have a negative impact on the functioning of a unified European market. The European legislation is important for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) not only as an instrument for the strengthening of the economy, but also in respect of the commitments undertaken earlier to gradually harmonize BiH legislation with that of the EU. One of the areas where BiH legislation is harmonized with European law is the area of public procurement. The subject-matter of this study is legal protection in public procurement procedures in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is implemented as an administrative and administrative-judicial protection, in the manner of critically deliberating the relevant issues of legal protection of participants in public procurement procedures. The present analysis deals with the existing rules that govern legal protection in public procurement procedures having in mind the potential consequences of incomplete or inadequate regulation, which affects the rights and interests of participants in public procurement procedures. Above all, this study is focused on the analysis of rules which govern the basic legal remedy available to participants in the public procurement procedures against the decision of the contracting authority of the aforementioned action or omission of action or the procedure of the contracting authority, followed by an analysis of appeal in an administrative dispute. In this sense, the present study suggests the direction of possible legal intervention which could improve the legal protection rules in public procurement procedures in BiH with regard to the relevant European and comparative law. Accordingly, in addition to a review of legal protection in accordance with the existing de lege lata, this study also includes questions with regard to what this protection should be in view of the requirements of European law (de lege ferenda). The initial assumption in this analysis is that legal protection in any state is regulated independently, but the autonomy of member states (and future member states that have already undertaken some commitments) is restricted by EU rules. As a result, the conclusions in this study inevitably deal with the influence of the relevant European law regarding the provision of effective legal remedies in public procurement procedures by observing the practice of the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg (the European Court), and the regulations that govern the availability of legal remedies in the area of legal protection in some member states that have implemented European law (such as Croatia and Slovenia). The objective of this study is to see what lessons can be drawn from the experience of the aforementioned states and in what manner these lessons can be applied in BiH law with the aim of further improving the legislation of legal protection. Thus an insight is gained about the relationship between legal regulation and practice, and in this respect the inadequacies in the existing legal protection norms in public procurement procedures in BiH can be observed. The presentation of the methodological and analytical framework of this study (Chapter 2) is followed by a summary of the relevant EU legal acts (Chapter 3) and a subsequent analysis of the legal and institutional framework of public procurement in BiH (Chapter 4). In the chapter on legal protection (Chapter 5) procedural rules are analyzed. The results of this analysis are summed up in the Conclusion (Chapter 6). In Chapter 7 there is a list of proposals for possible decisions with regard to the previously recognized problems.

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Recommendations for the Improvement of Legal Protection in Public Procurement Procedures in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Legal protection in public procurement procedures implies a set of legal norms that regulate the mechanisms available to participants in public procurement procedures in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) if participants consider that the decision brought by a contracting authority violates their rights and legal interests. An appropriate normative framework also ensures the realization of fundamental objectives of legal protection in public procurement procedures such as inspiring competition and preventing discrimination, cronyism and corruption. On the basis of such a normative framework, provision of goods and services at the best value for money is ensured, as well as cost-effective spending of public funds, faster economic growth and harmonization with the fundamental principles and other standards of European law.

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Preporuke za unapređenje Zakona o zabrani diskriminacije

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Bosnian

Sveobuhvatni zakonski okvir za zaštitu od diskriminacije u BiH, usvojen 2009. godine, donio je uglavnom sve ključne inovacije specifičnog parničnog postupka za zaštitu od diskriminacije koje su predviđene evropskim antidiskriminacijskim pravom. Novi instituti kakvi su prebacivanje tereta dokazivanja na tuženu stranu ukoliko tužilac uspije da demonstrira pretpostavku diskriminacije, mogućnost učešća trećih lica kao umješača u postupku na strani tuženog, te kolektivna tužba koju udruženja, ustanove i druge organizacije koje imaju opravdan interes ili se bave zaštitom ljudskih prava mogu podnijeti u situacijama kada je postupanjem tuženog u pogledu više osoba povrijeđeno pravo na jednak tretman, svakako imaju značajan potencijal da unaprijede efektivnost sudske zaštite od diskriminacije i u Bosni i Hercegovini. No, prema dostupnim informacijama o broju sudskih postupaka povodom diskriminacije, taj potencijal nije iskorišten u dovoljnoj mjeri, imajući u vidu da se još uvijek tek manji broj žrtava odlučuje da potraži sudsku zaštitu. Na sličan način žrtve diskriminacije oklijevaju da se obrate i Instituciji ombudsmena za ljudska prava BiH. Takva situacija uslovljena je čitavim nizom faktora, među kojima značajno mjesto svakako zauzima zakonski okvir, čija pojedina rješenja nisu u najboljem interesu žrtava diskriminacije.

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Diskriminacija na osnovu mjesta prebivališta: Koliko razlike u tretmanu je dozvoljeno?

Author(s): Aleksandra Ivanković-Tamamović / Language(s): Bosnian

Diskriminaciju shvatamo kao svako različito postupanje koje ima za svrhu ili posljedicu da bilo kojem licu onemogući ili ugrožava priznavanje, uživanje ili ostvarivanje na ravnopravnoj osnovi prava i sloboda u svim oblastima javnog života. Razlika u postupanju predstavlja diskriminaciju ukoliko nema razumno obrazloženje, odnosno ukoliko nije uvedena kako bi se ostvario neki legitiman cilj, ili ukoliko nema dovoljno razumne proporcionalne veze između korišćenog sredstva i cilja koji se nastoji postići. Diskriminacija, nažalost, i dalje predstavlja dio naše svakodnevnice. A kad o njoj pak govorimo, najčešće govorimo o diskriminaciji na osnovu etničkog porijekla, invaliditeta i seksualne orijentacije. Pored toga, rodna diskriminacija zahvata najveći dio svjetske populacije, i kao takva sasvim sigurno (i “zasluženo”) ne samo da često predstavlja predmet diskusije, nego je pitanje od posebnog značaja za svako društvo, pa i bosanskohercegovačko. Ipak, kada govorimo o diskriminaciji, vrijedi podsjetiti se da se ona mijenja zajedno sa društvom u kojem se pojavljuje. Kroz vrijeme i prostor, oblici diskriminacije se mijenjaju. Tako, na primjer, možemo zapaziti promjene u polnoj diskriminaciji koja danas ima različite intenzitete u različitim dijelovima planete, a jednako tako se pokazivala u različitim oblicima kroz istoriju. Prije tek stotinu godina žene globalno nisu imale pravo glasa, niti su imale jednak pristup obrazovanju ili tržištu rada. Danas, bez obzira na to što je pravo glasa gotovo univerzalno (sa nekoliko rijetkih i uznemirujućih izuzetaka), pristup obrazovanju, ako ne jednak, onda bar dovoljno otvoren i ženama, a ravnopravnost u pristupu tržištu rada (opet sa nekim izuzecima) barem deklarativno postignuta, rodna nejednakost i diskriminacija je, zadržavši neka stara obličja, istovremeno uzela i neka nova, drugačija i suptilnija. Upravo imajući u vidu ovu sposobnost diskriminacije da metamorfira u izmijenjenim društvenim uslovima, instrumenti koji pružaju zaštitu moraju da dozvole dovoljno fleksibilnosti da mogu da se prilagode tim novim okolnostima. Tako i Ustav BiH, kao uostalom i Evropska konvencija, te Međunarodni pakt o građanskim i političkim pravima, kao i Međunarodni pakt o ekonomskim, socijalnim i kulturnim pravima, koji su u Ustav inkorporirani, garantuju zaštitu od diskriminacije sa otvorenom klauzulom “ili drugi status”. Zapravo, već je Univerzalna deklaracija o ljudskim pravima pozvala na jednaku zaštitu pred zakonom “bez bilo kakve diskriminacije”. Slično je rješenje predviđeno i Zakonom o zabrani diskriminacije, koji diskriminaciju definiše i s obzirom na “svaku drugu okolnost” koja za svrhu ili posljedicu ima nejednako postupanje bez objektivnog i razumnog opravdanja. Takva je fleksibilnost i otvorenost u pogledu mogućih osnova diskriminacije omogućila Evropskom sudu za ljudska prava da raspravlja o diskriminaciji na osnovu seksualne orijentacije, rođenja van braka ili promjene pola nakon operacije (gender reassignment following an operation), bez obzira što ti osnovi nisu bili pomenuti u samom tekstu Konvencije, a neki od njih vrlo vjerovatno nisu bili ni na umu tvoraca ovog regionalnog instrumenta u vrijeme kad su ga pisali – kasnih četrdesetih godina dvadesetog vijeka.

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Osnovni principi i dokazivanje “ostalih oblika diskriminacije” prema Zakonu o zabrani diskriminacije

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Bosnian

Zakonom o zabrani diskriminacije (ZZD) definirani su različiti oblici diskriminacije: neposredna i posredna diskriminacija, te “ostali oblici diskriminacije”. Prema Zakonu, neposredna diskriminacija je “svako različito postupanje po [zabranjenim] osnovama, odnosno svako djelovanje ili propuštanje djelovanja kada je neko lice ili grupa lica dovedena ili je bila ili bi mogla da bude dovedena u nepovoljniji položaj za razliku od nekog drugog lica ili grupe lica u sličnim situacijama”. Posredna diskriminacija, pak, “podrazumijeva svaku situaciju u kojoj, naizgled neutralna odredba, kriterijum ili praksa, ima ili bi imala efekat dovođenja nekog lica ili grupe lica u nepovoljan ili manje povoljan položaj u odnosu na druga lica”. Ostali oblici diskriminacije definirani ZZD-om su: uznemiravanje po nekom od zabranjenih osnova, spolno (seksualno) uznemiravanje, mobing, segregacija, izdavanje naloga drugima za vršenje diskriminacije i pomaganje prilikom diskriminacije, te podsticanje na diskriminaciju u vidu zagovaranja nacionalne, rasne ili vjerske mržnje. Pravilno razumijevanje i razlikovanje navedenih oblika diskriminacije veoma je značajno, jer se temeljni principi i metode dokazivanja u sudskom postupku donekle razlikuju zavisno od oblika diskriminacije koji je predmet spora. Kako je elaborirano u prethodnom komentaru Analitike, direktna i indirektna diskriminacija imaju određene zajedničke karakteristike kada je riječ o njihovom dokazivanju. Temeljno je pravilo za ova dva ključna oblika diskriminacije jeste da u slučaju da tužilac demonstrira postojanje prima facie diskriminacije, teret dokazivanja da do diskriminacije nije došlo prelazi na tuženog. Osnovni metod kojim se to postiže je uporedni test, odnosno sagledavanje pozicije tuženog u odnosu na situaciju komparatora – osobe koja se nalazi u istoj situaciji kao i osoba koja u postupku tvrdi da je diskriminirana, ali se od tužioca razlikuje po relevantnim ličnim karakteristikama. Ostali oblici diskriminacije prema ZZD-u dijele temeljne principe, a naročito princip prebacivanja tereta dokazivanja, ali imaju niz specifičnosti u pogledu njihovog dokazivanja pred sudovima u antidiskriminacijskom postupku. Ovaj kratki komentar ima za cilj da ukaže na ključne specifičnosti ovih instituta i njihovog dokazivanja, koje bi i sudije, ali i zastupnici žrtava diskriminacije svakako trebali imati u vidu u njihovom djelovanju u sudskim postupcima za zaštitu od diskriminacije.

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How to Approach Open Government Partnership Action Planning for Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

On September 24, 2014, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) became the 65th member of the multilateral initiative Open Government Partnership (OGP), which aims to encourage government institutions to become more transparent and accountable to their citizens. In that sense, the Open Government Partnership aims to promote the transparency of public administration, including the public in decision-making, creating mechanisms for calling governments to account and using new information and communication technologies for improving the transparency of government and cooperation between citizens and public institutions. In order to meet these framework objectives, in accordance with the Partnership concept, governments and civil society in member countries should work together on the planning and implementation of ambitious reforms. Therefore, after a country joins the initiative, it is expected that, within a prescribed period, it will draft and submit an action plan for the implementation of reforms in the aforementioned areas to the OGP Support Unit. This refers to a two-year activity plan that defines the priorities for the country with regard to key areas of the OGP, which binds members to meet the objectives set by the Open Government Declaration. BiH is expected to submit its action plan by the end of June 2015. According to the OGP calendar, it is expected that government institutions, in cooperation with civil society, draft the action plan between January and June 2015. It should be noted that, based on experiences during the first round of action plan drafting, the obligations that countries undertook under the OGP may be grouped in seven thematic areas: 1. Public participation – including citizens in the making of public policies 2. Integrity of government – fighting corruption and strengthening democratic institutions 3. Freedom of access to information – guaranteeing public access to government data 4. Fiscal transparency – assisting citizens in monitoring the spending of public money 5. Public service provision – providing services useful to citizens 6. Extractive resources transparency – ensuring that income from extractive resources is used for public benefit 7. Openness of data – digitalization and opening government data to the public in order to ensure transparency and access to information It is especially important to stress that work on action planning implies close cooperation between relevant public institutions and civil society organizations in defining priorities and activity plans. Strengthening the dialogue and cooperation between government and civil society is considered a key step in the drafting and implementation of the action plan, which is one of the main aims of the Partnership. Therefore, under the Partnership, governments are requested to, inter alia, submit reports on the quality of the dialogue and cooperation with civil society during the development and implementation of the action plan. Moreover, cooperation between government and civil society is also evaluated within the independent reporting mechanism on the drafting and implementation of the action plan. However, a serious problem with BiH is that months after the state formally joined the OGP, nothing has essentially been done in this area, so that in April 2015, just three months before the deadline for submission of the action plan, the action plan drafting process has not begun. Bearing in mind that the action plan should be prepared and submitted by the end of June 2015, the question arises whether it is possible to start the process of action planning in the remaining three months while undertaking wide consultations in accordance with the standards and principles of the Partnership. The second question is, how to conceptualize the consultation process during the drafting of the action plan in order to include as wide a circle of interested stakeholders as possible and get the best possible proposals?

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Local Communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Potential of Neglected Institutions

Author(s): Mirna Jusić / Language(s): English

Results of research on local communities (LCs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) presented in this policy brief indicate that their participation in various local issues is of direct importance to community needs. The research also points to a variety of possible roles that LCs could undertake depending on community needs. However, most LCs in BiH have been left de facto without tasks, capacities and resources, with their role reduced to representative bodies without the institutional memory necessary for continuity of their work. This policy brief features a number of recommendations for the improvement of the institutional development of LCs, as well as their various functions.

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Teret dokazivanja direktne i indirektne diskriminacije

Author(s): Boris Topić / Language(s): Bosnian

Međunarodno pravo o ljudskim pravima, kao i pravo Evropske unije, prepoznaju teškoće povezane sa razotkrivanjem diskriminacije kao negativne društvene pojave i njezinim dokazivanjem u sudskom postupku. Stoga međunarodna sudska i kvazisudska tijela u postupcima koji se tiču diskriminacije teret dokazivanja da diskriminacije nije bilo prebacuju na tuženu stranu, pod uslovom da tužilac uspije da učini vjerovatnim da je do diskriminacije došlo i u konkretnom slučaju. Zakon o zabrani diskriminacije u BiH (u daljem tekstu ZZD) takođe predviđa da tužilac koji je podnio tužbu za zaštitu od diskriminacije nije u obavezi da u potpunosti dokaže postojanje diskriminacije, već je dovoljno da navode o tome da je zabrana diskriminacije prekršena samo potkrijepi, dok je tuženi dužan da dokaže da nije prekršio princip jednakog postupanja ili zabrane diskriminacije u predmetu rasprave. Ovaj bh. standard potkrijepljenosti navoda treba tumačiti u svjetlu prakse međunarodnih sudova i relevantnih direktiva Evropske unije6 kao dokaz na prvi pogled, odnosno prima facie dokaz, na osnovu kojeg se može sa odgovarajućim stepenom vjerovatnosti pretpostaviti da je do diskriminacije došlo. Da bi se teret dokazivanja prebacio na drugu stranu, nije dovoljno da tužilac samo tvrdi da je diskriminisan, već mora da ponudi određene dokaze za tu tvrdnju koja će kod suda stvoriti uvjerenje da je izglednije da se diskriminacija dogodila nego da do nje nije došlo. Drugim riječima, tužilac u postupku za zaštitu od diskriminacije nije dužan u potpunosti dokazati diskriminaciju, već je dovoljno da dokaže postojanje pretpostavke diskriminacije, nakon čega tuženi mora dokazivati da nije diskriminisao tužioca u konkretnom slučaju. Dostupni izvještaji o antidiskriminacionim sudskim postupcima u Bosni i Hercegovini, međutim, pokazuju da domaći sudovi uvode vrlo visok prag koji tužilac mora dostići da bi teret dokazivanja prebacio na tuženu stranu, ili čak potpuno zanemaruju ovaj važni princip, primjenjujući opšta pravila parničnog postupka i na predmete koji se odnose na diskriminaciju. Uzrok tome velikim dijelom svakako leži i u nedovoljnom razumijevanju instituta prebacivanja tereta dokazivanja i njegovog značaja za osiguranje efektivne sudske zaštite od diskriminacije. Stoga je osnovna namjera ovog teksta da ukaže na ključne aspekte i specifičnosti dokazivanja u antidiskriminacionim sudskim postupcima, sa fokusom na direktnu i indirektnu diskriminaciju kao najpoznatije oblike diskriminacije.

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Public Institutions and The Internet: Policies and Practice in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Author(s): Nevena Ršumović,Tarik Jusić,Amar Numanović / Language(s): English

Freedom of Access to Information Laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina do not contain provisions on the publishing of public information online, which impedes the development of proactive transparency of public institutions. Moreover, different sector laws and special policies, as well as guidelines and recommendations that pertain to the maintenance of websites of public institutions, partially oblige public bodies to publish certain types of information on the Internet. Such a fragmented legal framework for online information disclosure leads to uneven and undeveloped practice of web presence and transparency of public institutions in BiH. It is of key importance to improve the existing Freedom of Access to Information Laws by introducing provisions on mandatory proactive disclosure of a wide spectrum of information on the websites of public institutions, and operationalize such disclosure further in bylaws on the development and maintenance of official websites.

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Regulacija mobinga u Bosni i Hercegovini u kontekstu zakona o zabrani diskriminacije

Author(s): Mario Reljanović / Language(s): Bosnian

Kompleksnost diskriminacije i mobinga u posljednjim je decenijama rezultirala donošenjem posebne zakonske regulative u gotovo svim evropskim državama. Iako pravna regulativa u Bosni i Hercegovini prepoznaje mobing kao oblik diskriminisanja, čini se da je neophodno donošenje posebnog zakona u ovoj oblasti, koji bi pravni režim zaštite od mobinga potpuno odvojio od zaštite od diskriminacije, te predvidio sve potrebne elemente borbe protiv mobinga, uključujući i snažnu preventivnu dimenziju.

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Mapping of Key Obstacles to Equal Participation of Companies in Public Procurement in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Author(s): Nermina Voloder / Language(s): English

The public procurement system in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is characterised by numerous weaknesses and shortcomings. In the ten years of application of the BiH Law on Public Procurement, a range of irregularities in public procurement procedures have been identified, including practices of privileging individual bidders through discriminatory criteria and technical specifications in tender documentation, dividing procurement value into smaller amounts to avoid implementing the public procurement procedure for higher amounts, procurements of goods, services or works without a public procurement procedure, use of annexes to existing contracts to increase the value of procurement, and other ways of changing the terms of contracts based on public procurement procedures. Irregularities and abuses in public procurement have, among other things, contributed significantly to the spread of corruption and to hindering the operation of the private sector in BiH. Research has shown that corruption is one of the most significant obstacles to the work of private companies and to overall economic development, not just in BiH, but in countries of the region as well. Reports by international and non-governmental organisations and representatives of the business sector in BiH have for the past few years pointed out failings and irregularities in the public procurement system that undermine the basic principles of fair and active competition, transparency, equal treatment of bidders, and efficient and responsible public spending. This report resulted from the need to identify key problems in public procurement based on surveying a representative sample of the business community with direct experience of public procurement in BiH. The report is based on the findings of research conducted during 2014 with the main aim of mapping the major obstacles faced by companies in BiH entering public procurement procedures in BiH. Representatives of private enterprises of various sizes (micro, small, medium and large enterprises) and from various branches of the economy throughout BiH participated in the study. The study provides insight into the views and perceptions, as well as the reallife experience of business sector representatives in BiH when it comes to various aspects and phases of public procurement. In that context, this is the first survey study in BiH that identifies key problems in public procurement by relying on the views and experiences of business sector representatives that have participated in public procurement procedures. For the purposes of this report, which presents the main obstacles to the participation of enterprises in public procurement, the respondents answered questions about issues such as availability of public procurement invitations for submitting bids, definitions of eligibility criteria and technical specifications, application of appropriate procedures, transparency of outcomes, legal protection, public procurement contract implementation control, perception of the degree of corruption in public procurement, trust in the fairness and justice of public procurement procedures, etc. The examination of practices that hinder efficient market functioning and the identification of areas of heightened risk of corruption were also recognised in strategic documents of BiH authorities as a necessary measure for the development of efficient anti-corruption policies in BiH. The present study naturally fits into this normative and strategic framework. Namely, given that public procurement is particularly vulnerable to corruption, data from this report can prove useful as guidance for decision makers in BiH working to improve the public procurement regulatory framework and practices. The report first presents the main features of the public procurement system and gives details of the research methodology. Research results that reflect the experience of private sector representatives in public procurement in BiH are set out in the fourth chapter and divided among all the phases of the public procurement cycle. The conclusion sums up the key results and indicates further research and analyses necessary in this area.

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Key Problems in Public Procurement in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Experiences of Private Companies

Author(s): Nermina Voloder / Language(s): English

A survey conducted by Analitika in 2014 showed that the business sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) faces numerous obstacles when it comes to participation in public procurement procedures. The survey responses indicate that problems crop up in all phases of the process: during the development of tender documents, the collection and evaluation of tenders, and the implementation of the contract. The majority of respondents believe corruption is widespread in public procurement, and that political or personal connections are a prerequisite for being awarded public procurement contracts. Furthermore, there is a pervasive lack of trust among the business community in the public procurement system and in the likelihood of corruption and irresponsible public spending being sanctioned. The prevalent view is that companies are forced to participate in corruption in order to survive in the market.

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Predmet Queer Festival: Sloboda okupljanja i zabrana diskriminacije

Author(s): Boris Topić / Language(s): Bosnian

Ustavni sud Bosne i Hercegovine (USBiH) 25. septembra 2014. godine donio je dugo očekivanu odluku po apelaciji koju je Udruženje Q za promociju i zaštitu kulture, identiteta i ljudskih prava queer osoba podnijelo 2. marta 2011. godine. Apelacija je podnesena zbog propusta javnih vlasti da preduzmu neophodne razumne i odgovarajuće mjere za zaštitu i očuvanje prava zaštićenih Ustavom BiH i Evropskom konvencijom za zaštitu ljudskih prava i temeljnih sloboda (EKLJP), a u vezi s organizacijom prvog Sarajevo Queer Festivala, koji je trebao biti održan u periodu od 24. do 28. septembra 2008. godine. Festival je od samog najavljivanja bio predmet oštre kritike vjerskih vođa, političkih partija, medija i navijačkih grupa. Usljed nasilja i napada na učesnike Festivala, te prijetnji upućenih članovima i simpatizerima udruženja, ovaj događaj je prekinut već poslije prvog dana. U apelaciji upućenoj USBiH, apelant – Udruženje Q – žalio se da je javna vlast, “uprkos svemu što je preduzeo kao udruženje, bila i ostala neučinkovita kako u sprečavanju nasilja nad članovima i simpatizerima Udruženja, tako i u provođenju djelotvorne istrage, otkrivanja i sankcionisanja onih koji su se govorom mržnje kao i fizičkim nasiljem obračunali sa apelantovim pripadnicima”.3 Zbog toga je tvrdio da su povrijeđena njegova i prava njegovih članova i simpatizera garantovana članovima: 3 (zabrana mučenja ili drugog ponižavajućeg postupanja), 8 (pravo na poštovanje privatnog života), 11 (sloboda okupljanja), 13 (pravo na djelotvoran pravni lijek) i 14 (zabrana diskriminacije u uživanju prava zaštićenih drugim članovima Konvencije) EKLJP, kao i člana 1 Protokola 124 uz EKLJP (opšta zabrana diskriminacije). USBiH utvrdio je da je povrijeđeno pravo na slobodu okupljanja, te obavezao Vlade Federacije BiH i Kantona Sarajevo da apelantu plate naknadu nematerijalne štete. S obzirom na to da je utvrdio povredu prava na slobodu okupljanja iz člana 11 EKLJP, USBiH je smatrao da nema potrebe da posebno ispituje apelantove navode o povredi prava na djelotvoran pravni lijek i zabranu diskriminacije. Ostale dijelove apelacije USBiH je odbacio kao nedopuštene jer su, prema stavu Suda, podneseni od strane neovlaštenog lica (navodi koji se tiču kršenja prava članova i simpatizera apelanta – Udruženja Q) ili su nespojivi sa Ustavom ratione materiae (navodi koji se tiču povrede apelantovih prava po osnovu članova 3 i 8 EKLJP pojedinačno i u vezi sa članovima 13 i 14).

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Pogrešna logika dokazivanja u antidiskriminacionim predmetima: Slučaj Vrhovnog suda Federacije BiH

Author(s): Aleksandra Ivanković-Tamamović / Language(s): Bosnian

Ljudi se ne rađaju da bi diskriminisali ili bili diskriminisani. Diskriminacija u suštini predstavlja stečenu sklonost za stavljanjem nekoga u nepovoljan položaj usljed predrasuda koje smo razvili na osnovu njihovih ličnih karakteristika: boje kože, nacionalne ili etničke pripadnosti, vjeroispovijesti, seksualne orijentacije, rodnog identiteta ili bilo koje druge karakteristike koja može presudno uticati na to kako ćemo nekoga tretirati. Budući da je diskriminacija u pravilu pitanje percepcije, osoba ove karakteristike može realno da posjeduje ili joj mogu biti pripisane od strane trećih lica. Naravno, nije svako različito ponašanje diskriminacija. U svakodnevnim odnosima neophodno je da se drugačije ponašamo prema osobama u različitim situacijama, u zavisnosti od mnogih okolnosti. Diskriminacija je, naime, samo ono ponašanje koje je nedozvoljeno. To što ćemo nekoga na ulici pozdraviti s ‘dobar dan’ imajući u vidu činjenicu da li ga poznajemo ili ne vjerovatno je primjer dozvoljenog različitog ponašanja. Ipak, to što susjeda muslimana nećemo pozdraviti s ‘dobar dan’ može da bude društveno neprihvatljivo, pa čak i diskriminatorno, ali dok god naše uskraćivanje tog pozdrava susjedu ne predstavlja ugrožavanje njegovih zajamčenih prava, to i dalje neće predstavljati utuživu kategoriju. Mnoga takva prava su zajamčena Ustavom Bosne i Hercegovine, pa tako i pravo na zapošljavanje ili unapređenje bez diskriminacije. U takvom ustavnom poretku koji zabranjuje diskriminaciju, u avgustu 2008. godine, Opština Glamoč je raspisala konkurs za izbor direktora dječijeg obdaništa “Leptirić”. Jedini kandidat na konkursu je bila Janja Martina Katović, profesorka predškolskog vaspitanja i dugogodišnja radnica u obdaništu, kojoj je upravo istekao mandat direktora iste ustanove. Međutim, Janja Martina Katović nije postavljena za direktora u drugom mandatu zato što je – časna sestra. Uložena je tužba Općinskom sudu u Livnu, koji je diskriminaciju prepoznao i naložio da se potvrdi njeno imenovanje za direktoricu obdaništa. Kantonalni sud u Livnu je prvostepenu presudu potvrdio. Međutim, u julu 2014. godine, po reviziji tužene Opštine Glamoč, Vrhovni sud Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine je donio prilično zbunjujuću presudu, još jednu u nizu u antidiskriminacionim predmetima u Bosni i Hercegovini. Naime, po mišljenju Vrhovnog suda u predmetu Janje Martine Katović protiv Opštine Glamoč, ukoliko se samo jedno lice prijavi na konkurs za radno mjesto, i ako to lice, bez obzira na kvalifikacije i njihovu superiornost, ne bude zaposleno zbog svoje vjerske pripadnosti, takvo lice, ipak, ne može biti diskriminisano. Isti zaključak se, slijedom iste logike, može izvesti čak i kada potencijalni poslodavac, inače organ lokalne samouprave, javno izjavi da jedini kandidat, bez obzira na kompetencije, nije zaposlen isključivo usljed lične karakteristike – vjeroispovijesti. Ova presuda uspostavlja opasan presedan, koji otvara prostor poslodavcima da otvoreno diskriminišu ukoliko pred sobom imaju samo jednog kandidata ili čak nekoliko kandidata koji imaju zajedničku ključnu karakteristiku, na osnovu koje se diskriminiše. Tako poslodavci mogu da otvoreno kažu da neće zapošljavati redovnice, Rome ili žene, ukoliko su se samo takvi kandidati prijavili, jer ih sud neće imati s čim uporediti!?

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Local Communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Challenges and Prospects for Institutional Development

Author(s): Mirna Jusić / Language(s): English

Local communities (mjesne zajednice – hereafter LCs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereafter BiH) have for a long time been perceived as a relic of the country’s Yugoslav past. The sub-municipal institutions were established in former Yugoslavia as hubs of community self-government, serving as venues of citizen engagement around community problems. However, after the former socialist political system was dismantled following the 1992-1995 war and new institutions were installed, not much attention had been paid to local communities. As of recently, LCs have been receiving increasing attention, especially of international and non-governmental organizations. As legally recognized sub-municipal institutions, they are seen as having potential to foster citizen engagement. A 2012 survey of Centres for Civic Initiatives (CCI), administered in 14 municipalities in BiH, shows that respondents were the most aware of the possibility to participate through the LC (74.6%) out of a number of other participation mechanisms at the local level, and that the LC is among the most frequently used participatory mechanisms (33.2%). Although a 2009 World Bank study survey data from 20 municipalities showed that most citizens did not have the experience of engagement in their community activities, of those respondents who did, 81% described LC council meetings as the most useful activity of participation. Thus, it is not surprising that a number of projects to date, implemented by different organizations, have focused on strengthening LCs. Some initiatives have pushed for a change of their legal status and have advocated for a minimum of standards for local community operations through local acts, while others have worked on strengthening local community capacities. However, a number of obstacles to local community functioning remain. Some authors highlight as challenges, inter alia, the lack of formal competences of these bodies, their missing financial autonomy and inconsistent budgetary allocations from local government to LCs, as well as the influence of political parties on the elections of LC councilors and presidents. The World Bank study shows vast differences in local respondents’ awareness of, and participation in their respective LC activities between different municipalities, signaling that, depending on the locality, LCs may be more or less active, and may take on different roles. A 2013 study of communal services in the city of Sarajevo showcases both the potential of urban LCs to serve as a link between government and residents and the discontent with LCs that residents expressed, stemming from a perceived lack of LCs’ efficiency and inability to help citizens relay their problems to higher levels of government. Understanding the functioning of LCs in BiH, as well as the context in which these institutions operate, is challenged by a lack of comprehensive research on the subject. Studies on local communities in BiH to date have offered only a partial glimpse into the different aspects of LC operations in practice. No baseline information has been collected, including reliable data on the number of LCs. There have generally been no official data or estimates published on the number of LCs in BiH, and such data are not collected by the statistical offices. In general, empirical studies on the subject are few, with most analyses to date focusing on the legal framework regulating LC work. The research presented in this study was conducted in order to systematically learn about the countrywide practices of LCs in BiH, and to offer broad recommendations for improving local community work in BiH. Given the lack of baseline information on their functioning, it is difficult to analyze the work of LCs in BiH and to hypothesize in a meaningful way what contextual factors may be influencing their work. Provided these difficulties, the research is largely exploratory, seeking to gather insights and create descriptive accounts of the operations and functions of LCs. The report is structured as follows: The next, second, chapter features an overview of concepts related to sub-municipal and neighborhood-level governance, followed by a chapter on comparative practices of LCs in the countries of former Yugoslavia. In the fourth and fifth chapters, the analytical framework and research design are laid out. In chapter 6, research results are presented, structured according to key aspects of local community functioning. A conclusion and recommendations follow.

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Kolektivna tužba u sistemu zaštite od diskriminacije u BiH: ključni nedostaci pravnog okvira i prijedlozi rješenja

Author(s): Boris Topić / Language(s): Bosnian

Zakonom o zabrani diskriminacije BiH regulisan je i institut kolektivne tužbe za zaštitu od diskriminacije. Ovim institutom nevladinim organizacijama se daje mogućnost da pokrenu parnični postupak u slučaju diskriminacije većeg broja lica. Međutim, uprkos rasprostranjenosti pojava diskriminacije u BiH, ovaj oblik apstraktne antidiskriminacione zaštite nije naišao na odgovarajuću primjenu. Određena poboljšanja zakonske regulative u pogledu prirode i vrste zahtjeva iz kolektivne tužbe, fleksibilnijeg uređivanja aktivne legitimacije i subjektivnih granica presude mogu da doprinesu boljem razumijevanju ovog instituta, kao i proširivanju kruga potencijalnih podnosilaca tužbe, a time i do njegove šire upotrebe.

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Open Government Partnership and Action Planning: Approach, Challenges and Practice

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

On September 24, at the United Nations Headquarters, the Open Government Partnership formally welcomed Bosnia and Herzegovina as the 65th country to join the OGP. The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is an international voluntary initiative established on the principles of transparency, accountability and public participation. Launched in 2011 with the aim to provide an international platform for domestic reformers committed to making their governments more open, accountable, and responsive to citizens, the OGP has grown from eight countries to the 65 participating countries today. In all of these countries, government and civil society are working together to develop and implement ambitious open government reforms. Today there are more than 2000 initiatives implemented by different countries under the OGP, with the purpose of making governments more accountable and open. Different countries joined the initiative at different times, so some of them are now implementing their second Action Plan, some are implementing their first Action Plan and the most recent members, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, will be developing their first action plans. It is expected that Bosnia and Herzegovina will submit its first Action Plan to OGP by June 2015. The purpose of this Policy memo is to outline key elements of action planning and suggest possible avenues for approaching the action planning process in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the following period, as the country is about to start working on its first Action Plan.

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Transparentnost javnih univerziteta u Bosni i Hercegovini

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Bosnian

U javnim debatama o visokom obrazovanju u Bosni i Hercegovini (BiH), pitanje transparentnosti visokoškolskih institucija uglavnom ostaje zanemareno. Iako je ovo pitanje u većini zemalja Evropskog prostora visokog obrazovanja (EHEA) odavno dospjelo u žižu interesovanja, rasprave o transparentnosti bosanskohercegovačkih univerziteta i drugih visokoškolskih institucija najčešće su sporadične i ne izlaze van okvira medijskog diskursa. Ipak, zahtjevi za novim politikama upravljanja informacijama u javnim institucijama neumitno vode ka konačnom otvaranju ove diskusije. Zvaničnim pridruživanjem Partnerstvu za otvorenu vlast 24. septembra 2014. godine, BiH je, kao 65. članica ove multilateralne inicijative, barem formalno izrazila interes da se priključi naporima zemalja članica usmjerenim na osiguranje transparentnog, otvorenog i odgovornog rada javnih i institucija vlasti, te unapređenje kvaliteta javnih usluga. S tim u vezi, javne institucije i usluge potrebno je reformirati na način da budu pristupačnije, otvorenije i usmjerenije ka korisnicima, podrazumijevajući pri tome otvorenost i dostupnost javnih informacija, kao i veću uključenost građana u rad institucija. Budući da obrazovanje predstavlja jednu od temeljnih javnih usluga svakog razvijenog društva, neophodno je da se visokoškolske institucije u narednom periodu usmjere ka povećanju svoje transparentnosti, odnosno ka otvaranju svojih informacija prema široj javnosti. Ovaj će korak biti naročito izazovan za visokoškolske institucije u BiH, koje u proteklom periodu nisu učinile značajnije korake na ovome polju. Otvaranje informacija i podataka koji su u posjedu visokoškolskih institucija ima višestruku korist za različite aktere, od studenata i samih visokoškolskih institucija, preko poslovne zajednice, pa sve do šire javnosti. U izvještaju koji je 2013. godine objavio McKinsey Global Institute, identificirano je i navedeno pet osnovnih područja obrazovanja koja mogu biti unaprijeđena zahvaljujući otvaranju podataka, a to su: (1) poboljšanje kvaliteta nastave, (2) veća informiranost studenata o studijskim programima, (3) približavanje studenata potrebama tržišta rada, (4) veća transparentnost informacija o finansiranju studija i (5) povećanje efikasnosti administrativnog sistema obrazovnih institucija. Naravno, područja u kojima se ostvaruje korist od otvorenih informacija nadilaze okvir od pet navedenih, pa je s pravom moguće tvrditi da je transparentnost visokog obrazovanja u interesu ne samo studenata i visokoškolskih institucija, nego i niza drugih relevantnih društvenih aktera. Tako, naprimjer, veća transparentnost javnih univerziteta i fakulteta može pomoći donosiocima odluka prilikom izrade javnih politika, dok poslovna zajednica može ostvariti bolji uvid u kvalitete i kompetencije kadrova dostupnih na tržištu rada. Osim toga, veća otvorenost informacija u posjedu visokoškolskih institucija od značaja je i za širu javnost budući da transparentnost javnih institucija vodi ka većem stepenu njihove odgovornosti i smanjenju prostora za korupciju. Stoga je cilj ovoga policy memoranduma skrenuti pažnju na principe i prednosti politika otvorenosti u domenu visokog obrazovanja, inicirati širu diskusiju o ovim politikama, te, u konačnici, apelirati na relevantne donosioce odluka da djelovanje u pravcu povećanja transparentnosti visokoškolskih institucija uvrste u svoje programske ciljeve. U prvom dijelu teksta izložit ćemo moguće pristupe pitanju transparentnosti visokoškolskih institucija, dok ćemo se u drugom dijelu osvrnuti na postojeće stanje transparentnosti i otvorenosti u bosanskohercegovačkom visokom obrazovanju te, u skladu s tim, formulirati osnovne preporuke za buduće djelovanje u pravcu otvaranja bosanskohercegovačkih univerziteta.

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