Governance

Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia and Herzegovina) has a complex constitutional structure defined by the Dayton Peace Agreement (1995). The country consists of two entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina) – which is further divided into 10 cantons with significant autonomy – and the Republika Srpska, with the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a separate administrative unit. Competencies in the areas of social inclusion, education, employment, health and social protection are mainly at the entity level (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska), and in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina they are further decentralized to the cantonal level. At the state level in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is only coordination and limited competencies, without a single ministry for social inclusion.

Key actors in policymaking

There is no ministry at the state level specifically responsible for the social inclusion of youth. The key coordinating role is played by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in particular the Department for Education, Mobility and Youth Affairs, which coordinates youth issues, including social inclusion, and works on the development of policies such as the Implementation Plan for the Youth Guarantee in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina deals with the protection of the rights of vulnerable groups (including young people from marginalized communities, e.g. Roma), coordinates anti-discrimination actions and supports inclusion programs (e.g. Action Plan for Social Inclusion of Roma 2026–2030). The Directorate for Economic Planning of Bosnia and Herzegovina (a permanent body of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina) analyzes socio-economic trends, coordinates development policies and plays a role in monitoring social inclusion.

At the entity level:

In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (responsible for social protection and inclusion) and Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports (which proposes youth strategies, e.g. Proposal for the Youth Strategy of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2025–2034).

In the Republika Srpska: Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Republika Srpska (Department for Social, Family and Child Protection) and Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports of Republika Srpska (responsible for youth policies).

In the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Relevant Department for Professional and Administrative Affairs.

Non-governmental actors: Civil society organizations (e.g. PRONI Center for Youth Development, Institute for Youth Development KULT, youth networks such as the Republika Srpska Youth Council) play a key role, participating in consultations, proposing initiatives and implementing programs supported by the EU, UNDP, UNICEF and the Council of Europe.

Youth representatives (through the Commission for Coordination of Youth Issues of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which also includes the NGO sector) provide opinions on policies. International partners (EU, UNDP, UNICEF, ILO) provide technical support and funding for the development of social inclusion strategies (e.g. Entity Social Inclusion Strategies 2021–2027).

General distribution of competencies between state, entity and local/regional levels

Social inclusion (including youth) is not the exclusive responsibility of the state level of Bosnia and Herzegovina but is mainly decentralized to the entities. The state level (Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina) coordinates, aligns with EU standards and international obligations (e.g. human rights, SDG framework), and supports programs through ministries such as Civil Affairs and Human Rights and Refugees. The entities (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska) and the Brčko District adopt their own social inclusion strategies (2021–2027), laws on social protection, employment and education, and implement them.

In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a significant part of the competencies (e.g. social protection, education, health) is shared with the cantons, which have their own governments and budgets for local inclusion programs. Local authorities (municipalities) are responsible for the direct implementation of services (e.g. social work centers, youth centers). This fragmentation makes it difficult to have a unified state policy but allows for adaptation to local needs.

Cross-sectoral cooperation

Cross-sectoral cooperation in Bosnia and Herzegovina exists but is often ad hoc and fragmented, with no single centralized mechanism for overseeing youth social inclusion. Cooperation is fostered through inter-ministerial working groups at entity levels (e.g., in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for youth strategy development), where ministries of education, health, labor, and youth affairs collaborate.

Projects often rely on donor support (e.g., UN, EU, UNICEF) to strengthen inter-sectoral linkages, particularly for Roma inclusion, education access, and youth employment. The Gender Action Plan (GAP Bosnia and Herzegovina 2023–2027) promotes multi-sectoral coordination across education, labor, health, and social protection, including youth and vulnerable populations