INSTITUTION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA The judicial system should be organized in such a way that its constituent bodies can fulfill the requirements provided for in Article 6, paragraph 1 of the European Convention. This implies the obligation of the State party to conduct proceedings in civil and criminal matters, before the courts and other state authorities, without undue delay and to end within a reasonable time. Economic, social and cultural rights are guaranteed by the constitutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the constitutions of ten cantons, and in more details are governed by legislation at the entity and cantonal levels. In the course of 2019, a total of 801 complaints were registered with the Department for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The largest number of complaints received relates to violation of the right to work, and the most noticeable violations are in competitive recruitment procedures, unlawfulness related to the termination of employment contracts, procedures related to promotion, non-payment of contributions for pension and disability insurance, as well as non-payment of salaries to the workers by the employer. Complaints in the field of education are related to the failure of the ministries responsible for education to make certain decisions, the inability of continuation of education in the same school, as well as poor material conditions, i.e. inadequate teaching premises. A certain number of cases related to the procedure of conducting competitive procedures at higher education institutions, accreditation of higher education institutions, recognition of diplomas and non-recognition of appropriate titles in scientific and teaching fields within the higher education. The number of complaints registered with the Ombudsman as utility complaints, which relate to the supply of water, electricity, gas, etc. to the inhabitants, is ever increasing. In 2019, complaints related to the failure to provide services by utility companies, problems with water supply, unresolved requests for connection to the water supply network, problems related to the selection of a manager in charge of management and maintenance of the common areas in residential buildings, provision and denial of services by utility companies, irregularities in billing of utilities, statute of limitation of utility bills, etc. In the area of health care, a significant number of complaints related to difficulties in reimbursement of health care costs to be borne by health insurance funds and the inability to obtain health care due to the unavailability of medicines to certain categories of patients according to their actual needs. At the same time, problems with procurement of medicines that are not registered or available in Bosnia and Herzegovina are evident. In 2019 registered complaints related to pensions were mostly about the length of the proceedings in the first and second instance regarding the recognition of the right to a pension, as well as certain irregularities in the calculation of the amount of pensions. In addition, slowness of the process of recognition and exercise of rights is a problem if the complainant has gained work experience in other countries, i.e. procedures concerning the recognition of a proportionate part of the pension to be borne by pension insurance institutions in other countries, in accordance with social insurance agreements which Bosnia and Herzegovina has signed with these countries. 10