Meeting of parliamentary working bodies of Srpska, FBiH, and BiH in the field of security: Security in BiH at a satisfactory level

The Committee on Security of the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), organized today a meeting in the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska. The meeting was attended by the members of the Commission for Security of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of FBIH, The Joint Defense and Security Commissions, and the Joint Commission for Supervision of the Work of the Intelligence- Security Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

At the beginning of the meeting, the representatives of the UNDP held a presentation, on the Project of strengthening capacities of cyber security in BiH, implemented by this international organization.

In the video presentation, it was presented the hacking of mobile phones and endangering the work of the institutions. After that, it was professionally explained why the legislative framework must be arranged to strengthen data and internet platforms for the institutions' protection. It was pointed out that the Republic Srpska has gone the farthest in this area, that in FBiH laws are still in procedure, and it was stressed that the protection against cyber violence is also an obligation of the country towards EU membership.

It was pointed out the necessity of establishing CSIRT teams which would be responsible for preventing and stopping cyber attacks and for remediation of its consequences.

As the UNDP representative stressed, only in recent cyber-attacks, from six small companies in BiH, 1,5 million dollars has been taken away, and from ATMs, 1,7 million KM.

It was highlighted that there are funds for this purpose and that UNDP is ready to help in this process, but that laws are needed that will regulate these issues of cyber protection.

At the beginning of the discussion on the “Actual security situation in BiH”, the president of the Committee for Security, Vukota Govedarica, said that the security situation is satisfying, and that cyber-criminal, organized crime, and corruption, migrant crises, spying, and the participation of the citizens of BiH on foreign battlefields, represent the highest threat.

“Following the indicators, the trade of weapons and drugs has increased, as well as economic crime and tax evasion. On the global index of organized crime, BiH is the eight country in Europe,” said Govedarica.

He also talked about the danger that cyber attacks represent and reminded on BiH Parliament cyber attack from last year. He also warned about the arrival trend of migrants with a growth rate of 55,5%,” said Govedarica.

He said that disinformation like the one that the minister of Defense of BiH, Zukan Helez stated, that in the Republic of Srpska army camps are situated, brings disturbance among citizens, and reminded that this statement has been denied by EUFOR and the Intelligence-Security Agency of BiH.

The president of the Commission for Security of the House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament, Dragan Mioković, agreed that the security situation in BiH is satisfying but added that the public perception is not equivalent to the real one.

He also warned the cybercrime, and remembered the cases of the sky application uncovered, pointing out the connection between organized crime with the political structures and the security officials' structures.

“Until the prosecutors start doing their job we will have bad results because criminal problems must not be political, but the question for the judiciary,” said Miokovic.

He said that last few months, in FBiH public, the femicide problem has been in the focus, pointing out that the Republic of Srpska has advanced in this segment because violence against women has been implemented into the Criminal Law. While the FBiH has now been working on this problem.

After the opening words, the members of the assembly committees and commissions opened the discussion on the state of security and security challenges, stressing that these security issues need to be discussed and the contribution to this is also today's meeting in the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska.

Talking about problems in the security sector, the member of the Joint Commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH Sredoje Novic said that corruption and crime are plagues that destroy every society and do not let them advance and make a negative perception of the citizens' overall security situation.

He added that civil supervision of the security agencies must be increased in BiH and that it is tragic that no one questions the prosecutor's role hidden behind the slogan of independence.

At the second part of the meeting, the UNDP representatives presented the Projects in the field of small weapons and light armament which has been implemented in BiH by this organization.