Ms Nejra Veljan

Nejra Veljan is a PhD Researcher at the Institute of History. She holds an LLM degree from the Faculty of Law, University of Sarajevo, and an MA in Security Studies from the Faculty of Criminal Justice, Criminology and Security Studies at the same university. Her PhD research focuses on the trajectory of geopolitical shifts in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the Peace Implementation Council. Her interdisciplinary research explores how geopolitical changes have affected the work of the Office of the High Representative and the Peace Implementation Council, from 1995 to 2019.

Nejra is also a researcher at the 'Atlantic Initiative – Center for Security and Justice Research', an NGO based in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The focus of her research for Atlantic Initiative includes radicalization, violent extremism, gender and jurisprudence. She has authored and co-authored several research papers on these topics. Nejra is an external associate of the 'Association for the Forgotten Children of War in Bosnia and Herzegovina'. She is a certified trainer and in cooperation with international and domestic organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, has conducted training in the field of preventing radicalization and violent extremism.

Institute of History

• Veljan N. and Ćehajić-Čampara M. 'A Dangerous Nexus? History, Ideology and the Structure of the Contemporary Chetnik Movement', Democracy and Security in Southeastern Europe, (Atlantic Initiative, 2020)
• Halilović M., Zuković A. and Veljan N. 'Mapping Online Extremism in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Findings & Reflections' (Atlantic Initiative, 2019).
• Veljan N. “Purifying” Bosniaks: The rise of Salafism in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Implications on transitional justice and human rights, International Journal of Rule of Law, Transitional Justice and Human Rights, (Association Pravnik 2019).
• Halilović M., Veljan N. and Ćehajić-Čampara M. 'Through a Feminists Lens: A critical analysis of domestic violence judgements in Bosnia and Herzegovina' in Halilović M., Marković I., Veljan N. (eds.) Through a Feminists Lens: A critical analysis of domestic violence judgements in Bosnia and Herzegovina, (Atlantic Initiative, 2019).
• Veljan N. and Halilović M. 'Understandings of sexual and gender-based harassment at University of Sarajevo and University of East Sarajevo', (Atlantic Initiative, 2019).
• Ćehajić-Čampara M. and Veljan N. 'Analysis of judicial practise in cases of domestic violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina' (Atlantic Initiative, 2018).
• Turčalo S. and Veljan N. 'Community perspectives on the prevention of violent extremism in Bosnia and Herzegovina', (Berghof Foundation Operations and Atlantic Initiative, 2018).

Modern History, Area Studies, Gender and Law, Radicalization and Violent Extremism

Faculty of Law (LL.B)
Faculty of Criminal Justice, Criminology and Security Studies, University of Sarajevo (MA), Faculty of Law, University of Sarajevo (LL.M)

European Society of Criminology - Fellowship recipient for 2019 (ESC Fellowships to attend the Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology)

De Montfort University Research Student Scholarship – Awarded with full time PhD Scholarship.

19th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology in Ghent (Belgium) - presentation: Identity as ideology: conflicting narratives in Bosnia and Herzegovina

PhD title

Tracing Geopolitical Shifts in Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Case of the OHR and the Peace Implementation Council (2006-2019)

Abstract

The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992 - 1995) was the most violent and destructive episode of Yugoslavia's demise. After nearly four years of war, the Dayton Peace Agreement was signed in November 1995, followed by a 'Peace Implementation Conference', held in London the following month. The conference resulted in the establishment of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC). The PIC comprises 55 countries and agencies that support the Dayton peace process in myriad ways. The PIC comprises a Steering Board to work under the chairmanship of the High Representative (HR) as the executive arm of the PIC. This Steering Board provides the HR with political guidance, and from 1995 to 2006 the board unanimously supported the work of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement. However, between 2006 and 2018 the geopolitical shifts that became more evident in both mainstream political rhetoric and in foreign policy were already evident within the internal dynamics of the PIC.  

My PhD focuses on the changing dynamics within the PIC and, by extension, the impact these had upon the effectiveness of the OHR and the role of the High Representative (HR). The timeframe for analysis is 2006 (whereupon Lord Paddy Ashdown stepped down as HR) to 2019 (ten years into Valentin Inzko’s tenure as HR), and was selected because it covers a thirteen-year period during which relations between members of the PIC became more strained. These strains, competing narratives and divergent aims became increasingly evident and led, incrementally, to a crippling of the OHR as an actor. This thesis, therefore, seeks to provide a detailed analysis of the complex relations between the members of the PIC, their role on HR and how it affects Bosnia & Herzegovina and the reflects broader geopolitical trends.