Structure of decision-making

The decision-making processes at national level are under the jurisdiction of the BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Commission for Coordination of Youth Issues in BiH. The Parliament commission in charge of youth issues is the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Rights of Children, Youth, Immigration, Refugees, Asylum and Ethics. The Joint Committee addresses issues in the domain of human rights, the rights of children, youth, immigration, refugees, asylum and ethics. 

In the RS Government, the RS Ministry of Family, Youth and Sport is the decision-making authority. The RS National Assembly Committee for Children, Youth and Sport deals with legislative proposals, strategies, information, reports and annual work plans of national authorities and organizations, which are responsible for the field of youth policy, sport and protect the rights and interests of children and youth, discusses the position of young people in society, reviews the protection of the rights of children and young people, follows the development of sports and physical culture, works to promote the rights and interests of the child. At the RS level there is the Council on Youth, which is composed of several ministers in the RS government, the RS Youth Council and representatives of the Committee for Youth Affairs of the RS National Assembly. The Council proposes and gives opinions on the objectives, policies and measures proposed in the field of youth policy; programs financed from the RS Budget and local governments; youth activities that are the priority for RS and local governments, the criteria for allocation of funds from the RS Budget and local governments, dedicated for the implementation of youth policies.

In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina government, the FBiH Ministry of Culture and Sport is the decision-making authority. The House of Peoples Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Sport and Youth Affairs, amongst other responsibilities, addresses the planning and development programs in the field of education, science, culture, sports and physical education and the issues of protection of children and young people and their participation in all sectors of society, as well as the protection of children and youth from all forms of addiction, and other issues related to education, science, culture, sports and life of young people under the jurisdiction of the House of Peoples. 

The Commission for Coordination of Youth Issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina is tasked with:

• Analyzing, assessing the state, progress, and needs of the overall youth sector in BiH.
• Proposing strategic reform priorities in the youth sector to competent authorities.
• Providing recommendations for harmonizing legislation in BiH in the field of youth.
• Assessing the implementation status of international conventions and declarations in the field of youth accepted by BiH and encouraging measures to improve the situation and enhance cooperation with international organizations.
• Advising and providing recommendations to the BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs in the field of youth.
• Monitoring the activities of all international aid programs and projects implemented in the field of youth in BiH, reviewing reports on activities and results, and providing advice and recommendations for successful coordination of all projects and programs and their consistency with domestic youth policies.
• Cooperating with other established structures in the field of youth on all matters relevant to the coordination of youth policies.
• Organizing information days, conferences, training sessions, seminars, and similar events in the field of youth.
• Promoting and supporting cooperation, mutual information exchange, exchange of experts, experiences, and best practices between relevant entity, cantonal authorities, and the authorities of the BD BiH, as well as other institutions and bodies in the field of youth.

• Analyzing inter-sectoral cooperation and cooperation with the non-governmental sector.

• The thematic areas of youth policies in BiH are determined by national action plans and youth policies.

Main themes

Identification of youth policy themes:

• The documents are prepared by relevant ministries and agencies in collaboration with youth organizations.

• Themes and policies do not exist at the national level but are based on different authorities: cantonal, entity, municipal levels.

• Policies encompass education, employment, social inclusion, health, and youth participation.

Target groups of youth policies:

• Target groups are defined based on research showing specific needs of youth.

• Policies target youth between 15 and 30 years old, with a particular focus on unemployed youth, youth from rural areas, students, and youth with disabilities.

Different levels of government in BiH, including state, entity, cantonal, and municipal, implement youth policies in accordance with adopted documents. International and non-governmental organizations contribute to the development and implementation of these policies.

The national agency for youth

A national youth agency does not exist in BiH.

Policy monitoring and evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation are conducted through reports, research, and analyses carried out by competent institutions as well as independent non-governmental organizations. Methods include both quantitative and qualitative research.