New York – Russia and China failed on Thursday in an effort to obtain the UN Security Council to strip several powers of international envoys that oversee the implementation of the 1995 Bosnian peace agreement and closed the Messenger’s position in one year.
Russia and China are the only council members to choose their draft resolution, while 13 remaining board members are abstained.
Resolution requires nine votes to support and no veto by Russia, China, the United States, France, or England.
Former German government Christian Schmidt will take over from Valentin Inzko from Austria on August 1 as a high representative at Bosnia.
Schmidt was appointed in May by the steering board of the Peace Implementation Board.
The Board consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, England, the United States, the European Union, European Commission, and Islamic Conference Organization.
Russia said it did not agree with the decision.
After the failure of their resolution draft on Thursday, Russia and China argued that Schmidt could not take his role because he had not been approved by the Security Council.
Many other board members disagree.
“There is no determinative role for the Secretary General, or the UN Security Council in the appointment process, and there is no requirement that the Board takes action to confirm the appointment of Mr.
Schmidt,” US Ambassador Deputy for the United Nations Richard Mills told the Board after selecting.
The high representative office was established as part of the Dayton peace agreement which ended the 1992-95 Bosnian War to oversee the reconstruction of a country destroyed by ethnic conflicts where 100,000 died.
The region of the autonomous nationalist Serbian Bosnia, which was supported by Russia, has long asked for the close of the high representative office.