Structure of decision-making

The decision-making processes at national level are under the jurisdiction of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Commission for Coordination of Youth Issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

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 Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• Proposing strategic reform priorities in the youth sector to competent authorities.

• Providing recommendations for harmonizing legislation in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the field of youth.

• Assessing the implementation status of international conventions and declarations in the field of youth accepted by Bosnia and Herzegovina and encouraging measures to improve the situation and enhance cooperation with international organizations.

• Advising and providing recommendations to the Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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 the entities, cantonal authorities, and the authorities of the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina are determined by national action plans and youth policies.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliament commission in charge of youth issues is the Joint Committee on Human Rights. The Joint Committee addresses issues in the domain of human rights, the rights of children, youth, immigration, refugees, asylum and ethics. 

In the Republika Srpska Government, the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sport is the decision-making authority. The Republika Srpska 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 Republika Srpska level there is the Council on Youth, which is composed of several ministers in the Republika Srpska Government, representatives of the Republika Srpska Youth Council and representatives of the Committee for Children, Youth and Sport of the Republika Srpska National Assembly. The Council proposes and gives opinions on the objectives, policies and measures proposed in the field of youth policy, programs financed by the Republika Srpska Budget and local governments, youth activities that are the priority for Republika Srpska and local governments, the criteria for allocation of funds from the Republika Srpska Budget and local governments, dedicated for the implementation of youth policies.

In Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Government, the 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. 

In the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, responsibility for youth policy decision-making lies primarily with the Government of Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Assembly of Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Assembly of Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the highest legislative authority and is responsible for the adoption of key legal and strategic documents in the field of youth policy, including the Law on Youth of Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Youth Strategy of Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Government of Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, through its competent departments, is responsible for the implementation, coordination and monitoring of youth policy measures. A central coordinating role is performed by the Department for Professional and Administrative Affairs of the Brčko District Government, which oversees youth-related policies, coordinates the drafting and implementation of strategic documents, and ensures cooperation between relevant institutions.

Youth participation in decision-making is ensured through institutional mechanisms such as the Youth Council of Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which represents the interests of young people and provides opinions, initiatives and recommendations to decision-making bodies.

Decision-making in the field of youth policy in Brčko District is based on a multisectoral approach, involving cooperation between departments responsible for education, employment, social welfare, health and youth work, as well as structured dialogue with youth organizations and civil society actors.

Different levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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.

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: entity, cantonal, 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 young people between 15 and 30 years old, with a particular focus on unemployed youth, youth from rural areas, students, and youth with disabilities.

The national agency for youth

A national youth agency does not exist in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Policy monitoring and evaluation

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