Andrzej Owca participated in the 40th Session of Human Rights Council and contributed to the process through Joint Oral Statements. This Oral Statement targets on Bosnia and Herzegovina on right to work and the right to social security.
Oral statement at the 40th regular session of the Human Rights Council
Item 3: General debate – promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights
Delivered by: Andrzej Owca, CSSp
March 8, 2019
Thank you, Mme. President,
VIVAT International, during this session of the Human Rights Council, takes the opportunity to express its deep concern about the human rights situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, related to economic, social and cultural rights.
We have been reporting the case of Glamoč, from Kindergarten, in which, State employees have not been paid nor their social security compensated for many, many years. Recently, we have been receiving information of other cases from different regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which shows that the case of Glamoč is not an isolated case, but allegedly this is State policy.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights in her report on Realization of the right to work (A/HRC/40/31), which was presented during this session says: “It is important to underscore the indissoluble link between the right to work and the right to social security as two sides of the same coin… The right to social security is recognized in numerous human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (art. 22) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (arts. 9-10)”.
Therefore, such a situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina contributes to an increase in the number of poor families, especially among young persons and increases the flow of migration of young persons and entire families from the country.
Therefore, VIVAT International recommends that the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina:
- Fully implement its international obligations in domestic law and practice.
- Comply with the recommendations of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights especially in relation to the State employees by paying regular and fair salaries.
Thank you, Mme. President.