The Sustainable Development Goals represent a global call to action to end poverty, protect the environment and climate on our planet, and provide the opportunity to enjoy peace and prosperity to all people, everywhere in the world. These are the goals that the UN is working on in BiH. 

BiH recognized the importance and potential of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 as an opportunity to significantly improve the social, economic and environmental aspects of life in the country and strengthen regional cooperation. Sustainable development is at the very center of the policies of the European Union and its member states, and the accession of BiH to the European Union is a comprehensive priority for BiH. The Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), which entered into force in 2015, defines BiH as a "potential candidate" for joining the European Union. 

Based on the analysis of the situation in terms of sustainable development in BiH, i.e. key development trends, opportunities and obstacles, especially in the context of BiH's accession to the European Union, and extensive consultations conducted with representatives of institutions at all levels of government and socio-economic actors in the period 2018–2019, three directions of sustainable development in BiH were determined: 1) Good governance and management of the public sector, 2) Smart growth, 3) A society of equal opportunities, and two horizontal themes: 1) Human capital for the future and 2) The principle "No one it must not be excluded".

Also, BiH signed the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, by which the countries of the region (Albania, BiH, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo) undertook to implement measures in the area of reducing pollution and preventing climate change, development of energy from renewable sources, mobility and circular economy as well as development of biodiversity, sustainable agriculture and food production. The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans is an integral part of the Green Plan of the European Union ("The European Green Deal"), which aims to make Europe a climate-neutral country, but without jeopardizing sustainable economic growth.