Compendium of Standards, Good Practices and Recommendations For linguistic minorities, there is the question of the use of their mother tongue within the armed forces – whether official communication in the armed forces is conducted in all the official languages of the country or only in the majority or state/official language, and whether minorities are allowed to communicate in their own language while on duty. In addition, re-establishing inter-ethnic co-operation in the armed forces of countries that have endured ethnic conflict is particularly important. Even where it is necessary to maintain separate structures, measures need to be taken to ensure timely dialogue among the military leaders of different groups and the rapid re-establishment of a national command structure. The military can undertake measures to support reconciliation, such as programmes to promote recruitment among under-represented ethnic groups and considering minority issues when making decisions about downsizing, demobilization, disarmament and reintegration into civilian life. Box 10.4: The example of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina represents a unique example of how one country’s defence structures are coping with the legacy of the past. Although the conflict ended in 1995, it was only in 2006 that Bosnia and Herzegovina established an exclusively statelevel defence establishment. This included the creation of a NATO-compatible single military force (the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina), thereby replacing the two predominantly mono-ethnic brigades that effectively comprised the former warring factions. The political and legislative solutions for this reform were forged with significant assistance from the multinational NATO headquarters still based in the country. The defence legislation (principally, the Law on Defence and the Law on Service in the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina) strikes a balance between protecting the group rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s three largest ethnic groups and promoting the individual human rights of military personnel. For example, the legislation ensures that the senior positions in both the Armed Forces and the Defence Ministry are divided fairly among the three constituent peoples. While this has the significant drawback of excluding other ethnic groups, it can be seen as serving as a useful confidencebuilding mechanism among the constituent peoples. The president has the power to determine the appropriate ethnic representation in the Armed Forces based on census statistics and operational considerations. In terms of individual rights, the defence legislation specifies that military personnel have the same service rights regardless of their ethnicity or entity of residence. These rights are set out in some detail in the Law on Service and cover areas such as language rights, equal opportunities, complaints procedures and due process in the context of military discipline proceedings. One notable feature of the system is the creation of three infantry regiments, each responsible for maintaining the military heritage and identity of the former units/armies from which they are descended: the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina 163