Conference Proceedings “The Instrumentalisation and Politicisation of National Rights: The ‘All-Serbian Assembly’ Declaration as a Continuation of Greater-State Policy” Presented

The University of Sarajevo – Institute for Research of Crimes Against Humanity and International Law today presented the conference proceedings entitled The Instrumentalisation and Politicisation of National Rights: The “All-Serbian Assembly” Declaration as a Continuation of Greater-State Policy at the Rectorate of the University of Sarajevo.

The publication was presented by Professor Sead Turčalo, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Sarajevo; Miro Lazović, President of the Assembly of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–1996); Professor Ermin Kuka, PhD, Research Advisor at the Institute and editor of the proceedings; and Harun Išerić, LLM, Senior Teaching Assistant at the Faculty of Law of the University of Sarajevo.

The volume is the outcome of the scientific conference held on 9 January 2025 in the Ceremonial Hall of the Rectorate of the University of Sarajevo. The contributions offer both theoretical and empirical analyses of the Declaration of the All-Serbian Assembly, examining it within its broader political, legal, and historical context.

At the beginning of the event, Professor Dženana Husremović, PhD, Vice-Rector for Teaching and Student Affairs, addressed the audience on behalf of the Rector of the University of Sarajevo. On that occasion, she congratulated the Institute for Research of Crimes Against Humanity and International Law on its decades-long commitment to the study of crimes against humanity and international law.

The audience was also addressed by Dr. Muamer Džananović, Director of the Institute, speaking in his capacity as the publisher. In his remarks, he emphasised that the proceedings constitute a significant contribution to the academic, institutional, and societal understanding of issues concerning the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, its constitutional and legal order, and its future. He stressed that the Declaration of the All-Serbian Assembly should not be viewed merely as a day-to-day political document, but rather as a serious political and ideological framework whose implementation is already underway and which may have even more severe consequences for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He therefore argued that this subject must be addressed not only by political actors but also by academic and educational institutions, whose responsibility is to warn, on the basis of research, knowledge, and evidence, of processes that may threaten the state and society. Concluding his address, he expressed the expectation that the political representatives and institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina would devote significantly greater attention to this issue, given its direct importance for the protection of the state and its future.

The proceedings comprise scholarly articles, presentations, discussions, and commentaries from the conference, together with the conference conclusions and recommendations. The publication also includes the full text of the Declaration, translated into English. The published contributions highlight the complexity of contemporary processes involving the politicisation of national rights and the instrumentalisation of the past, as well as their implications for the sovereignty, constitutional order, and future of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In his presentation, Professor Sead Turčalo stated that the Declaration is neither an isolated document nor merely an expression of concern for the cultural status of one nation, but rather reflects a long-term effort to establish a new anti-state political order. He emphasised the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to analysing such political documents, an approach that this volume successfully provides.

In his address, Miro Lazović focused on the parallels between the ideas contained in the Declaration of the All-Serbian Assembly and the concepts underpinning Greater Serbian policies of the early 1990s, particularly the Memorandum of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. He stressed that the proceedings constitute an important historical source, especially valuable for younger generations as well as for political representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Harun Išerić, LLM, noted that the publication represents a successful academic response to the ideas promoted by the All-Serbian Assembly and exposes its underlying intentions and objectives.

Concluding the event, Professor Ermin Kuka stated that the Declaration constitutes a serious attack on the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina and poses a significant threat to the rule of law, with the aim of destabilising and undermining the state and eroding the foundations of the Dayton Peace Agreement.

The papers published in this volume clearly demonstrate that the Declaration of the All-Serbian Assembly is not an isolated political act, but rather a continuation and a new phase of a long-standing project aimed at undermining the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina, thereby further intensifying existing challenges and giving them a new dimension. In this context, the hope is expressed that the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina will demonstrate the institutional capacity, political maturity, and constitutional responsibility necessary to respond decisively, within the framework of both domestic and international law, to all forms of threats to the sovereignty of the state. It is further expected that the findings and recommendations presented at the conference and contained in this publication will serve as a relevant academic and professional basis for the development of appropriate public policies and institutional measures.