According to the Articles 2 and 16 of the Law on Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and on Ministries of Bosnia and Herzegovina ("Official Gazette of BH", number 4/97), the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at its 56 session, held on 20 August 1998, has taken

DECISION

on establishment of the Bosnia And Herzegovina
Agency For Statistic

I
The Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina is hereby established (here and after the Agency).
The shorten name of the agency, in internal and external communications, is "BHAS".
The BHAS is an independent institution supported by the budget . For institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
For its operations the Agency reports exclusively to the COM (here and after Council of Ministers).
The seat of the Agency is at the Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliamentary Assembly Building, located in Marin Dvor, Sarajevo.
The Agency has its seal, according to the Law on seal for institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette BH, No 12198).

II
The Agency is in charge of:

-production and publishing after control aggregated statistics for Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with internationally accepted methodology based on data submitted by the Entity Statistical Institutes.

-representation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in International Organizations and for a and discharge BiH's international responsibilities in the area of statistics For representation to international meetings, the Agency will invite Entities’ Institutes to join the Agency delegation.

-act as a contact point for Donors Community including as a counterpart in the signing of protocols of technical assistance, if so requested by the providers.

-to foster co-operation between Entities’ institutes and provide a venue for routine exchange of information between these Institutes and their sub-units.

III
The BHAS cannot have any jurisdiction over Entities’ Institutes.
The BHAS shall act in a fully cooperative manner with the Entities’ Institutes for the benefit of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its Entities.
Employees of the BHAS cannot have dual appointments with the Entity Institutes.

IV
The BHAS is managed by an Management Board, composed of a Chair and two Deputies representing the three constituent peoples of BH. The Executive Board is appointed by the Council of Ministers for a period of three years. Positions of Chair and Deputies will rotate every year.
The COM can decide, any time, to change members of the Management Board.
The Management Board will take consensual decisions.
The Management Board will propose the amount needed for operation of the Agency (the Budget of the Agency) to the Council of Ministers during the preparation of the Budget of the Common Institutions.
The Management Board will define internal procedures, work plan and personnel policy.
The Management board will take appropriate measure to ensure that the Agency fulfils its mandate.
Every 6 months, the Management Board shall submit a report of the Agency activities to the Council of Ministers. This report shall include a request to the Council of Ministers for a decision on any matter for which the Management Board could not reach a consensual agreement.
Statue and Book of Rules on Internal Organisation shall be determined by the Management Board after prior approval of the Council of Ministers. Other acts shall be determined by the Management Board.

V
All offices of the Agency shall be located at the seat of the Agency.
The staff of the Agency should fairly represent the three constituent people of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

VI
For 1998 the total budget of the Agency is l00 000 KM to be taken of the 1998 budget for institutions of Bosnia Herzegovina and international commitments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, item line 8: Other Beneficiaries. The budget for the Agency will be released in four equal monthly disbursements of 25 000 KM, starting in September 1998.
The Executive Board will prepare and present to the Council of Ministers for approval, before 15 December 1998, the statutes and the internal organizations, the first annual budget and the work plan for 1999.
Until 1 September 1999 a Coordinator appointed by the COM upon recommendations of the EC will be included in the Executive Board. The coordinator will be financed by the EU. During that period the Coordinator will arbitrate when Executive Board cannot decide by consensus.
-the Coordinator will also advise and help the Executive Board in their tasks and liaise with the Donors’ Community.

VII
This decision enters into force on the date of the signature.

VIII
The decision shall be published in the Official Gazette of the Bosnia and Herzegovina and Official Gazette of the Entities.


COM Number 40/98 20
30 August 1998
Sarajevo

Co Chair Co Chair Vice Chair
dr Haris Silajdzić v.r. Neven Tomić v.r. Boro Bosić v.r.