Question of the Week: Are human rights issues are being addressed in the preparations for this mission?

Date: 15/07/04

THE Council of Ministers agreed this week that an EU-led peacekeeping mission, Operation Althea, will replace NATO's Stabilization Force (SFOR) in Bosnia. Dick Oosting is director of Amnesty International's Brussels office.

We asked him: Are human rights issues are being addressed in the preparations for this mission?

At the moment, there is nothing to reassure us our concerns will be brought on board.

The text of the Council's joint action [for Operation Althea] does not say anything about the rules of engagement and the lines of accountability. These are the kinds of things that will be left for the EU's political and security committee to elaborate further.

We have no reason to assume bad faith. But the reason why we have raised this issue is because SFOR has committed abuses. There have been arbitrary and unlawful detentions and allegations of ill-treatment of detainees. These have not been adequately dealt with.

We haven't been satisfied that SFOR has tightened things up, so we are looking to the EU to do it differently.

Given recent experiences, there is all the more reason to expect safeguards in place relating to the conduct of foreign troops.

The basic documents on the starting phase of the operation are disappointing. They talk about the EU committing itself further to its international obligations and putting its money where its mouth is. That's fine. But unfortunately the human rights elements are absent.

The questions is answered by Dick Oosting, Director of Amnesty International's Brussels office.