The UN Security Council has rejected a resolution put forward by Russia and China that would have immediately stripped the powers of the international high representative overseeing implementation of the 1995 peace agreement that ended the devastating war in Bosnia, and eliminated the position entirely in one year.
The draft resolution failed to get the minimum nine “yes” votes for adoption on Thursday. The vote was 2-0, with only Russia and China voting “yes” and the 13 other council members abstaining.
The rejected resolution said the powers given to the high representative at a conference on implementing the Dayton peace agreement in 1997 “are no longer required given the progress achieved by the Bosnian parties”. It supported the appointment of High Representative Christian Schmidt of Germany “until July 31, 2022, with closure of the Office of the High Representative”.