United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Bosnia and Herzegovina:

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Press Release

21 September 2026

The United Nations Secretary-General Message for the International Day of Peace 2026

Communities are shaken by violence and division. Conflicts are growing in scale and complexity, spilling across borders and inflicting enormous suffering. Dialogue is faltering, solutions are elusive and global solidarity is missing in action. But around the world, people are showing that we are not powerless. Volunteers, advocates, civil society leaders, peacekeepers and peacemakers are bridging divides, uniting communities and pushing for dialogue. Action by action, they are building peace from the ground up. Like this year’s theme — “Investing in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day” — these champions of peace are showing us that achieving peace is not passive or automatic.It’s an active and deliberate choice to invest in a better future. By building inclusive communities where peace can take hold. By investing in sustainable development — in people’s health, education, nutrition and social protection. By bridging divides and ensuring everyone’s voice is heard. By safeguarding the human rights and dignity that belong to every person. And by strengthening the proven tools of peace — diplomacy, dialogue, negotiation and peacekeeping. On this International Day of Peace, let us all be inspired by the courage of those who champion peace in neighbourhoods, classrooms and communities. And let’s call on world leaders to invest in a peaceful future for all people.

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Story

21 September 2026

Choose Peace

This year’s theme of the International Day of Peace, “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day”, is a reminder that peaceful societies make deliberate choices about what to protect, encourage and normalize.The people of Bosnia and Herzegovina - having benefited from a hard-won peace for the past three decades – know the value of these deliberate choices. Across the country, there are everyday architects of peace: survivors pursuing truth and justice; teachers equipping students with critical thinking skills; journalists resisting manipulation; women building trust and societal healing; young people interacting across boundaries they did not draw; and civil society organizations, artists and faith actors creating spaces for difficult conversations.Investing in peace means investing in them. Their grasp of local realities, and trust among communities, can shape behaviors and narratives across generations, helping to ease tensions and prevent future conflicts.Investing in peace also means confronting what remains unresolved. The recent reactions to the death of Ratko Mladić caused real harm, most immediately to survivors and victims’ families, but also to societal healing. In essence, such events hamper Bosnia and Herzegovina’s protracted transition from post-conflict trauma to sustainable peace. Ratko Mladić was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, including for genocide in Srebrenica, and that conviction was upheld on appeal. These are judicially established facts. But courts cannot determine what a society chooses to do with that record.That work happens elsewhere: in classrooms and newsrooms, around family tables, in parliaments and municipal halls, on television screens and social media. In a country that chooses peace, established facts are taught responsibly; victims are treated with dignity; and the past helps people understand where they come from.Dealing with the past is therefore not about living in the past. It is about protecting the future from its misuse.That work involves all parts of society, but political leaders carry a particular responsibility. Words spoken from positions of authority shape what becomes acceptable. During an electoral period especially, disagreement is inevitable and vigorous political debate is healthy. Dehumanization, hate speech, denial and glorification are not.A new generation is listening and forming political opinions.This generation should have access to facts and opportunities to encounter one another. They are citizens now, with ideas about the country’s future.A majority want accountable institutions, freedom from discrimination, opportunities to work and prosper, and a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them. Young women must have that voice too, not merely a seat in the room, but genuine influence over decisions on peace and security.This is why investing in peace goes beyond financing projects. The country and its citizens must own its peace, and inclusive institutions must build the social foundations on which peace rests.The United Nations will continue to support the people, institutions and communities carrying this work forward. On this International Day of Peace, I invite everyone to make the same choice.Choose dialogue over division. Facts over manipulation. Participation over exclusion. Choose peace.I commit to hearing these voices and to acting. What about you?

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Press Release

21 September 2026

Are women in Bosnia and Herzegovina politics out of focus?

This figure is not surprising considering the provisions of the Election Law requiring a mandatory quota of 40% for the underrepresented sex on candidate lists. However, of the 542 candidate lists across all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina, women head only 15.5%, or 84 lists, representing a decrease of 6.1 percentage points compared with the 2022 General Elections.Today marked the launch of the “Out of Focus” campaign, which draws attention to what the numbers alone do not show:How visible are women candidates in practice?To what extent are their political messages in focus?Do we assess women and men candidates according to the same criteria?“The Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina contains specific provisions on the representation of the underrepresented sex on candidate lists and the equal promotion of women and men candidates during election campaigns. But formal representation and media presence alone are not enough. What also matters is how women candidates are presented, which issues are brought to the forefront, and the criteria used to assess their competencies, experience and political work. Stereotypical and sexist portrayals divert attention away from women candidates’ programmes, positions and results, thereby undermining equal conditions for political participation,” said Samra Filipović-Hadžiabdić, Director of the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina.The “Out of Focus” campaign addresses this very issue: the visibility of women in political and public life and the impact of stereotypes on how political leadership is perceived. Its purpose is to highlight the importance of ensuring equal opportunities for women and men candidates to present their views, experience and programmes and to be assessed according to the same criteria.The aim of the “Out of Focus” campaign is not to tell voters whom to vote for, but to encourage them to set stereotypes and harmful social norms aside and, this time, give all women and men candidates an equal chance, regardless of sex.H.E. Åge Sandal Møller, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Bosnia and Herzegovina, said at the press conference marking the launch of the “Out of Focus” campaign: “Denmark’s own experience shows that political representation can change, but also that progress requires sustained commitment. At Denmark’s parliamentary elections on 24 March 2026, women won 48 per cent of the seats in the Danish Parliament – the highest share in our history. This progress did not happen overnight, and it does not mean that the work on gender equality is finished. But it shows that greater equality in political representation is possible. Of course, every country has its own political system, context and path. The point is not to compare countries, but to underline a principle that applies everywhere: women and men should have an equal opportunity to participate, to lead and to be judged on their qualifications, ideas and results.”Why do women remain out of focus?The Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina stipulates that at least 40% of candidates on candidate lists must belong to the underrepresented sex. However, securing a place on a candidate list does not necessarily mean that a woman candidate has an equal opportunity to be presented to the public, supported during the campaign and elected.Women’s political participation and visibility are affected by:gender stereotypes and the belief that politics is primarily “men’s work”;women’s lower representation in leadership positions within political parties;unequal access to support, resources and visibility during election campaigns;women’s disproportionate responsibility for family and household care;sexist comments, harassment, threats and other forms of violence, particularly online.Research conducted by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy in 2019 among 83 politically active women in Bosnia and Herzegovina found that 60.2% of respondents had experienced some form of violence during their political engagement, while 45.8% reported that they had experienced violence specifically because they were women.Such experiences can restrict women’s political engagement, cause them to withdraw, or discourage other women from entering politics in the first place.The “Out of Focus” campaign does not tell you who to vote for. It encourages you to recognise stereotypes that may influence your decision and to assess every woman and man candidate on the basis of:knowledge, experience and competencies;programmes and proposed solutions;integrity and accountability;results of their previous work;the values they represent.“Our objective is not simply to see women present in political life, but to support an environment in which women have the same opportunities as men to participate, to remain politically active, to assume leadership roles and to contribute to decision-making without discrimination, stereotypes or violence. This also means looking beyond numbers. Representation matters. But so does the quality of participation. Who gets heard? Whose experience is taken seriously? Who is given the opportunity to explain their programme and defend their ideas? And are women and men being assessed according to the same standards? These questions are particularly relevant during an election campaign, when public perceptions are being shaped every day,” said Jo-Anne Bishop, UN Women Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.The “Out of Focus” campaign includes billboards across Bosnia and Herzegovina, five public installations, educational videos and an online campaign. It is implemented as part of the Gender Equality Accelerator Joint Programme, implemented by United Nations agencies: UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF, with financial support from the European Union and the governments of Denmark and Sweden, and in cooperation with the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Gender Centre of Republika Srpska and the Gender Centre of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Press Release

18 September 2026

Media Forum “Through the Eyes of Survivors: Media Reporting on Gender-Based Violence”

The findings of research exploring how women survivors of gender-based violence perceive media reporting were presented at a professional forum for journalists, editors and media experts held in Sarajevo. Entitled “Through the Eyes of Survivors: Media Reporting on Gender-Based Violence,” the forum was organized by UN Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Mediacentar Sarajevo.The forum provided a platform for presenting the findings and discussing how survivors’ perspectives can be more meaningfully integrated into journalistic and editorial practices. The discussion also drew on the experiences of editors and journalists from different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who were interviewed by Azra Husarić Omerović and Selma Zulić Šiljak. Insights into existing newsroom practices broadened the understanding of reporting challenges beyond media content to include production, organizational and staffing constraints.According to Selma Zulić Šiljak of Mediacentar Sarajevo, the author of the research, one of her strongest impressions was that there are still people within the media community who have a sound understanding of the professional boundaries that should guide reporting on violence against women. She particularly highlighted the words of one editor, who said: “The fundamental rule when reporting on violence is that there is no ‘other side’.”After nearly ten years of working in this field and seeking new arguments and approaches, Zulić Šiljak said that, with the support of UN Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a methodology was developed to convey audiences’ messages to the media.As part of the research, interviews were also conducted with women survivors of gender-based violence. Their reflections on how they perceive media coverage of violence against women revealed several very clear messages.“The first is: ‘Do not only tell us what happened - give us information that can help us.’ As one participant said: ‘Those of us who have experienced violence already know what it is; we know what it looks like. What we need are concrete guidelines and something we can rely on,’” said Zulić Šiljak.The way the media report on gender-based violence plays an important role in shaping public understanding of the issue, as well as the environment in which survivors decide whether to speak out and seek support, emphasized Jo-Anne Bishop, UN Women Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Recognizing this important role, UN Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina has placed partnerships with the media at the heart of its work to end violence against women and girls, Bishop added.“Responsible reporting protects survivors’ dignity and enables their voices to be heard without exposing them to secondary victimization. This forum provides an important opportunity to work together with media representatives from across the country to strengthen human rights-based, survivor-centred and trauma-informed reporting,” said Bishop.She added that this cooperation would continue to be strengthened through the Gender Equality Accelerator, recognizing the media as powerful allies in preventing violence and transforming harmful social norms.The research found that survivors are largely dissatisfied with how the issue is approached and reported. They are also able to distinguish clearly between responsible reporting and sensationalist coverage that makes them feel frightened and unsafe.According to Fatima Bećirović, one of the researchers and an expert in responding to gender-based violence, the conversations with survivors demonstrated how following media coverage can be both helpful and threatening to them.Media coverage can be helpful when survivors hear that violence is a criminal offence and realize that they are not alone in facing such experiences. Such content may encourage them to leave an abusive situation and seek assistance, thereby helping to prevent more serious consequences for both them and their children, Bećirović explained.“On the other hand, for survivors, following information in the media is not simply about following an individual case. It can affect their sense of safety and lead them to fear that they, too, could one day become the subject of media coverage. This raises concerns about their privacy, what information could be made public, and the potential violation of both their own dignity and that of their children,” said Bećirović.She recalled the message that one focus group participant addressed to journalists: “When writing about violence, imagine that you are writing about your own daughter.”Survivors expect the media to shift the focus away from perpetrators and towards survivors’ rights and dignity, she added. “What can frighten, distress and retraumatize survivors is the inclusion of excessive detail about how the violence occurred, as well as comments they may read on social media and online news platforms that justify the perpetrator while questioning the survivor’s responsibility. This also happens when the media disclose too much personal information or attempt to portray an abusive relationship as a romantic one in which jealousy and/or separation led to an escalation and a fatal outcome,” Bećirović emphasized.She stressed that reporting on violence is never neutral. It can heighten fear, deepen mistrust and leave survivors trapped in violence. However, when reporting is professional, it can support survivors on their path out of violence and may even save someone’s life. She also noted that media headlines and reporting can trigger powerful reactions, ranging from distress, anger, fear and helplessness to the reactivation of trauma.The professional forum brought together representatives of the media community to discuss how survivors’ perspectives can be more meaningfully integrated into journalistic and editorial practices.Selma Melez-Pezo, a journalist with Detektor, said that although she works in a newsroom where professional standards must be upheld, it is always important to hear the findings of new research and adapt reporting and research practices accordingly.“We know how sensitive reporting on violence is, yet media outlets often resort to sensationalism in pursuit of clicks, which is completely unacceptable,” said Melez-Pezo.She added that the media forum had opened a new perspective on reporting for her, emphasizing that survivors must remain at the centre of coverage and that, when reporting on violence, there is no “other side.”This activity is organized under the Gender Equality Accelerator Joint Programme, implemented by the United Nations agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina: UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF, with the financial support of the European Union and the governments of Denmark and Sweden, in cooperation with the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Centre for Gender Equity and Equality of Republika Srpska and the Gender Centre of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Press Release

09 September 2026

Statement by United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Chaloka Beyani, on Ratko Mladić and genocide denial

United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Chaloka Beyani is following with concern the public expressions of genocide denial and glorification of convicted war crimin al, the deceased Ratko Mladić, in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The large-scale public commemoration of Mladić, including the participation of political figures and official ceremonial elements, is both deeply inappropriate and profoundly disturbing. It relativizes serious crimes under international law, assaults the dignity and experiences of victims and survivors and their families who suffered the crimes for which Mladić was judicially found guilty of. It is incompatible with efforts to advance accountability, mutual understanding, and sustainable peace in the region. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Court of Justice determined conclusively that a genocide was committed in Srebrenica in 1995. In his capacity as a commander of the Army of the Republika Srpska (VRS), Mladić was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war by ICTY in 2017 and sentenced by the Tribunal to life imprisonment. The Appeals Chamber of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals affirmed the convictions on 8 June 2021. This conviction further reinforced that criminal accountability for international crimes, including the crime of genocide, is individual and cannot be collectively attributed to a community as a whole. The facts established by ICTY do not get extinguished by one’s death. Special Adviser Beyani echoes the statement made by the Secretary-General on the passing of Ratko Mladić, and his call to all those in positions of power to refrain from denying the seriousness of the crimes committed by him and which have been adjudicated. Special Adviser Beyani notes with regret the persistence and rise of genocide denial, the glorification of Mladić and the crimes he committed, and the alarming participation of public officials and institutions in these acts. The Special Adviser calls for prompt accountability in such cases, including for any use of language that incites hatred, and he stresses the important role of media in this regard. Building a society that prioritizes the prevention of atrocity crimes begins with affirming the reality and truth of what happened in the past. This includes acknowledging the pain and suffering of all victims. The voices of those championing such a future must be louder and stronger than those who deny the truth of the past. People across the region deserve a future free of fear, in which the painful legacy of wartime strengthens the resolve to prevent such darkness and atrocities from ever recurring.

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30 September 2026

From Sarajevo to Global Action: The PBF-Supported Sarajevo Pledge in Practice

The Sarajevo Pledge affirms its signatories’ commitment to advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS Agenda), which aims to strengthen women’s participation in peacebuilding and security processes. Although not binding, the document sends a strong message that women’s voices must be heard and reflected in decisions that affect peace and security. The Pledge was first presented to the public at the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security held in Sarajevo in June 2025. It forms part of the broader Women Lead the Way Towards Peace and Security in Bosnia and Herzegovina initiative, supported by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). From Sarajevo, it has since grown into a global commitment connecting individuals, organisations and institutions working to advance the WPS Agenda in different contexts around the world.To date, the Sarajevo Pledge has been signed by 60 individuals, organisations and institutions from 30 countries. From local non-governmental organizations to government institutions, signatories contribute through their work to progress in the six priority areas covered by the Pledge: women’s participation and leadership; justice and survivor-centered accountability; protection and early warning; relief, recovery and resilience; closing the financing gap for implementation of the WPS Agenda; and greater recognition for women peacebuilders.The Pledge provides a common framework for action by different actors, grounded in the understanding that meaningful implementation of the WPS Agenda requires action at multiple levels. This means connecting the experience and work of civil society organizations on the ground with legislative and institutional commitments. In this way, the needs of women in local communities can help shape policies and decisions, while institutional commitments, through cooperation with activists on the ground, can be translated into concrete changes in women’s lives. This connection between local action and institutional responsibility is key to advancing the WPS Agenda.The Sarajevo Pledge continues to carry forward an important achievement of the PBF-supported WPS programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina, building on the momentum generated by the International WPS Conference in Sarajevo. Signatories across different countries are putting its principles into practice through advocacy, community-based initiatives and efforts to advance the WPS Agenda. Their experiences show how the Pledge is being translated into action in different contexts, while also highlighting the challenges women peace activists continue to face and the support needed to sustain their work.When There Are More of Us, We Are BraverSince participating in the International WPS Conference in Sarajevo and signing the Sarajevo Pledge, Ivanna Khodos (Shkolnytskaya), a Ukrainian expert on refugee rights, gender equality and the prevention of human trafficking, has continued to expand her advocacy for the rights of Ukrainian refugees. Over the past year, in Bulgaria, where she sought refuge because of the war in Ukraine, she founded Refugees International Women Empowerment (R.I.W.E.). Across Europe, she has advocated for the inclusion of displaced Ukrainian women in policymaking, including by speaking before the European Parliament, while also connecting her newly established organization with other movements working to advance the WPS Agenda. As she explains, the Sarajevo Pledge has given her a framework she can rely on and a sense that she is not alone in her work. Knowing that other organizations are working towards the same goals gives her additional courage, as it is much harder to believe in change when you are fighting for it alone.„Although the Sarajevo Pledge is non-binding, it is a powerful and inspiring tool. It gives us language, legitimacy and a sense of support. I strongly encourage Ukrainian women’s organisations and activists to look at it closely“, says Khodos (Shkolnytskaya), who moved to Bulgaria in 2023. As a migrant woman with personal experience of war-related displacement and domestic violence, she soon encountered gaps in the support system for survivors herself. This experience motivated her to formally register R.I.W.E. at the end of last year to advocate for improving the position of women who have fled war and sought refuge in the European Union.“I am an ordinary woman who, at the age of 41, had to start over, carrying the heavy burden of trauma, displacement and domestic violence. But I am here – standing before you, and I survived. I am a leader, and I am ready to support other women to stand up and speak for themselves,” says Khodos (Shkolnytskaya), who in recent months has had the opportunity to speak about the experiences of Ukrainian women before the European Parliament and at major international events.Her advocacy has helped bring greater visibility to the needs of Ukrainian women displaced across Europe. Many are well educated and worked in their professions in Ukraine, but today they are often forced to take on other jobs to make a living. Khodos (Shkolnytskaya) advocates for their voices to be heard and for them to have opportunities to participate in decisions that directly affect their lives.cisions that directly affect their lives.The sense of being part of a wider community is also important to Ana Nemsadze of Georgia’s Women’s Information Center, who sees the Sarajevo Pledge as an additional advocacy tool that connects local efforts with a broader international movement.“When you try to do something on your own, you face many challenges. But when you are part of such a large and strong community, you begin to feel its strength. Whenever we run advocacy campaigns, we refer to the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, international conventions and UN Security Council documents, and now we can also refer to the Sarajevo Pledge.”For the Uzbek organization Barqaror Hayot, signing the Sarajevo Pledge has similarly helped connect work carried out directly with communities to the broader WPS Agenda. Over the past year, the organization has focused on the reintegration of women and children who returned to Uzbekistan from Iraq and Syria. Abbos Mansurov, a representative of the organisation, says signing the Pledge was also a way of demonstrating that organisations working at the local level have an important contribution to make to implementation of the WPS Agenda. „For us, signing the Pledge was a way to make this commitment more explicit and to connect our local work with the broader international discussion. I think this is also important because sometimes organisations working directly with communities do not necessarily use the language of WPS in their everyday work, even though what they are doing is very much connected to it. For us, the Pledge helped make that connection more visible“, says Mansurov.From an International Commitment to Local ActionThe experiences of Sarajevo Pledge signatories show how the WPS Agenda takes shape not only through policies and formal peace and security processes, but also through action in communities.Among other commitments, the Sarajevo Pledge calls on states to increase women’s participation in peace and security processes to at least 40 per cent by 2030. It also places emphasis on combating conflict-related sexual violence, protecting and supporting survivors, and cooperating with women’s civil society organisations. Some of its goals require stronger engagement by government institutions, legislative changes and the adoption of national strategies, while others depend on work on the ground and in local communities, where non-governmental organisations play a key role.„When we talk about peace processes, I would not limit this only to formal negotiations or high-level diplomacy. Peace and stability are also built in communities, families, schools, mahallas and civil society organisations. If people feel excluded, if women do not have access to opportunities, or if vulnerable groups are not heard, these issues can eventually become much broader social problems“, explains Mansurov.Over the past year, Barqaror Hayot has devoted considerable attention to the rehabilitation and reintegration of women returnees and children. Mansurov stresses that reintegration means much more than simply returning home. A person may return physically but still face stigma, psychological difficulties, problems with documentation, financial hardship and challenges reconnecting with the community.For this reason, the organisation has provided different forms of support to women returnees and their children. Some women needed psychological support and a safe space to talk about what they had experienced. Others faced practical challenges related to documentation, access to services, education, employment and reconnecting with the community. Children had their own needs, particularly in relation to education, psychological well-being and participation in social life.„We provided psychosocial assistance, legal and rights-related information, support in accessing relevant services, community-based activities and livelihood-oriented assistance. We also worked with communities to reduce misunderstanding and create a more supportive environment for reintegration“, says Mansurov.Where this approach has been consistently applied, the organisation has seen positive changes. Women have become better connected to local support systems and gained greater access to services and livelihood opportunities, while communities have become more willing to engage with them rather than view them solely through the lens of their past.„For me, one of the most important results is when a woman begins to see herself not only as someone who needs assistance, but as someone who can make decisions about her own future and contribute to her family and community“, says Mansurov.In Georgia, Ana Nemsadze of the Women’s Information Center, another signatory of the Sarajevo Pledge, sees similar value in being part of a broader community working towards shared goals. The organisation has focused its work on empowering internally displaced women and young people, as well as those living in rural areas along the administrative boundary lines of the territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.By supporting women leaders from five smaller communities, establishing women’s self-help groups and conducting a survey among local residents, the Women’s Information Center gathered information about their actual needs and supported them in implementing 14 initiatives. These included an English-language course, the creation of a relaxation corner, psychological support, renovation of a small local church, restoration of a library and the purchase of sound equipment for a youth dance group. What is particularly significant, as Nemsadze points out, is that the women are now better equipped to identify their priorities, communicate their needs and approach decision-makers themselves.“They know how to set a direction and identify their priorities, how to verbalize them in the right way and approach decision-makers. This is the result of numerous training and practical sessions we held with these women. For example, just recently, one of these women who lives right along the administrative boundary line was interviewed by a well-known TV broadcaster because she had been recognised as a community leader. Our project has ended, but they are still there, participating in various initiatives and building networks.”In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Napravi razliku Women’s Association focuses on cooperation with other local women’s associations and connecting women across the country who are engaged in peace activism. The association recently became a formal member of the Peace with a Woman’s Face initiative, with which they had previously collaborated. The Association’s President, Vildana Džekman, highlights two activities that have resulted from cooperation with other women’s organisations over the past two years.The first is the regular commemoration of 8 December, the activist Day of Remembrance of Women’s Suffering in the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina, through advocacy activities including round tables, work in local communities and networking with other women’s organisations. In addition, last year, an initiative submitted jointly with the New Women’s Initiative from Tuzla was adopted, granting immediate family members of those killed in the Kapija massacre in Tuzla on 25 May 1995 priority access to medical examinations and healthcare services, as well as exemption from administrative fees.Sustainable Financing for the Implementation of the Women, Peace and Security AgendaThe experiences of Sarajevo Pledge signatories also point to one of the most persistent challenges facing women peace activists and women-led organisations: securing stable and long-term support for their work.Their contribution is particularly important in smaller local communities, which often remain outside the focus of development strategies and action plans. Yet despite their knowledge of local realities and close connections with the communities they serve, women’s organisations are finding it increasingly difficult to secure the conditions needed for sustainable, long-term work. Women peace activists may also face stigmatisation in the communities in which they operate.The Sarajevo Pledge recognises this challenge, calling for more stable and long-term financing for implementation of the WPS Agenda and greater investment in women-led initiatives. Among other measures, it calls on donors to allocate at least 15 per cent of funding intended for peacebuilding and conflict prevention to women-led initiatives and networks for their protection. It also advocates gender-responsive budgeting, greater transparency in funding allocations for the WPS Agenda, and its systematic inclusion in national and international budgets for peacebuilding, development and security.“We acknowledge with urgency that, despite important normative advances, the implementation of the WPS agenda remains uneven, critically underfunded, and too often excludes the voices and leadership of those most affected by conflict and crisis,” the Sarajevo Pledge states.Signatories themselves identify the lack of stable and long-term financing as one of the most common obstacles to implementation of the WPS Agenda. Reduced donor funding, increasing competition for available resources and a lack of sustainable support make it more difficult to ensure continuity for women-led initiatives.“Due to a lack of financial resources and the withdrawal of donor support, many women’s organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina have closed down. In general, it is very difficult to survive as a feminist,” says Vildana Džekman from the Napravi razliku Women’s Association.Ivanna Khodos (Shkolnytskaya) from R.I.W.E. similarly points to the gap between the expectations placed on organisations supporting women and refugees and the resources available to them.“Despite the trust of their communities, direct access to people in need and extensive knowledge of local circumstances, many small women’s organisations still struggle to access flexible and sustainable sources of funding,” says Khodos (Shkolnytskaya).Commitments That Make a Difference in People’s LivesUltimately, commitments such as the Sarajevo Pledge are meaningful when they reflect women’s actual needs and voices and translate into concrete improvements in their lives.The strength of the Pledge lies in collective action, but also in each signatory taking concrete steps within their own context to advance its principles. Continuity is particularly important in ensuring that initiatives which demonstrate results do not come to an end because of a lack of funding or political will, or because of fatigue and exhaustion within civil society.“WPS should not become a topic that organisations discuss once a year at a conference. It needs to be integrated into regular programmes, budgets, training, monitoring and organisational planning,” says Abbos Mansurov.On the ground, women involved in WPS initiatives continue to demonstrate strong commitment and determination. Ana Nemsadze points to the resilience and dedication of the women with whom her organisation works, many of whom continue organising, participating in initiatives and building networks even after individual projects have ended.“I am more than surprised and impressed by the amount of work these women have done, the resilience they have shown over all these years and the passion they have for their communities. They wait for us each time we are waiting for the next phase of the project, but they keep working because they have that passion. However, they need our support, and we hope that we will be able to continue providing it.”Listening to women and understanding the needs and priorities they identify for themselves are key to meaningful implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Decisions made at different levels – from developing new projects by local non-governmental organisations and amending national laws and strategies to adopting international commitments – should be informed by women’s experiences and priorities.In this way, their experiences and voices can form the basis for concrete steps towards building peace and security.For Mansurov, there is a simple measure of whether an international commitment is ultimately making a difference.“If a woman tells us that her biggest problem is access to a service, safety in her community, economic independence or simply having a voice in decisions affecting her family, that experience should inform our programmes. For me, that is probably the simplest test of any commitment: Does it change something in real life?” concludes Mansurov.The Sarajevo Pledge was developed through the “Women Lead the Way Towards Peace and Security in Bosnia and Herzegovina” initiative, jointly implemented by UN Women, UNFPA and IOM, in cooperation with the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the support of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF).

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29 September 2026

Localization of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Bosnia and Herzegovina: From Words to Action

Real social progress is reflected in the willingness of local communities to openly discuss problems, seek solutions together with citizens and, ultimately, take concrete action that leads to change. Through the Women Lead the Way towards Peace and Security in Bosnia and Herzegovina programme, supported by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), communities across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) are putting this approach into practice to support the greater and more equal participation of women in peacebuilding processes. In doing so, the programme is helping advance an important process launched in the country more than a decade ago – the localization of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda. From May to July 2025, more than 350 people took part in 15 community dialogues organized through the programme. The idea was simple: to bring together representatives of local institutions, non-governmental organizations and interested citizens to identify challenges, discuss opportunities and agree on concrete steps to advance peace and security in their communities.The dialogues were held in cooperation with municipalities and cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina – Zavidovići, Mostar, Stolac, Gacko, Nevesinje, Trebinje, Cazin, Bihać, Velika Kladuša, Prijedor, Srebrenica, Rogatica, Novo Goražde, Kotor Varoš, Foča, Višegrad and Ljubuški. Local institutions hosted the discussions, provided venues and brought participants together, helping anchor the process in existing local structures. This cooperation also demonstrated the willingness of local authorities to actively advance the WPS Agenda.Most importantly, the process did not end with dialogue. Communities identified their own priorities and then moved towards concrete activities designed to address them.In Zavidovići, for example, participants highlighted the need to make local community premises more accessible to women and to increase women’s participation in local community councils. In Mostar, the focus was on women’s everyday safety, including better lighting and safer access to public spaces. In Gacko and Nevesinje, demographic decline and the departure of young people were identified as major challenges, placing an increasing burden on women who remain in these communities.One priority that emerged across almost all communities was women’s economic empowerment. Women, particularly in rural areas, face economic insecurity that directly affects their ability to participate in public and political life. Their marginalization is further compounded by limited employment opportunities, poor access to resources and information, low levels of women’s entrepreneurship and limited property ownership.Reskilling for EmploymentPrijedor is one of the communities where women’s economic empowerment was identified as a priority, both through discussions with women and in the city’s Gender Action Plan for 2024–2027. Building on these priorities, the City of Prijedor proposed an activity under the programme, in partnership with the PREDA Development Agency, to enable women to complete vocational retraining for occupations where there is demand in the labour market – assistant cooks and caregivers. The Employment Bureau of Republika Srpska confirmed a shortage of workers in these occupations. Nada Zorić, Head of the Department for Professional and Administrative Affairs and Gender Equality Coordinator of the City of Prijedor, therefore believes that participants will have good prospects of finding employment after completing the training.“Through our conversations with women, and based on one simple sentence – If I had a job of my own, everything would be different – we came up with this activity”, says Zorić.Currently, five women are enrolled in a vocational retraining programme for assistant cooks at the Hospitality and Economics School, while thirteen are enrolled in a vocational retraining programme for caregivers at the Secondary Medical School. Zorić says they have already received positive feedback from the teaching staff about the participants’ strong commitment.Women’s economic empowerment can be an important starting point for stronger engagement in community life, including peacebuilding processes. Greater financial stability can provide women with more security and space to contribute their time and knowledge to their communities, strengthen their families and support other women.“If we can help even one family, one woman, in this way, I think that is a huge success. Trainings and meetings are held and then come to an end, but when you receive your diploma, find a job and go to work every day, that represents enormous progress for a woman in terms of empowerment, self-confidence, and being able to support her family”, says Zorić.Connecting Participants from Different CitiesCazin is another city where the programme is supporting the localization of the WPS Agenda. The city has already adopted a Gender Action Plan for 2025–2028, with funds allocated in the city budget for its implementation. Zemira Sejdinović, Economic Affairs Associate and Gender Equality Coordinator for the City of Cazin, notes that one of the plan’s objectives is the economic empowerment of women, particularly those living in rural areas.“I can say that, for several years now, the City has continuously provided programmes to support business development for marginalized groups of women and other marginalized groups and a significant number of them have started their own businesses. Women in rural areas are setting up home-based businesses and generating income within their households.”Cazin also hosted one of the community dialogues, bringing together participants from different sectors, including the police, social welfare centre, education, culture and tourism, women’s associations, associations of cancer patients and organizations dedicated to preserving traditional crafts. Women municipal councillors also took part, further strengthening the discussion on women’s political participation.Alongside the local dialogues, the programme has created opportunities for representatives of municipalities and cities to exchange experiences on implementing the WPS Agenda. Sejdinović participated in two such training sessions with colleagues from across Bosnia and Herzegovina.“The meetings I have attended so far on the Women, Peace and Security agenda have helped us get to know one another across different local communities and exchange examples of our practices.”For local officials who often face similar challenges, these exchanges provide an opportunity not only to gain knowledge, but also to discuss what works in practice, learn from one another and identify shared solutions. The contacts and trust built through the process can continue long after individual training sessions or projects end.Zorić also emphasizes the value of learning how other municipalities and cities address similar challenges, providing practical examples that can be adapted locally.“You always hear something new, and you are impressed by how someone found a simple solution to something you had been struggling with. And then we stay in touch even after we return to our local communities. Our Women, Peace and Security Viber group is active and continues to function. We use it for the purposes of this project, but it also serves us as a space to exchange experiences on other topics”, says Zorić.Gender Action Plans as a Basis for Further Steps: From the State to the Local LevelAnother important part of localization is translating WPS priorities into local policies and plans that can guide action over time.Through the programme, Gračanica and Jablanica identified the development of local Gender Action Plans as a priority. While Gračanica already had such a strategic document in place until 2025, Jablanica had not developed a Gender Action Plan for several years.“They asked us to engage an external consultant who could help them analyse the state of gender equality, jointly define strategic directions and prepare the first draft. We expect these initial drafts in August or September”, explains Emir Kustura, Project Coordinator at the Centers for Civic Initiatives, the organization implementing this activity.The new Gender Action Plans in Gračanica and Jablanica will include measures aimed at increasing women’s participation in peacebuilding and security processes, translating WPS priorities into concrete local measures and activities.“In practical terms, this means that these Gender Action Plans will cover the prevention of violence against women, protection of survivors, stronger cooperation between institutions and greater participation of women in decision-making and security-related processes. At the local level, this will be achieved through better cooperation between municipalities, the police, social welfare centers, schools, and healthcare institutions”, says Kustura.Strategic documents of this kind can support more systemic change by setting out a community’s priorities and defining the actions needed to address them.“The most practical and direct way to localize the Women, Peace and Security agenda is precisely by integrating it into local Gender Action Plans. It is also possible that awareness is changing in local communities about the importance of these documents, as we currently have other cities that are also interested in developing their own Gender Action Plans. I hope we will succeed in this”, says Kustura.Bosnia and Herzegovina began localizing the Women, Peace and Security agenda more than a decade ago through the development and adoption of local WPS action plans by municipal councils. By placing greater emphasis on human security, these efforts brought attention to women’s everyday safety concerns – from protection against gender-based violence and discrimination to access to legal protection, education, healthcare and economic resources, as well as infrastructure-related issues such as landmines, inadequate street lighting and limited public transport.As explained by the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina within the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AGEBiH), local Gender Action Plans and WPS plans are usually grounded in the national Gender Action Plan and the Action Plan for the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on Women, Peace and Security. Sharing knowledge and experience between institutions at different levels is therefore an important part of translating national commitments into local action.As part of the programme, AGEBiH organized a three-day training in September, bringing together representatives of local authorities, institutions responsible for gender equality and civil society organizations. Working with concrete challenges from local communities, participants analysed the current situation, explored how WPS principles could be applied in practice and discussed how its priorities could be incorporated into local Gender Action Plans.“The implementation of local action plans is more than simply advancing the WPS agenda. It can also provide strong examples of effective public policy within a highly fragmented and unstable political environment”, says Kika Babić-Svetlin, Expert Adviser at the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina.External support to communities is most effective when it responds to priorities and security concerns identified locally. This is why localization matters: it creates a framework through which broader Women, Peace and Security commitments can respond to the everyday realities of women and girls in individual communities.“UNSCR 1325 can have a genuinely positive impact on women and girls in local communities. Although the results of localization may not be immediately visible, there are already strong qualitative examples of the difference that local action plans can make”, concludes Babić-Svetlin.Women Lead the Way towards Peace and Security in Bosnia and Herzegovina is jointly implemented by UN Women Bosnia and Herzegovina, IOM Bosnia and Herzegovina and UNFPA Bosnia and Herzegovina, in partnership with the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with support from the United Nations Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF).

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17 September 2026

Who do you see when you vote?

Who first comes to your mind when you think about who you would vote for?How many of those people are women?Women are on the candidate lists. But after the elections, far fewer women are represented where decisions are made.In the 2022 General Elections, women accounted for 27% of elected representatives. Only 7 women out of a total of 42 representatives were elected to the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina [1].In the 2024 Local Elections, only 8 women were among the 142 elected mayors and municipal heads [2]. There are different reasons for this: who gets more space during election campaigns, who receives more support, what we expect from political leaders, and how we assess women and men.So, before you decide:Look again.Who is running for the office?What experience and expertise do they have?What do they propose?When voting, let competence, experience and values be the key considerations in your decision, not gender.Get informed. Assess. Then decide.Make an informed choice.This campaign is implemented as part of the Gender Equality Accelerator Joint Programme, implemented by the United Nations agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina: UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF, with financial support from the European Union and the Governments of Denmark and Sweden, in cooperation with the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Centre for Equality and Equity between Women and Men of Republika Srpska, and the Gender Centre of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[1] Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 2023. Report on the Implementation of the 2022 General Elections.[2] Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 2024. Election Indicator - 2024 Local Elections.

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14 September 2026

From “I Don’t Have Time” to “I Have Time”: The Time We Create by Sharing Care

How often do we say or hear “Nemam ti kad” (“I Don’t Have Time”)? It sounds like an ordinary phrase, said during a rushed morning, over a coffee postponed for another day, or because a task has been put off until tomorrow. Yet for many women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it describes much more: days filled with cooking, cleaning, planning, taking children to school or appointments, supporting an older family member, caring for a person with a disability, and trying to make sure everyone else’s needs are met before their own.“Nemam ti kad” often follows the most ordinary wishes and plans: “I should get a haircut”, “I haven’t seen you in ages”, or “I’ve always wanted to complete an English course”.That everyday phrase became the title of UN Women’s 2023 campaign on the care economy. The “Nemam ti kad” campaign made visible the work that is essential to every household and to society as a whole, yet is still too often taken for granted as women’s responsibility alone. The campaign built on the Baseline Study on the Care Economy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, prepared by the Economic Institute Sarajevo in partnership with UN Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the support of Sweden. Through public events across Bosnia and Herzegovina, social media, video stories, influencers, policy dialogues and media coverage, an experience largely treated as private was brought into the sphere of public debate. The messages were clear: care work has no gender; sharing care responsibilities opens up new opportunities and improves the lives of those who currently carry most of this work alone.Care is work, even when it is unpaidThe care economy includes direct care for children, older people, people who are ill and persons with disabilities, as well as the domestic work that makes such care possible—from preparing meals and cleaning to arranging appointments and managing the household. It also includes paid work in health care, preschool and school education, social protection, residential care institutions, childcare services, and home care and assistance services. This is work that supports people throughout their lives and enables every other sector of the economy to function. The study showed how unevenly this work is distributed. Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina spend almost twice as much time each day on unpaid care and domestic work as men. At least once a day, 85% of women cooked, compared with 27% of men. These are not simply differences in family routines. Added up over weeks and years, they shape who has time to find employment, pursue education, start a business, participate in public life, rest, exercise or care for their own health. The unequal distribution of care responsibilities is also linked to gaps in available services. At the time the Baseline Study was conducted, only 31.4% of respondents used childcare services, while data from 2020 showed that more than 6,500 children who had applied for enrolment in preschool institutions could not be admitted because of insufficient capacity. Nearly half of respondents spent ten hours a week caring for older people, and 72% believed that adequate and affordable services for older people were lacking in both the public and private sectors. When services are unavailable, inadequate or unaffordable, the work does not disappear. Families take it on—and within families, most often women.The conversation about care must also include those who provide it professionally: workers in health care, education and social protection, childcare workers, personal assistants, and providers of home care and assistance services. They form the backbone of services on which individuals, families and communities depend, and women make up the majority of the workforce in this sector. According to the 2026 Care Jobs and Policy Investment Analysis, the care sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina employs around 125,000 people, nearly 72% of whom are women. Women account for around 99% of employees in preschool education, approximately three quarters of teaching staff in primary schools, and 76% of employees in centres for social work.Many of these women therefore move from a paid shift caring for others into a second, unpaid shift at home. Yet the high social value of their work is not always matched by its economic value. Some care occupations are underpaid, insecure or informal; occupational and qualification standards do not exist for certain jobs, and workers’ practical experience is not always formally recognised. People providing home care and assistance services or childcare may be pushed into the informal economy because there is no clear framework that allows them to register and work with adequate protection.The social importance of care must also be reflected in the position of those who perform this work, through decent wages, safe working conditions, opportunities for skills development and advancement, and participation in decisions that affect their work. Transforming care therefore requires much more than redistributing household tasks. The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) 5R Framework offers a more comprehensive direction: recognise the value of care work, reduce unpaid care work, redistribute responsibility, reward care work through decent working conditions, and ensure the representation of care workers and care recipients in decision-making.From “Nemam ti kad” to “Imam ti kad”The continuation of the campaign under the slogan “Imam ti kad” shifts the original message towards possibility. The change is small in words but significant in meaning. It invites us to imagine what becomes possible when responsibility for care no longer falls disproportionately on one person: time for education, professional development, paid work, entrepreneurship, health, friendships, creativity, political participation or simply rest. Time is not a luxury. It is a prerequisite for autonomy, opportunity and well-being.“Imam ti kad” is about a family in which time is not created because one person does almost everything, but because everyone takes their share of responsibility. When care work is shared more fairly, families gain more time for life together, women gain more time for their own needs and opportunities, men have more space to participate equally in family life, and children see that care has no gender. Men and boys are therefore not occasional helpers, but equal participants in care. Their involvement can challenge stereotypes, strengthen relationships and show children that competence, tenderness and responsibility do not belong to only one gender. The next phase of the campaign therefore places particular emphasis on engaging men and boys and on dialogues that make shared care visible and commonplace.Sharing responsibilities within the household is necessary, but families cannot redistribute what is not available to them. A shortage of kindergarten places cannot be solved by dividing responsibilities differently within the family. Likewise, a family cannot use affordable home care and assistance services if the community does not provide them. A person working in the care sector cannot turn informal work into decent employment without recognition, standards and protection. The shift from “Nemam ti kad” to “Imam ti kad” must therefore take place simultaneously at multiple levels: in households, workplaces, communities, public services and budgets.Care is infrastructureMore recent data show the scale of this challenge. The 2026 Care Jobs and Policy Investment Analysis estimates that formal preschool education reaches only around 25 to 30% of children from birth to six years of age. Formal home care and assistance services are available to fewer than 1,000 of the estimated 60,000 to 90,000 older people who need support. Bosnia and Herzegovina allocates considerably more to cash benefits than to developing care services that could prevent exclusion, create jobs and reduce the burden of unpaid care work. Investment in care is therefore not merely social spending. It is an investment in human potential, women’s economic participation, decent local jobs, child development, ageing with dignity and more resilient communities. The same analysis estimates that women would account for between 85 and 95% of newly employed workers under scenarios of increased investment in the care sector. This represents an important opportunity for women’s employment, but the goal of transformation is not to reinforce the belief that care is women’s work. The development of the sector must also attract more men while ensuring decent working conditions, adequate wages and opportunities for advancement for all workers.Well-designed care policies deliver two benefits at the same time: they enable people carrying the burden of unpaid responsibilities to enter the labour market or remain employed, while also creating formal, socially valuable jobs in services that communities need.The “Imam ti kad” campaign translates this systemic message into everyday language. Through activities with citizens, including the Who Cares? games planned in Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Brčko, it invites us to consider who performs care work, who has time because someone else is providing care, and what would change if responsibility were truly shared.Investment in care is therefore not merely social spending. It is an investment in human potential, women’s economic participation, decent local jobs, child development, ageing with dignity and more resilient communities. The same analysis estimates that women would account for between 85 and 95% of newly employed workers under scenarios of increased investment in the care sector. This represents an important opportunity for women’s employment, but the goal of transformation is not to reinforce the belief that care is women’s work. The development of the sector must also attract more men while ensuring decent working conditions, adequate wages and opportunities for advancement for all workers.Well-designed care policies deliver two benefits at the same time: they enable people carrying the burden of unpaid responsibilities to enter the labour market or remain employed, while also creating formal, socially valuable jobs in services that communities need.The “Imam ti kad” campaign translates this systemic message into everyday language. Through activities with citizens, including the Who Cares? games planned in Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Brčko, it invites us to consider who performs care work, who has time because someone else is providing care, and what would change if responsibility were truly shared.The Time We Create TogetherThe “Nemam ti kad” campaign named a reality that many people, especially women, know well. “Imam ti kad” names a future we can build: not a future without care, but one in which care is visible, valued and fairly shared. A future in which a woman does not have to choose between earning an income and meeting her family’s needs; in which a care worker is not expected to accept poor working conditions because her work is considered natural; in which an older person can receive support without exhausting family members; and in which children grow up seeing care as a human responsibility rather than a duty of women.So the question is not only: “Do you have time?” It is also: Who makes that time possible? Who carries the burden of work that remains invisible? And what must families, employers, communities and institutions change so that we can all say: “Imam ti kad”? Only then does “Imam ti kad” stop being a slogan and become a real possibility.The continuation of the “Nemam ti kad” campaign is being carried out as part of the Gender Equality Accelerator joint programme, implemented by United Nations agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina—UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF—with financial support from the European Union and the Governments of Denmark and Sweden, in cooperation with the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Gender Centre of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Centre for Equity and Equality between Women and Men of Republika Srpska.

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Press Release

07 September 2026

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urges political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to counter hate speech and end glorification of war criminals

In his Global Update to the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council on 7 September, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned of a world facing a growing number of armed conflicts, diminishing respect for international human rights and humanitarian law, and deepening political polarization.Against this global backdrop, the High Commissioner issued a direct message on Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of the country’s elections: “Ahead of elections in Bosnia, I urge political leaders to counter hate speech and discrimination, and to end the glorification of war criminals.”Türk outlined seven priorities for the UN Human Rights Office in the coming years, including exposing economic interests that fuel conflicts, supporting comprehensive transitional justice centred on victims, strengthening mediation and confidence-building, increasing women’s participation and leadership in peace processes, supporting grassroots peacebuilding organizations, using human rights monitoring as an early-warning tool, and advancing accountability.He emphasized that accountability is essential to sustainable peace and called on States to strengthen domestic accountability mechanisms, support the International Criminal Court and make use of universal jurisdiction where necessary so that those accused of atrocity crimes can face justice.The High Commissioner also highlighted the importance of protecting civic space, including the rights to peaceful protest, freedom of expression and access to information, which he described as essential for building trust between people and their governments and for creating a bridge between frustration and dialogue.The UN Human Rights Office will continue monitoring and documenting human rights violations, supporting States through technical cooperation and capacity-building, and working to prevent conflict and break cycles of violence.Full statement: https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2026/09/high-commissioner-turk-updates-human-rights-council-human-rights

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Press Release

30 August 2026

United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina calls for sustained efforts to account for all missing persons

This year marks 20 years since the United Nations General Assembly adopted the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, on 20 December 2006. The Convention is the only universal treaty dedicated to the prevention of enforced disappearances, the investigation of cases, the establishment of the fate of missing persons, and the protection of victims’ and families’ right to truth, justice and reparation. Bosnia and Herzegovina ratified the Convention in 2012 and recognized the competence of the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances. More than three decades after the end of the conflict, Bosnia and Herzegovina remains deeply marked by the legacy of the 1992-1995 war. Approximately 31,500 people were reported missing during the war, of whom more than 75 per cent have since been identified and accounted for. The results achieved in Bosnia and Herzegovina in accounting for missing persons stand as an important example globally of what can be accomplished through sustained efforts to establish the fate and whereabouts of those who remain missing. Yet, significant work remains. More than 7,500 men, women, and children are still unaccounted for. Their families continue to seek information about their loved ones that remain missing, while living through the enduring suffering of their loss. With the passage of time, the search becomes increasingly difficult, and information and evidence that could help locate and identify the missing may be lost. Every case that is resolved represents not only an important step towards establishing the truth, but also the fulfilment of the rights of the victims and their families. On this International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina calls for continued and sustained efforts to search for and identify those who remain missing. Establishing the circumstances of the disappearance and fate of missing persons is essential to upholding the rights of victims and their families to truth, justice, remedies and reparation. It is also an important part of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s continued efforts to address the legacy of the conflict and build lasting peace and reconciliation. The United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina remains committed to supporting efforts to uphold the rights of victims and their families.Resident Coordinator a.i., Renaud Meyer, on behalf of the United Nations Country Team in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Press Release

28 August 2026

Youth from across Bosnia and Herzegovina at Peace Vibe Fest: Song "Novi ritam mladih" (A New Rhythm of Youth) premieres

The third edition of Peace Vibe Fest took place in Sarajevo from 25 to 28 August, bringing together young people from different communities across Bosnia and Herzegovina through creative workshops, art, music, conversations and joint activities. A special part of the festival programme was the premiere of the song “Novi ritam mladih” (A New Rhythm of Youth).Over the four-day festival, participants took part in music, theatre and social media workshops, as well as simulations exploring peacebuilding in everyday situations. These activities gave them an opportunity to collaborate, exchange experiences and create together. The programme also included a performance of theatre play “Offline”, produced by Studio Teatar in cooperation with the Bosnian National Theatre Zenica as part of the “Možemo bolje” project. Participants visited the War Childhood Museum and the “Planet Sarajevo” Museum and took part in a range of activities designed to help them get to know one another and connect.
One of the festival’s central moments was the premiere of “Novi ritam mladih” (A New Rhythm of Youth), a song created as part of the “Možemo bolje” project in collaboration with the art collective and hip-hop band Helem Nejse. The song focuses on young people, the connections they build and their shared desire to bring about positive change, while Peace Vibe Fest participants were the first audience to hear it. Peace Vibe Fest once again provided young people from different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a space to meet, exchange experiences and discuss issues important to them through joint activities. The festival concluded with their shared message: “A peaceful future is our shared responsibility,” emphasizing that building a peaceful future requires connection, cooperation and the active participation of young people from across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Peace Vibe Fest was organized as part of the “Empowering Trust and Cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Communities – „Možemo bolje” project, funded by the European Union’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument. The project is jointly implemented by the European Union, the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo.

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Press Release

14 August 2026

"You Have the Right to Vote. Use It." campaign launched to support more informed and equal participation in the elections

The campaign "You Have the Right to Vote. Use It.", which aims to ensure that voters — particularly young people, women and people from marginalized groups — receive clear, accessible and reliable information in good time for the 2026 General Elections, begins on 16 August. The campaign forms part of the joint programme "Gender Equality Accelerator" and is being implemented in cooperation with the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina.The campaign focuses on four areas where additional support can make a difference: providing clear and accessible information to young people, especially first-time voters; familiarising the public with specific election technologies, including biometric devices for voter identification and authentication as well as optical scanners; supporting women, particularly in rural areas and in the Roma community; and supporting persons with disabilities."Our cooperation with UNFPA to date on informing young voters has proven highly valuable. A gender-responsive approach to voter education is essential to citizens' trust in the electoral process as a whole," said Jovan Kalaba, President of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Bosnia and Herzegovina has made progress in strengthening the legal framework for gender equality, but access to voter education is not always equal for everyone — particularly for young women, rural populations, persons with disabilities and members of the Roma community. At the same time, UNFPA's "Demographic Future" survey points to low levels of trust among young people in institutional support: only 8 per cent believe that the authorities provide genuine support to young people, indicating a need to strengthen confidence in institutions and in the electoral process."Free and informed participation is essential to an inclusive and credible electoral process. Guided by the United Nations’ commitment to leave no one behind, the campaign will help ensure that all voters have access to the clear and accessible information they need, including about new electoral technologies. Every voter should be able to exercise their right independently, confidently and free from pressure; and every vote should reflect a free and informed choice," said Arnhild Spence, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Cooperation between UNFPA and the Central Election Commission in this area dates back to 2020, when a Viber chatbot was developed to inform young voters ahead of that year's Local Elections. The tool was used again for the 2022 General Elections and updated for the 2024 Local Elections, consistently focusing on informing young people, especially those voting for the first time. The 2026 campaign represents a significant expansion of that cooperation — for the first time in the form of a comprehensive digital campaign, and now with an added focus on gender equality and marginalized groups.This activity is part of the Joint Programme Gender Equality Accelerator, implemented by United Nations agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina - UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF - with financial support from the European Union and the Governments of Denmark and Sweden, in cooperation with the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Center for Equity and Equality between Women and Men of Republika Srpska and the Gender Center of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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