Constitutional-law position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Constitutional-law position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina - language, education, culture and media (Croatian: Ustavno-pravni položaj Hrvata u BiH - jezik, obrazovanje, kultura i mediji) was a conference held in Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 27 and 28th 2005.

It was organized by the University of Mostar and the Croatian Society of Arts and Science. It produced the Declaration of the constitutional-law position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. (The words "constitional-law position" refer to the position of Croats as one of the constitutive nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina). President Ivo Miro Jović sponsored the conference and it also received support from many other organizations.

The Declaration produced several demands about the equal treatment of the Croatian population in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most significant of these was the creation of three republics within the nation:

• "Starting from the scientific cognitions and practical experiences, we think, that in consultation with the representatives of Serbian and Bosniak people and International Community, we should organize Bosnia and Herzegovina as the compound federal state, composed of three federal units and with three levels of government. Since only the republic, as a democratic form of the rule of nations, includes and guarantees the highest level of democracy, political, cultural and every other autonomy, we pledge for the establishment of three republics for three sovereign nations, which is in full accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Pact on the civil, social and cultural rights to the equality of all nations regardless of their numerousness."

Another important issue was the need for a Croat television station within the country. The other constituent nations already have this, but it has so far been denied to the Croats. The Declaration upheld the right to learn Croatian in school as well as the need for preservation of their people's culture.

External links

• Declaration (Croatian)
• Declaration (English)