Existence of national strategy

Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a national (state-level) strategy specifically dedicated to creativity and culture for young people.

At the state level, Bosnia and Herzegovina has no adopted overarching strategy, framework law, or action plan that integrates cultural and creative development with youth policy. Culture and youth are not regulated through a single national strategic document, as competencies in these areas are constitutionally devolved to the entities (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska) and, in the case of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, further to cantonal and local levels.

The last comprehensive policy adopted by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers in the field of culture is the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cultural Policy Strategy 2008. This document does not clearly emphasize or highlight the social category of youth.

Republika Srpska adopted the Culture Law in 2008, while the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has the Law on the Protection and Use of Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage. However, none of those laws are focused directly on young people and the promotion of creativity and culture among young people.

The Youth Policy of Republika Srpska 2023-2027 was adopted in 2023. The development of this document involved 70 representatives from relevant institutions, public establishments, citizen associations, youth organizations, and experts in areas significant for enhancing the position of youth. The process was preceded by comprehensive research throughout 2021. The document's development process was technically supported through the EU4CS (EU for Civil Society) project, as well as the project Youth Retention Program in Bosnia and Herzegovina - General Mobilization, and implemented by the NGO Nesto Vise and the PRONI Center for Youth Development with the support of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). 

The Policy provides that one of the main strategic objectives is the aspiration to establish continuity in providing support for the excellence and creativity of youth in Republika Srpska, and to extend such orientation to all areas where young people learn, work, and create. The document includes:

• Support for the development of young talents and excellent youth

• Support for research and development work

• Support for the innovation and creativity of youth

• Promotion of excellence and youth creativity 

Scope and contents

The 2008 Strategy of Cultural Policy of Bosnia and Herzegovina was adopted by the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2008. The Strategy was developed to provide a comprehensive framework for cultural policy across Bosnia and Herzegovina, and covers a broad set of cultural policy domains:

• Cultural-historical capital and cultural identity,

• Cultural heritage preservation and presentation,

• Arts, publishing, film, and music sectors,

• Communication and cultural policy structures,

• International cooperation and cultural integration,

• Goals and priorities for long-term cultural policy. 

These sections establish a framework for culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina that is of relevance to young people (e.g., in the arts, museum access, cultural industries), but the strategy does not include specialized objectives, actions, indicators, or target groups for youth creativity and culture. It functions more as an overarching policy for the cultural sector at large, rather than a targeted youth cultural policy

Responsible authority for the implementation of the strategy

Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina is responsible for the implementation, coordination, and liaison with entity ministries when it comes to the 2008 Strategy of Cultural Policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Implementation of this Strategy depends heavily on:

• Entity ministries (e.g., Ministry of Education and Culture in Republika Srpska; Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina),

• Cantonal cultural authorities (in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina),

• Municipal cultural departments,

• Public cultural institutions and civil society.

Competence for culture is distributed among the entities and Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and all laws and policies adopted at lower tiers of government should be harmonized with those adopted at the state level.

Revisions/updates

There were no updates to the Cultural Policy Strategy in Bosnia and Herzegovina since its adoption in 2008.  Although Action Plans were developed (e.g. 2011–2014 and extended versions up to 2018), these were rarely available or circulated online as official documents and do not constitute new strategy adoptions.