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Decentralization/Federalism: General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Implementations

Decentralization/Federalism – 1995

In 1995, no institutions were established.

Decentralization/Federalism – 1996

Once the post-conflict elections took place on 14 September 1996, the institutional set up of the confederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was completed. Institutions were set up at the federal, entities, and canton levels with most responsibilities, such as taxation, education, and police force, assigned to the canton level. The cantons (five Bosniak, three Croat, and two mixed) were created as a result of the Washington Agreement.

Pospieszna and Schneider (2011) describe the complexity of the federal arrangements which included multiple levels of powersharing:

“The Washington agreement included all three dimensions of power sharing—it provided for the integration of rebels into the army (military power sharing), included provisions for extensive power-sharing in the new government (political power sharing), and called for the division of the territory that was combated into autonomous cantons, establishing the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (territorial power sharing). Under the Dayton Agreement, two power sharing dimensions were included: political—the political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina was agreed upon (with the first elections scheduled for 1996), and territorial—specifications were given regarding the creation of the State of Bosnia Herzegovina as a confederation of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and of the Republika Srpska”.¹

Paulina Pospieszna and Gerald Schneider, “Power Sharing Provisions and Long-Term Success of Mediation in Internal Conflicts,” (paper prepared for presentation at the 2011 APSA Annual Meeting Seattle, WA. September 1-4, 2011).