Governance

Youth issues at the national level fall under the competence of the Commission for the Coordination of Youth Issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which operates within the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Civil Affairs, along with the Mobility and Youth Unit. The Commission includes four government representatives (Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Culture and Sports, Republika Srpska Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports, and the Department for Professional and Administrative Affairs of the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina) as well as five representatives of youth NGOs, thereby ensuring cooperation between institutions and CSOs.

At the entity level, responsibilities are divided between the Republika Srpska Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Culture and Sport, while in Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, these responsibilities fall under the Department for Professional and Administrative Affairs. Youth councils exist at the level of Republika Srpska (Republika Srpska Youth Council, established in 2004), Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth Council, established in 2015) and Brčko District (Brčko District Youth Council, established in 2018). These councils serve as umbrella bodies for representing young people and for cooperation with institutions. In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, six cantonal youth councils coordinate activities with the entity-level council, while at the local level municipalities have youth officers and youth councils.

All three youth councils are engaged in representing youth issues at a higher level, building dialogue with government institutions with the aim of improving the position of young people and developing partnership relations, as well as cooperating at the international level.

Regarding further distribution of responsibilities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the cantonal level, youth issues fall under the competence of the cantonal ministries of education, and some cantons have a cantonal youth council, which is a member of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth Council.

The final level of responsibility for youth issues is the local level, which also includes Brčko District. Each municipality has a youth officer within the Department for Social Affairs, or within the Department for Professional and Administrative Affairs in the Brčko District Government. At the local level, municipalities have youth councils that bring together youth organizations, while municipal councils are members of youth councils at the cantonal and entity level.

A Cooperation Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 127 non-governmental organizations (including youth NGOs) was established to define priorities and improve public policies. This agreement enables structured cooperation, particularly in areas such as sustainable development and European integration. An example is the EMBRACE project (Enable and Manage Beneficial Civil Society Environment), funded by UNDP and the Government of Norway, which strengthens CSO capacities to provide services in local communities, including support for young people in the fields of volunteering and social inclusion. According to UNDP’s 2023 report, EMBRACE supported 30 youth CSOs, engaging around 1,500 young people in projects related to global issues.

Cross-sectoral cooperation

Within the framework of cross-sectoral cooperation, USAID, in its Country Development Cooperation Strategy for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2020–2025, expects civil society to shift towards building its base and increasing the active role of men and women, young people, and members of marginalized groups in communities and political life. As a result, an increasing number of reform leaders in government are expected to achieve tangible progress in the reforms necessary for further Euro-Atlantic integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Since 2019, the Swiss Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been implementing the project Empowering Youth for Sustainable Development through the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) with the support of the PRONI Youth Development Center, aimed at increasing the relevance and responsiveness of the Swiss development program to the needs of young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project seeks to enable young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina to engage in the country’s development through the Youth Advisory Board, to strengthen their capacity for critical thinking and expression of opinions, and to acquire skills through their work that they can later apply, thereby contributing to development programs and the clarity of communication tools. The Youth Advisory Board is a team of 10 young people from across Bosnia and Herzegovina, representing and including youth perspectives and experiences on program materials and project ideas of the Swiss Embassy. The members of the Youth Advisory Board advise development experts and staff of the Swiss Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina on youth-related issues.

The Young European Ambassadors (YEA) platform is a creative network of young people from the Western Balkans who share a common vision: a region united in diversity, respect for European values, learning new skills, connecting, and improving opportunities for young people. Most importantly, the YEAs are open to sharing ideas and developing their talents to inspire change within their communities, across the Western Balkans, throughout the EU, and beyond. The Young European Ambassadors initiative was established in 2020 as part of the EU Regional Communication Program for the Western Balkans – WeBalkans.eu. The first generation consisted of 60 young people from the region who shared ideas, organized events, and connected their communities across the region and the European Union. A total of 180 YEAs were selected in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is no centralized state mechanism to coordinate youth participation in international initiatives. Cooperation is instead achieved through various sectoral institutions, international organizations, and youth-targeted projects. The Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Civil Affairs has limited competence, while entity and cantonal structures and the Brčko District independently manage youth issues, resulting in a fragmented approach, including in the area of international cooperation.

One of the key cooperation mechanisms at the state level is the UN Joint Program on Dialogue for the Future, launched in partnership with the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The program involved a significant number of young people in activities that promote social cohesion, intercultural dialogue, and peace education. Through this program, young people from different ethnic communities participated in workshops, forums, and grant schemes that supported youth initiatives focused on coexistence and overcoming divisions.

In the context of bilateral cooperation, the USAID Strategy for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2020–2025 recognizes youth as key actors of democratic development and social resilience. Numerous programs have been implemented under the strategy, among which the PRO-Future (Program for Building Peace and Trust) project stands out, implemented in partnership with local organizations. Young participants from different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina have taken part in trainings, inter-entity visits, and initiatives promoting interethnic cooperation, tolerance, and active citizenship. This project has measurable results in strengthening mutual trust and activating youth for social dialogue.

Despite the existence of these mechanisms, there is still a lack of a coordinated institutional framework that would ensure sustainable and strategic international youth engagement from Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is a clear need for the establishment of a national strategy for international youth cooperation, aligned with European standards.