Sarajevo, September 9, 2009 – The launch of a new $8 million project by the U.S. Government to strengthen the Bosnia and Herzegovina judiciary will take place on Thursday, September 10 at the Holiday Inn hotel in Sarajevo, at 3 p.m. The ceremony will be attended by Mr. Allan Reed, USAID BiH Mission Director, as well as senior representatives of the BiH judiciary, executive and legislative branches. All media are invited to attend. The five-year project of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is a continuation of its recently completed Justice Sector Development Project (JSDP), which aimed to provide support to the rule of law in BiH through reforms of the judiciary sector and strengthening of its most essential institutions. USAID's new Justice Sector Development Project II (JSDP II) will continue its partnership with the High Judiciary and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC), the BiH Ministry of Justice and BiH courts. It will work with prosecutors’ offices throughout BiH and non-governmental organizations to build an effective and responsible judiciary system for the country. Rule of law guarantees a democratic political system, market economy and protection of rights of all citizens in BiH, which is one of the basic preconditions for BiH’sEuro-Atlantic integration. USAID’s JSDP II aims to produce long-term reforms of the judiciary sector during the next five years. Its goals will be achieved by bolstering the institutional capacity of the most important state institutions and strengthening citizen oversight of the judiciary. To date, the U.S. Government, through USAID, has provided over $1 billion in assistance to support economic, democratic and social progress in BiH.