Cooperation with European Countries

Bosnia and Herzegovina actively participates in IPA II Cross‑Border Cooperation programs with Montenegro and Serbia, focusing on youth employment, entrepreneurship, and social inclusion.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina–Montenegro (2014–2020) cross-border cooperation program allocated EUR 8.4 million to finance projects like the “Your Job” initiative. It supported employment fairs, mentoring, internships, and business support for approximately 600 youth from both countries.

Serbia–Bosnia and Herzegovina cross-border cooperation project entitled „One-stop-shop service for youth entrepreneurship and cross-border partnerships” was launched in 2023 with an EU grant of EUR 183,285, providing a one-stop-shop service to build youth entrepreneurial skills and increase mobility in vulnerable cross-border areas. The project's goal is to improve the employability and entrepreneurship abilities of vulnerable groups through joint cross-border efforts including the promotion of sustainable social entrepreneurship.

EU countries like Germany, Italy, Austria, France and Sweden, through their respective embassies and development agencies, have been investing in youth policy development at national and local levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some of the projects include: 

• Youth for Change and Empowering Youth for Sustainable Development through the Advisory Board for Youth of the Swiss Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina,

• Be a Man Club in Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, implemented in collaboration with the Government of Switzerland, the OAK Foundation, the Austrian Development Agency, and CARE International Balkans, and

• METAVOICE – Voices of Youth in the Digital Age, implemented by the PRONI Center for Youth Development.

International cooperation

The cooperation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the United Nations is implemented trough UNCT (the United Nations Country Team) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. UNCT comprises 12 funds, United Nations Programs and Specialized Agencies (UNHCR, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, WHO, ILO, UNESCO, UN Women, UNV, FAO, UNEP, UNODC); the Bretton Woods Institutions (World Bank, IFC, IMF); UNICTY Office and IOM. 

Several regionally-based UN Agencies (UNIDO, IFAD, IAEA) are also operational in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the implementation of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) Bosnia and Herzegovina 2021-2025. This Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (CF)  describes four strategic priorities for joint work by 2025:

• Sustainable, resilient and inclusive growth, 

• Quality, accessible and inclusive education, health and social protection, 

• People centered governance and rule of law, 

• Citizen and community engagement for social cohesion.

UNCT also co-operates and co-ordinates activities effectively and exhaustively in the areas of HIV/AIDS prevention, youth and employment issues, people with disabilities, local development and Roma issues.

The IOM Development Fund supported the project Bosnia and Herzegovina: Engaging Youth in Environmentally and Socio-Economically Sustainable Initiatives. The project aimed to address key socio-economic factors contributing to youth dissatisfaction within local communities across Bosnia and Herzegovina. The initiative promoted youth participation in environmental preservation and socio-economic development through structured, community-based mechanisms designed to enhance social cohesion and climate resilience.

A particular focus of the project as on the empowerment of women and girls, ensuring gender-inclusive participation in all phases of activity implementation.

As part of the project’s activities, a series of EcoUP Start Weekends were organized in three municipalities:

• Bihać (28–30 October 2022),

• Jablanica (11–13 November 2022),

• Bijeljina (18–20 November 2022).

These events were held under the theme "Innovative Approaches to Environmental Protection and the Prevention of Youth Outmigration Due to Climate Change." Their primary objective was to facilitate the development of innovative, youth-led solutions for environmental protection, while simultaneously addressing the growing challenge of youth migration driven by the consequences of climate change.

Through these participatory forums, young people collaborated on concrete project ideas and strategies aimed at improving environmental sustainability in their local areas, thereby reinforcing their connection to their communities and promoting long-term engagement in climate action.

The Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026-2029 (the Action Plan) is a strategic programming instrument that aims to bring Bosnia and Herzegovina’s legislation, institutions and practice further into line with European standards in the areas of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina contains a youth chapter that is grounded in the principles of the Reykjavík Declaration, which emphasizes the importance of youth participation in democratic life and decision-making. Promoting human rights education, inclusion, transparency and accountability is seen as essential for strengthening democratic institutions and improving public policies. The Council of Europe’s work in this field is guided by the Youth Sector Strategy 2030 and standards promoting young people’s participation at local, regional and national levels.

Bosnia and Herzegovina participates actively in Council of Europe youth structures and is part of the Partial Agreement on Youth Mobility through the Youth Card. However, the country still lacks a unified national youth strategy, as responsibilities for youth policy are divided among the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and the Brčko District. Youth policy development is further challenged by fragmented funding and the absence of comprehensive youth-related data.

In recent years, Bosnia and Herzegovina has benefited from Council of Europe support through policy assistance and capacity-building initiatives for public authorities, youth organizations and youth workers. These efforts have strengthened co-operation, supported professional development and promoted dialogue and reconciliation among young people, including initiatives such as the Youth Peace Camp and the Youth Perspectives Award launched in partnership with the Sarajevo Film Festival.

Future co-operation under the Action Plan aims to strengthen youth participation in decision-making, develop inclusive youth spaces that promote integration across communities, and ensure meaningful youth engagement in addressing societal challenges. Expected results include stronger democratic participation mechanisms, improved capacities of youth organizations and youth workers, better access to social rights for vulnerable youth, and enhanced leadership and civic engagement among young people.

Building on the achievements of past co-operation, policy assistance and technical co-operation under the Action Plan could focus on:

• encouraging policy development involving youth at local and regional levels, promoting their participation in decision-making processes.

• developing and strengthening spaces that empower youth and provide opportunities for social, educational, cultural and sports activities (as illustrated by the cultural and sports center in Mostar) that transcend ethnic boundaries and promote integration.

• standard-setting with the active engagement of young people, ensuring they have a voice in addressing pressing challenges.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina is active in youth field since 2014 through their initiative to establish Youth Advisory Group in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the 2016 initiative aiming to develop school-supported activities to counter and prevent violent extremism from taking ground in educational environments. 

Switzerland is one of the non-EU countries that are most active in the youth development field in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Switzerland is active through their respective embassies and developmental agencies and have country policies that highly prioritize youth issues. Some of their projects are mentioned in the previous subsection. 

On July 4, 2016, Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the Agreement on the Establishment of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) at the Summit of the Prime Ministers of the Western Balkan Countries in Paris. The RYCO's mission is to support regional youth exchanges and their ideas, based on the values of coexistence, tolerance, and respect for human rights and differences, intensifying regional cooperation among young people and youth-related institutions, as well as ensuring the implementation of joint youth programs based on principles of democratic governance, sustainable economic development, education, and innovation, and coordination of youth cooperation in the Western Balkans. The Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers determined the Proposal for an Agreement on the Regional Youth Cooperation Office of the Western Balkans (RYCO) at its 61st session held on June 20, 2016.