before the formation of the Brčko District The Brčko District was established after an arbitration process undertaken by the
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the
Dayton Peace Accords, however, the process could only arbitrate the disputed portion of the
Inter-Entity Boundary Line (IEBL). The Brčko District was formed of the entire territory of the former Brčko municipality, of which 48% (including
Brčko city) was in the newly formed
Republika Srpska, while 52% was in the old
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Brčko was the only element in the Dayton Peace Agreement that was not finalized at the time. The arbitration agreement was later finalized in March 1999, The first Brčko International Supervisor arrived in April 1997. Up to that time, the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) had a modest office headed by Randolph Hampton. During the interim time before the District of Brčko could be represented post-arbitration agreement, local elections were held, and humanitarian relief was provided with cooperation from the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and
ECHO. The District became known as a center for different state-building programs run by foreign governments, particularly the United States. In 2006, under the Supervisory Order, all "Entity legislation in Brčko District and the IEBL" was abolished. The ruling made by the Brčko Supervisor Susan Johnson abolished all Entity Laws in the District, as well as the Entity Border Line. The ruling made the Laws of the District paramount within the District, and the Laws of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, both Federation and Serb Republic, including the laws of the former
Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina ceased to have legal effect there. Following a
Peace Implementation Council (PIC) meeting on 23 May 2012, it was decided to suspend, not terminate, the mandate of the Brčko International Supervisor. The Brčko Arbitral Tribunal, together with the suspended Brčko Supervision, continues to exist. Also in 2012, the legislature of Bosnia and Herzegovina passed a law that required citizens to declare which entity (Federation or Republika Srpska) they belonged to before they could vote in national elections. This was problematic in Brčko District as many people did not wish to belong to either. The government of Republika Srpska resumed operation in the district in 2012. Despite actions of the government of Republika Srpska, change of the autonomous status of Brčko District would require a change in the constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an event unlikely to occur. ==Settlements==