‘No Exit’? International Organizations, Human Rights and the Politics of Withdrawal in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Just as Sartre’s three strangers felt doomed to an inescapable destiny in each other’s company, so too might international organizations (IOs) fear they are unable to extricate themselves from peace-building efforts in war-torn states. For several years, the plethora of IOs with responsibility for democratization and institution building in Bosnia and Herzegovina under the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) has been preparing to disengage. Often described as an ‘international protectorate’ or a ‘trusteeship’, the international presence is due to hand over to a reinforced European Union Special Representative (EUSR) the difficult task of preparing the country for eventual EU membership. While some of the IOs working in Bosnia had distinct mandates in the implementation of the DPA, there has also been considerable overlap in responsibilities in the field of democratization, including human rights protection. The OSCE, the Council of Europe, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the EU and the Office of the High Representative have all had some involvement in promoting human rights protection or monitoring human rights violations.