Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a state that consists of two entities: Republic of Srpska (RS) and FBiH (FBiH). There is also the self-governing District of Brcko (BD).

National youth policy does not exist in Bosnia and Herzegovina, due to its constitutional structure and because certain jurisdictions (like youth) are tied by the constitution to a certain level of government.

The youth policy issues at national level are in jurisdiction of the Commission for Coordination of Youth Issues in BiH.

Most of the constitutional competencies regarding youth issues are at the entities’ government level: RS, FBiH and BD.                         

The Commission for Coordination of Youth Issues consists of 9 members; 4 representatives of government institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs: 2 representatives, FBiH Ministry of Culture and Sports: 1 representative, RS Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports: 1 representative), while there are 5 representatives of youth NGO sector in BiH. Also, according to the new Decision the Commission is established within the BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs, instead of the solution according to which the Commission is established as a permanent body of the Council of Ministers of BiH.

The competencies at the entity level in the field of youth are within the following ministries:

RS Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports, FBiH Ministry of Culture and Sports, Assembly of BD

The RS Law on Youth Organization, the FBiH Youth Law and the BD Youth Law define the age limits for the youth as a target group aged 15 - 30.