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18 March 2024
Empowerment through social protection services: Building Sustainable Societies by Supporting the Most Vulnerable ones
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Story
12 March 2024
Two years since the war in Ukraine began, UNHCR calls on Bosnia and Herzegovina to grant appropriate status to Ukrainian refugees in the country
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Press Release
20 February 2024
Continuation of activities to reduce the risks of disaster in Bosnia and Herzegovina
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The Sustainable Development Goals 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:
Event
07 July 2023
Call for applications within the project “Supporting local agricultural and rural development planning”
Background
The call for application is implemented under the project titled “Supporting local agricultural and rural development planning” (TCP/BIH/3804) and is funded by the Technical Cooperation Programme of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The aim of the project is to support the enhancement of institutional capacities in rural development and community development planning, programming, coordination and implementation at cantonal and municipal levels in the Republika Srpska and in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Rationale for intervention
Under the TCP/BIH/3804 project seven Agriculture and Rural Development Plans are under formulation in the Republika Srpska and two in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the Plans sustainable development of rural communities are vital for creating lasting positive change in the country. Sound planning and strategizing at the local level results in more targeted public sector interventions and expenditures related to rural development and agriculture, which leads to improved sustainable management of natural resources and better economic well-being of the rural communities in the long-run.
The project is implemented in Una-Sana Canton and city of Bihac in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the municipalities of Gacko, Rogatica, Rudo, Visegrad, Osmaci, Foca and the City of Zvornik in Republika Srpska – all of these local authorities have committed to developing and later adopting the Local Agriculture and Rural Development Plans following the guidance and support of FAO.
Agriculture has a strategic role in providing employment, nutrition and food security in the target municipalities. On farm processing and direct sale to intermediaries are the main marketing channels for the agriculture producers in the project areas, and in order to strengthen the market position of primary producers, a number of interventions are needed in the value chains of the priority agricultural products in the project areas.
In Republika Srpska this call for application is aimed for piloting funding of a few small-scale demonstration projects, corresponding with the strategic priorities defined by the Local Agriculture and Rural Development Plans of the municipalities listed below:
Osmaci: The municipality covers an area of 78,10 km². The municipality of Osmaci is located in the eastern part of Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina in a region that is regionally known as Srednje Podrinje or the Birač region. Using data from the 2013 Census, it was determined that the total number of inhabitants is 5,546. According to statistical records, 1,675 households live in the territory of the municipality, of which all households, as already mentioned, are located in an area classified as rural. The average age of the owner of an agricultural holding determined by survey research is 58 years. Agriculture of the region mainly includes subsistence and semi-subsistence farming. Land fragmentation, lack of agricultural machinery and technologies, abandoned lands, outmigration from the rural area and negative demographic trends are the main obstacles to agricultural development.
As priority value chains for development in Osmaci were selected raspberry production and distribution, beekeeping and honey production.
City of Zvornik: Zvornik is located in the eastern part of the Republika Srpska. The town of Zvornik lies on the eastern slopes of the Majevica mountain at an altitude of 146 m. The area of the city of Zvornik is 382 km2. Using data from the 2013 Census, 54,407 inhabitants live in the territory of the city of Zvornik. According to statistical records, 17,690 households live in the city area, of which we can assume that 80% are rural households. The average age of the owner of an agricultural holding determined by survey research is 59 years. The food sector in this city is one of the strongest in the project area. Despite the relatively high production, small and medium farmers are facing similar constraints as in small municipalities: a strong focus on primary production and challenges related to the storage and marketing of the produce.
As a priority value chain for development in the city of Zvornik was selected fruit production and processing, both organic and conventional.
Višegrad is located in the eastern part of the Republika Srpska. The area of Višegrad is 448 km2. Using data from the 2013 Census, 10.118 inhabitants live in Višegrad. The total rural population is 5,289, or 49.6%. Despite the accelerated development of urban tourism in the area of this municipality, this growth did not spread to rural areas and agricultural development, and the main reason is migration from rural areas and negative demographic trends.
As priority value chains for development in Višegrad were selected raspberry production and processing, greenhouse production, honey production and beekeeping.
Rogatica: The municipality of Rogatica is located in the middle of the eastern part of the Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina, on an area of 645.92 km2. According to the results of the last population census in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2013), the total number of inhabitants in the Municipality of Rogatica was 10,302. About 40% of the population lives in the rural part of the municipality. This is the largest agricultural area within the project site in terms of resources and production intensity. However, despite a good resource base, there is a low degree of product finalization and added value.
As priority value chains for development in Rogatica were selected production and geographic identity protection of rogatic potatoes, meat production and processing in the cow-calf system, and milk production and processing.
Rudo: The territory of the municipality of Rudo is located on the triple border of Republika Srpska, Serbia and Montenegro. The area is distinctly hilly and mountainous, with villages scattered and intersected by mountain passes on an area of 344 km2. According to the results of the last population census in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2013), the total number of inhabitants in Rudo Municipality was 7,578 inhabitants in 89 associated settlements. The rural population numbers 6,203 people or 77.9% of the total. Despite the modest resource base, the small number of farms and low economic development, the municipality is distinguished by a strong agricultural cooperative and good projects of established value chains in raspberry production and milk processing, which should be further developed.
As priority value chains for development in Rudo were selected, raspberry production and distribution, milk production and processing, and rural tourism.
Foča: The municipality of Foča is located in the southeastern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, within the Republika Srpska entity. Foča is located on the banks of the Drina River. The municipality of Foča covers an area of 1,115 km2. According to the 2013 census, the municipality had 18,288 inhabitants. 7,051, or 38.6% of the population, live in rural areas. The municipality, which lies in the heart of the national park and which does not sufficiently take advantage of the links that can be developed between agriculture and tourism, needs to strengthen value chains in fruit growing and meat and milk production through the improvement of production and processing technology.
As priority value chains for development in Foča were selected meat and milk production and processing, plum and raspberry production and processing, and beekeeping and honey production.
Gacko: The municipality of Gacko is located in the southeast of Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In terms of altitude, it is the highest mountain part of Herzegovina, with an average altitude above 1000 meters above sea level. The altitude of the Gacko settlement is 956 meters above sea level. The surface area of the municipality is 736 km². According to the results of the last census in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2013), the total number of inhabitants in the Municipality of Gacko was 8,710 inhabitants in 71 associated settlements. Of the total number of inhabitants, 40% live in rural parts of the municipality. Gacko is a typical mountain municipality with recognizable animal products that easily find their place on the market but which should be branded and protected so that the added value and benefit for the producer would be greater.
As priority value chains for development in Gacko were selected, Gacko cream (kajmak) production, beekeeping and honey production.
In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, this call for application is aimed for piloting funding of a few small-scale demonstration projects, corresponding with the strategic priorities defined by the Strategy of Agriculture and Rural Development for the Period 2023 -2027 for Una-Sana Canton and by the Local Plan of Agriculture and Rural Development for the Period 2023-2027 of City of Bihać:
Una-Sana Canton: The Una-Sana Canton is located in the extreme north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, bordering the southern and south-eastern parts of the Republic of Croatia. It is one of the ten cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and with an area of 4,125 km2 it covers 15.8% of the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e. 8.1% of the total territory of BiH. In the territorial-political system this Canton is organized by eight local self-government units (municipalities/cities): Bihać, Bosanska Krupa, Bosanski Petrovac, Bužim, Cazin, Ključ, Sanski Most and Velika Kladuša. In 2021 the Canton area was populated with 264,248 inhabitants, out of which 13.42% are under 14 years old and 14.35% are over 65 years old. According to the 2013 Census, a total of 78,255 households live in the area of the Una-Sana Canton, of which 60.98% or 47,718 households are located in rural settlements and 39.02% or 30,537 households in the urban part of the Canton. Favourable climatic conditions and available land resources enable a greater number of agricultural productions, but as in most of the BiH, the agricultural sector faces numerous problems such as small holdings, poor equipment and low technical-technological levels of production.
As priority value chains for development in Una-Sana Canton were selected beekeeping and honey production, meat production and processing.
City of Bihać: The city of Bihać is located in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, administratively belongs to the entity of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is the administrative, economic, cultural, university and sports centre of the Una-Sana Canton. The city of Bihać covers an area of 900 km2, which is 21.8% of the territory of the Una-Sana Canton and 1.7% of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The average altitude is 224 meters; most of the territory of the City is located on terrains up to 600 meters above sea level, while its smaller part is located in the mountain and hill-mountain zone at an altitude of over 900 meters. In 2021, a total of 55,291 inhabitants lived in the City of Bihać. According to the data from the Census, in 2013, a total of 18,293 households lived in the area of the City of Bihać, out of which 26.66% or 4,877 households were located in rural settlements, and 73.34% or 13,416 households in the urban part of the City. Agricultural production is an important part of the City's economy, especially vegetable and milk production, and recently honey production has experienced a special expansion.
As priority value chains for development in the City of Bihać were selected vegetable production and distribution.
All these municipalities and cities, to a greater or lesser extent, are characterized by large spatial dispersal, lack of organization of agricultural production and poorly developed value chains. In terms of value chain improvement, two directions were identified. One direction refers to production, which is characterised by the low level of production technology, low yields, lack of equipment and mechanization, and lack of access to knowledge and information. The second direction refers to the processing, which in most cases takes place on the farm and is performed by women, where there is a lack of quality and safety checks lack of adequate packaging, resulting to the exclusion of traditional products from formal marketing channels.
Women’s high involvement in manual activities, as well as unpaid housework, including care work, leads to their economic dependency and invisibility of their work. The lack of opportunities for youth to be employed in rural areas is another challenge due to the limited number of full-time jobs in these rural areas. It leads the young generation to move to the towns and cities and leaves them uncertain about their future. This leaves elderly households with no labour force for the extension of agriculture production and larger agriculture households with a lack of seasonal workers to be hired, which creates great need in automation and digitalisation of the production process.
These crucial factors create the necessity to encourage and support those most marginalized groups to participate in and benefit from the intervention. Specifically, it is needed to support youth, women, people with disabilities and others in the key relevant areas (relevant to the grant measure) where they already figure prominently.
Sustainable development of rural areas cannot be achieved successfully without improvement of competitiveness of the agricultural sector, including technical-technological renewal, support of valuable economic initiatives, support of agricultural holdings, smallholders and family farms and local population through rural development grant programmes.
During the implementation of this project and preparation of LARDs, FAO national consultants, in cooperation with the private sector and representatives of local self-government, defined activities for the improvement of value chains at each of the communities within the project area which should contribute to the improvement of competitiveness of producers and producer organisation, but also to the improvement of quality of life in rural areas.
Scope and actions
According to the local Agriculture and Rural Development Plans formulated in each of the target municipalities, existing production in the communities is limited to primary products, whereas to increase income of the local population, it is crucial to develop the value chains. The current technological and equipment levels of the agricultural sector in the communities necessitate their further support, which will largely contribute to the improvement of competitiveness and income generation in the communities. Therefore, the measure targets the support of the following direction through two sub-measures:
Measure 1: Investments in tools and equipment for value adding to agricultural products:
Agricultural processing equipment; small agriculture machines.
Equipment and tools for marketing, sorting and packaging.
Measure 2: Investments in infrastructure related to primary agricultural production:
Irrigation equipment, greenhouses, etc.
Each applicant can apply to only one measure.
Territorial scope
Eligible grant projects may only be implemented in Una-Sana Canton and city of Bihać in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and municipalities of Gacko, Rogatica, Rudo, Visegrad, Osmaci, Foca and the City of Zvornik in the Republika Srpska that are the project sites which have been pre-identified and recommended by the state and entity-level governments during the development of the Technical Cooperation Project TCP/BIH/3804 – “Supporting local agricultural and rural development planning”.
Applicants: Who may apply?
The aim of the small-scale investment intervention is to make a benefit for the maximum of local people, not only the individual. Therefore, those interventions will be found eligible, which bring benefits to the majority of the community directly or indirectly.
Producers’ or farmers’ associations, organizations and unions; cooperatives, for which agriculture is either the main or additional field of activity and other types of membership-based organizations, which among other things, are involved in agriculture that are legally registered and operating in one of the locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina mentioned under section 3, have a bank account, are not in the state of bankruptcy and have not received the same type of tool/equipment under another grant support during the last 1 year are eligible to apply on this call.
Duration of the projects
The deadline for the realization of the grant project activities is 31st December 2023.
Deadline for submission of the applications:
The deadline for submission of applications is 21st July 2023, at 17:00.
Further information related to the administration and submission procedure can be found in the documents below.
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Press Release
05 July 2023
Presenting the joint United Nations project "Women Driving Resilience in Agriculture and Rural Areas"
Women make up as much as 49.8% of the population in rural areas, and only 38.3% of women are owners or co-owners of agricultural land. Of the actively employed women in BiH, 20.5% of them work in agriculture, while only 18.3% of agricultural farms are run by women. The joint project of UN Women BiH and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), financed by Sweden, aims to remove the structural barriers faced by women in rural areas through the introduction of technologies that would save time and make their work easier, as well as to present innovative sources of financing. Through training women in rural areas to better cope with the specific challenges of doing business in agriculture, the project will improve living standards, as well as the socio-economic position of families in rural areas.
"It is a great honor for us that the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina will take part in the Steering Committee of this project, and that we will provide our expertise in its implementation. We are also glad that we will have the opportunity to expand cooperation with entity ministries in the creation of strategies for agriculture that will especially focus on gender equality," said Slobodan Cvijanović, Assistant Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
„Today the UN team in Bosnia and Herzegovina is strengthening our support to the critical role of women in agriculture and rural development. Whilst just over 20 percent of women in BiH work in agricultural activities in rural areas, according to the Sarajevo Economic Institute (2018), many are engaged in the lower value chain activities with less decision-making authority and profitability. Women in rural areas therefore represent an important, yet still untapped, resource for the country. The UN is looking forward to working with all stakeholders, especially rural communities, agricultural producers, government counterparts and the women themselves, to improve the lives of women in rural areas across BiH, which will in turn benefit the broader social and economic development of the country,“ said Ingrid Macdonald, UN BiH Resident Coordinator.
“Equal opportunities for all, including gender equality, is important to Sweden and is an integral part of everything we support. That is why we are pleased to fund this project that will empower women in agriculture and rural areas to better manage challenges they are facing. The aim of the project is an improved environment for women and girls engaged in agricultural activities supporting them in advancing their socio-economic position,” said Eva Gibson Smedberg, Head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy of Sweden in Sarajevo.
A meeting of the project’s Steering Committee was also held today, consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, Agency for Gender Equality of BiH, Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry of FBiH, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of RS, as well as representatives of Sweden and UN agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
These activities are part of continuous work of UN Women on economic empowerment of women in BiH, as well as continuous support to women in agriculture and in rural areas, supported by Sweden. Since 2021, UN Women has been working to establish cooperation in this area with municipalities and cities throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina from both entities.
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Story
05 July 2023
WHO 75: 75 Years in Service of Improving Public Health
The first half of the 20th century saw some of the most tragic and destructive global events in human history. Societies have suffered a devastating loss of lives, food scarcity, destroyed public health services, and an unprecedented number of displaced persons.
There were legitimate concerns that epidemic outbreaks would rapidly spread throughout the population, such as the one known as the Spanish flu at the end of the World War I, with estimated deaths ranging from 17 – to 50 million people.
In April 1945, leaders from around the world gathered in San Francisco, United States of America, to establish the United Nations. At the meeting, they also agreed on the creation of another global organisation, specifically devoted to global health rather than global politics, an organisation that would prevent and control disease so that everyone could attain health and wellbeing at the highest possible level.
The World Health Organization (WHO) was established three years later, with its constitution coming into effect on 7 April 1948, marked from then on as World Health Day.
The WHO Charter, or its constitution, states that health is a fundamental human right that every human being is entitled to "without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition" and that "the health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security."
Public health has changed dramatically in the 75 years since the launch of the World Health Organization.
Over the past seven and a half decades, there has been extraordinary progress in protecting people from diseases and destruction, including smallpox eradication, reducing the incidence of polio by 99%, saving millions of lives through childhood immunisation, declines in maternal mortality, and improvement of health and well-being for millions more.
However, the successes so far do not mean that WHO’s work is finished. There are new, critical health threats, such as COVID-19 or climate change- related events, and these are expected to become more frequent and more severe. That is one of the reasons WHO is urging Member States to take action to place health high on the political and development agenda and increase investments in health.
The health workforce is critical. Continuous and increasing investments in education, skills, and decent jobs for health need to be prioritised to meet the rapidly growing demand for health and addressing changing health needs. Without drastic change, a shortage of 10 million health workers is projected by 2030, primarily in low- and middle-income countries.
"We have to work hard at coming together to confront these health threats. This means thinking beyond nationalistic priorities, it means coming together around joint priorities, and most importantly, it means supporting organisations like WHO that work for the collective good," stated Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
One of the actions WHO has achieved, in collaboration with Member States, is taking action to promote health by preventing disease and addressing the root causes of ill health. This resulted that between 2017 and 2022, 133 governments increased an existing or introduced a new tax on products that harm health, such as tobacco and sugary drinks.
What’s in the future for WHO?
At this year’s Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly, the UN agency’s decision-making body, Dr Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, warned that the end of COVID-19 as a global health emergency is not the end of COVID-19 as a global health threat, urging countries to prioritise primary healthcare as the foundation of universal health coverage.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that protecting health is fundamental to our economies, societies, security and stability," said the WHO Director-General.
Learning from the worst pandemic in recent history, WHO stands ready to support the world's countries as they negotiate a pandemic accord, the revision of the International Health Regulations (2005), and other financial, governance, and operational initiatives to prepare the world for future pandemics.
Over the past five years, WHO has invested in science and digital health, creating a science division. The investment has come at the time when science is under sustained attack every day. Disseminating evidence-based and scientifically underpinned information is of the utmost importance. Countries must protect the public from misinformation and disinformation, the results of such actions are still alive in our minds and even in our lives still. The future of health depends on how well all of us, together, power health through science, research, innovation, data, digital technologies and partnerships.
"The history of WHO demonstrates what is possible when nations come together for a common purpose," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has led the organisation through the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Story
13 June 2023
LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum-seekers must feel safe and accepted
Local community as a whole must send a message to LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum-seekers that they are welcome in BiH, safe and accepted.
Even though BiH government, civil sector and local community are giving their best to welcome LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum-seekers, there are still some challenges that we are all facing as a community.
“In the year when the humankind is marking the 75th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, when we think that a lot has been done, we are still facing certain challenges. For example, among asylum-seekers, same sex couples are not recognized as families, and are often put in different accommodations far away from each other,”
said Gabrijela Rubić, Project Manager at UNHCR’s partner Bosnia and Herzegovina Women’s Initiative (BHWI), during a panel discussion organized by BiH Pride March with support from UNHCR.
The discussion followed a screening of a Mexican film Luciernagas (Fireflies), which depicts a deeply human story about a young gay man who fled from persecution in Iran and ended up living in the limbo of exile, far from everything he knows, in the tropical port town of Veracruz, Mexico. While dealing with the distance between himself and his loved ones, he began to discover a new life, and started to integrate into the new community.
“Throughout our long-term experience working with refugees and asylum-seekers, including with LGBTIQ+ persons, we have seen many similar cases like in the film. Some scenes from the film reminded me of situations we had with refugees who thought us how to dance Salsa while we thought them how to dance Bosnian ‘kolo’,” said Rubić.
LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum-seekers feel alone in often homophobic environments. They often fear for their safety, fear from rape threats and are additionally isolated.
“We need to invest in constant education of a wider community,” said Marija Šarić, Project Manager at NGO Wings of Hope, concluding that all parts of our community have responsibility to provide hospitality to all refugees.
“The workshop that we had last year with LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum-seekers and local community, with support from UNHCR, had provided a safe environment for those people and an environment where they felt accepted. Many of them felt uncomfortable going back to their temporary accommodations afterwards. This shows that civil sector and donor community should invest additional efforts in similar activities and projects that will ensure that these people feel physically safe and accepted,” said Mirjana Gavrić, psychotherapist.
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Story
30 June 2023
Macdonald: Media freedom is of central importance for UN in BiH and the world
The Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ingrid Macdonald, noted Monday at the conference 'Media Innovation and Trends - Media Freedom and Shaping the Future of Media' organized by the FBiH News Agency (FENA) in Sarajevo that media freedoms are a topic that is of central importance for the United Nations not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina but around the world.
“This is something we're working on and support, not only as representatives of the UN Secretary-General in BiH but also UNESCO, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and others,” said Macdonald, who was the keynote speaker of the first panel at the conference.
Concerned about the situation in which the media and journalists are at the global level, she stated that the UN has established a comprehensive Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists to end impunity for crimes committed against them.
“We're not just talking about physical attacks, but also online, economic and legal attacks. There are many ways to attack and threaten journalists,” Macdonald said.
In recent statements during World Press Freedom Day, she recalled, the UN Secretary-General emphasized the need to address attacks on journalists and stressed the importance of halting attacks on those who speak the truth.
“Unfortunately, we didn't notice that the situation at the global level has improved. Journalists and truth are still and to an increasing extent victims,” she said.
As an example, she cited the Covid-19 pandemic campaign, where there is great concern that facts are being misinterpreted, used and abused.
“This is often seen here on the political side, but also in other areas, such as climate change. Not only are journalists attacked, but also scientists, doctors, technicians and others. This causes great concern of the UN,” said Macdonald.
Speaking about Bosnia, she said that the latest developments on the political scene, especially the proposed criminalization of insult and slander, cause concern, and that this could be used to suppress critical voices in the media and among journalists.
She added that the comments of UN Special Rapporteurs on freedom of opinion, expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and association, especially the criminalization of insults, are definitive and explicit in terms of democratic standards, and freedom of expression is very important, and it is necessary to achieve that balance.
“It is important that the authorities withdraw the proposed draft amendments and the criminalization of defamation and insults because they are contrary to the standards,” Macdonald noted.
The UN office in BiH, she said, published a comprehensive report on the safety of journalists, and does so continuously in order to highlight the importance of the topic.
“Many will say that there are numerous challenges that journalists face in performing their work. Not only are there political pressures on the media that are noticeable, but also economic pressures, verbal attacks, threats, online and judicial harassment, limiting the right to access information,” she stressed.
She concluded by saying that the UN is fully dedicated to providing support and facilitating journalists’ work in BiH, ensuring better protection of journalists in a more favourable environment for the media.
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Story
19 March 2024
Empowerment through social protection services: Building Sustainable Societies by Supporting the Most Vulnerable ones
In order to strengthen these centers, the project " Sustaining peace and social cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina through enhanced inter-municipal and inter-entity cooperation on local services (SPSC)" has engaged 18 volunteers in nine municipalities who actively work in various spheres in order to provide support to social welfare centers and social protection departments.In Bosanski Petrovac, previously there was no speech therapy service. With the assistance of the SPSC project, funded by the UN Secretary General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) and implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the provision of necessary support to individuals of all ages facing communication challenges has been enabled. "As someone whose focus is speech therapy, I work with children and adults facing communication difficulties. Due to the high number of similar challenges occurring in different age groups, I have conducted various activities withbeneficiaries, gaining new practices from assessment, intervention, stimulation, to individual and group work. This type of assistance and support cannot be obtained in other institutions in our community. This work requires patience, creativity, continuity, and adaptability to provide each person with adequate support in developing communication skills and responding to individual needs," stated Senija Ferizović, a UN volunteer. The awareness of how just sharing problems can often be enough to improve an individual's emotional state, underscores the necessity of continuous support in communities. "I have noticed how warmth, kindness, and support are important to all beneficiaries of the Center. For many of them, simply sharing their problems is enough to feel better. Considering the large number of beneficiaries seeking help, the employees of the Social Welfare Centers bear a heavy burden. Therefore, I believe that this project is extremely useful, as it provides valuable assistance to the centers. I hope that similar opportunities for support and relief in their work will continue to arise in the future," emphasized Adema Čarkić, a UN volunteer from Ključ. Legal assistance was of great significance for Drvar. "I have prepared many settlements for our social protection departmentduring my work related to various legal tasks and engagements. Working with clients and getting acquainted with the situation and needs in our municipality helped me become closer to people and getting the opportunity for a different acquaintance with life in our Municipality – the life that the most vulnerable in our society live. At the same time, I am involved in discussions related to the establishment and opening of the Social Welfare Center supported by SPSC, which still does not exist in our municipality. This represents a significant step forward facilitated by the SPSC project," said Maja Pilipović, a UN volunteer from Drvar. In addition to providing assistance, volunteers also had the opportunity to acquire new knowledge within their involvement in the project. "I had no opportunity for direct communication with the center's clients. Now, through my daily work and research conducted by UNDP on mapping of social assistance and support services, in which I took direct participations on the field, I encountered many stories, destinies, and real needs of people. I have improved some of my personal skills and knowledge in communication, as well as working in social service databases," said Haris Bašić, a UN volunteer from Glamoč. The benefits of such a project in the local community are numerous, as highlighted by UN volunteer Nino Šapina from Livno. "I am part of a project that brings benefits to all of us and immense hope for a new prosperous tomorrow, both through the improvement of social services and infrastructure components as well. Our role through this project truly has a deep impact on shaping the society within local communities. I am happy to see concrete progress within the social welfare center where I am engaged, and I believe that conditions will be even better for our beneficiaries in the future." Social work plays a crucial role in building sustainable societies. By focusing on addressing various challenges affecting individuals and communities, social workers primarily support the most vulnerable, empowering them to enhance their overall well-being and quality of life. Through the involvement of volunteers, the SPSC project does not only provide tangible contributions to communities, but also enables local social welfare centers to respond to the needs of their beneficiaries in more effective way.
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Story
12 March 2024
Two years since the war in Ukraine began, UNHCR calls on Bosnia and Herzegovina to grant appropriate status to Ukrainian refugees in the country
As we have just marked the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the people in Ukraine, every single day, are facing hardship, the threat of attacks, fear of hostilities, separation from family members, disruption of lives, education, livelihoods. The country has been experiencing forced displacement and humanitarian needs not witnessed in Europe since World War II. The intense hostilities have led to devastation, destruction and millions of people uprooted. There are currently almost 6.5 million refugees from Ukraine scattered around the world, the majority – some 6 million, being hosted in countries across Europe. In addition, nearly 4 million people continue to be internally displaced within Ukraine and overall, some 14.6 million people in Ukraine – around 40% of the population – are in need of life-saving assistance. Contemplating about the situation in Ukraine, which he just recently visited, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi shared his concern, saying that unlike last year, the situation in Ukraine is no longer in the focus of global attention. “There is somehow a trend towards getting used to Ukrainian suffering”, he added. We must not allow this war to become another forgotten crisis. We must never accept, or get used to, the suffering of innocent civilians.Since the beginning of the invasion, thousands of Ukrainian citizens have travelled to Bosnia and Herzegovina, possibly seeking protection. While the vast majority have meanwhile left the country, there are still 213 Ukrainian refugees staying in BiH, most of them generously hosted by the communities in Čitluk and Međugorje. Since their arrival to Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNHCR has been coordinating activities to support Ukrainian refugees, primarily with the Red Cross and other international and national actors, ensuring an effective and timely assistance. However, the most important assistance that these people need is an appropriate response by the BiH authorities related to their status in the country. So far, unlike most EU countries and several countries in the region, the BiH authorities did not grant the “Temporary Protection” status to Ukrainians fleeing the war. This is a specific status adapted to the situation faced by the refugees from Ukraine. Instead, the BiH authorities facilitated the entry and residence of Ukrainian citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina “on humanitarian grounds”, granting them a status that does not offer access to any basic rights (health, education, work, etc.). This status would never allow them to legally access the labour market and become self-sustainable, leaving them fully dependent on humanitarian aid. The unavailability of health care for such a vulnerable population is a serious impediment, keeping in mind that the vast majority are women and children.Considering the prolonged situation of uncertainty and the need for adequate and efficient protection of persons who fled Ukraine, the EU Member States agreed last year to extend the Temporary Protection Directive. The same protection should also be provided in Bosnia and Herzegovina: the Ministry of Security should initiate the request to the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina for its adoption. If this is not done, the Ukrainian refugees can only rely on different statuses that are not ensuring adequate protection of their rights.We in UNHCR firmly believe that by taking the right decisions, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the assistance from key national and international organizations, can offer adequate support and assistance to ensure that vulnerable Ukrainian refugees can enjoy full protection here, and are not compelled to initiate further journey to safety, being exposed to numerous risks.
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05 February 2024
With timely actions and political will, Bosnia and Herzegovina could be the first country in Europe that has resolved all known cases of statelessness
Imagine waking up one day, suddenly realizing that you can’t go to school, see a doctor, vote, open a bank account, get a passport to travel, or even get married. You have no access to basic rights, you can’t move freely, and you can be detained at any time. When you die, you don’t even have the right to an official burial and a death certificate. If you have children, you may not be able to register their birth, obtain a birth certificate or other legal identity documents. You are, basically, invisible.
Unfortunately, today, for millions of people around the globe this is a sad reality, mainly because authorities are not addressing the issue and are not facing their responsibilities. They do not exist on paper. They do not “belong”. They are “stateless”, not recognized as citizens by any country.
The consequences of statelessness are devastating. Stateless people face a lifetime of missed opportunities and disappointment. But, statelessness does not only impact individuals and families. It also has profoundly negative impacts on entire societies. Stateless persons are deprived of opportunities to contribute to the development of their societies and are prevented from reaching their full human capital potential, which can result in losses in a country’s human capital wealth. We, in the UN, firmly believe that sustainable development is best achieved in societies that are inclusive.
Stateless people can be found in almost every country and in all regions of the world, and most live in the same country in which they were born. States do not only have a legal obligation to resolve the situation of these people, but they also have an ethical and moral obligation towards them. Let us never forget - the right to a nationality is a fundamental human right.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, estimates that some 6,100 people remain stateless or have undetermined nationality in South-Eastern Europe (SEE), including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo (S/RES (1999)). Many of them have become stateless as a result of the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia, fallen through administrative cracks.
However, authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have made significant efforts to reduce the number of stateless people, demonstrating strong commitment and progress through measures to enhance the protection of stateless people and identify, reduce and prevent the occurrence of this phenomenon. The capacity of civil society organizations working in this sphere has grown in parallel, with substantial expertise and dedication present across the region. As a result, 864 formerly stateless people acquired a nationality or had it confirmed in BiH since 2014, when UNHCR launched its global campaign against statelessness, #IBelong.
There are currently only 22 known cases of stateless people remaining in BiH. UNHCR supports provision of free legal aid to stateless persons through the Association Vaša Prava BiH, and it advocates for further facilitation of birth and citizenship registration. UNHCR uses a proactive approach with the authorities at all levels, in order to identify and effectively respond to cases of stateless persons.
Statelessness can be resolved with timely actions and political will, and it is ultimately up to States to take action to close all known cases of statelessness on their territories. Statelessness can be resolved with the stroke of a pen, as long as governments are willing to take action to address it.
If all stakeholders join their will and efforts, BiH could be among the first countries in Europe to resolve known cases of statelessness and hopefully alleviate the process for potential cases in the future. UNHCR has been supporting the authorities in finding solutions for the cases of statelessness in BiH for the last 25 years. And, as part of the UN team in BiH, it stands ready to pursue additional efforts to reach this goal.
Being stateless can mean a life without prospects or hope, sometimes lasting for generations. Let’s end it. Let’s make sure that we leave no-one behind.
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09 January 2024
Youth-Led Initiatives for Inter-Community Trust, Inclusion and Equality in the Western Balkans
In the heart of the Western Balkans, two young activists, Sara Milenkovska, 29, and Sajra Kustura, 19, are spearheading initiatives aimed at building coalitions across community and ethnic divides to promote human rights, equality and inclusivity. Sara, from North Macedonia, is an advocate for gender equality and the founder of the civil society organization Stella Network, which focuses on facilitating mentorships for women and girls. Sajra, who is from Bosnia and Herzegovina, has worked for several years as a children's and human rights activist. She is a member of the regional network, the Youth Advisory Board of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has participated in youth delegations for UN events across the region.
Both activists draw inspiration from their personal experiences, navigating the landscape of gender equality and social cohesion in their respective countries. For Sajra, these experiences have “instilled a profound sense of mistrust in the protective systems,” such as the state bodies and systems responsible for upholding the rights of all individuals, regardless of gender, identity or background, and thus, fueling a commitment to advocate for positive change.
Sara shares the challenges she faced as a survivor of gender-based violence and the struggles of reporting such incidents within a system that often fails victims. Despite these hurdles, she remains hopeful. When asked about the most pressing challenges in the Western Balkans, the young activists find it difficult to pinpoint a single issue, instead emphasizing the intersectionality of gender inequality, political disengagement, and the absence of youth representation.
The recently published research titled ‘Voices of Youth: Gender Equality and Social Cohesion in the Western Balkans,’ conducted as part of the regional UN project 'Youth 4 Inclusion, Equality & Trust', has brought to light compelling insights. The study reveals that toxic masculinities (referring to traditional societal expectations of masculinity that can be harmful to men, women, and society as a whole), entrenched gender stereotypes, hate speech, and the media’s portrayal of traditional gender roles all increase the risk of violence. Notably, violence against women emerges as the most pervasive form of such incidents in the Western Balkans.
This gender-focused research is part of a larger regional United Nations initiative, ‘Youth 4 Inclusion, Equality and Trust’, which empowers young people to engage in constructive narratives, strengthen intercultural dialogue, promote inclusion, and cultivate mutual understanding in the Western Balkans. A collaborative effort involving UNDP, UNFPA, UNESCO, UN Women, and various partners from the public sector, media, civil society, and academia, the project is working together with youth to increase comprehension and respect for diversity in the region. Financially supported by the UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund, the project, launched in 2022 for a total budget of $4.5 million, has directly impacted over 10,000 youth through more than 160 trainings and events.
Both Sara and Sajra were involved in the gender research. The youth-led research engaged around 1,500 participants from the Western Balkans through online and in-person consultations and a survey explored intricate linkages between youth development, gender equality, and social cohesion challenges in the region. The research underscores that gender-based inequality stands as a societal challenge, taking a toll on the lives of young individuals. Of the 1,500 youth participants (of which 73% are women) a significant majority shared experiences of discrimination based on gender, contributing to a growing sense of mistrust in social systems. Moreover, gender-based violence affects women in the region not only in the private sphere but also in their public engagements, as women who engage in politics, public decision-making, advocacy and human rights protection have proven particularly vulnerable.
Sara Milenkovska
Crucially, the findings highlight the indispensable connection between fostering gender equality and rebuilding trust. Sajra mentions the need for targeted efforts to unite youth and institutions, stating “Challenges such as the lack of trust between young people and authorities, as well as between governmental and non-governmental sectors, require careful efforts in building bridges of trust to ensure sustainable inclusion, equality, and collaboration for the well-being of young people.” The project is responding by facilitating this reconnection between youth and institutions.
The UN’s regional project aims to cultivate inclusive narratives and counter divisive rhetoric by providing youth with the tools and knowledge to voice their concerns within their communities and across boundaries and to become champions of improved inter-community relations. Youth feedback on the initiative has been highly positive, especially regarding the regional exchanges that have taken place. Over 15 interactions and events have involved young people from the region, providing opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds and communities to meet, discuss shared interests, and develop lasting friendships and collaborations. These activities have led to regional, youth-led campaigns promoting diversity and positive narratives. Participants in one youth camp from Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina developed a regional advocacy campaign aiming to promote the youth-led ‘Pripadas.balkans - Youth Initiative for Equality and Tolerance’ social media channel.
After completing capacity-building activities, young people receive mentorship and support from the project to realize online public advocacy campaigns. They are encouraged to design and produce various media products aimed at countering hate speech online and promoting values of interculturalism and respect for diversity in the region. To further promote regional cross-fertilization, locally created initiatives are then shared regionally. For example, initiatives selected for mentoring and financial support at local boot camps in Albania, such as animated films on Roma issues and history, will be promoted regionally.
The project has also created multiple other dialogue opportunities at local level with an emphasis on bringing diverse youth together to discuss social cohesion problems and solutions. Local consultations held in Belgrade, Pristina, Sarajevo, Skopje and Tirana provided safe spaces for free idea sharing, allowing young people to identify priority issues for engagement. Inclusive engagement of marginalized and vulnerable groups was ensured throughout the process. Active participation was sought from the LGBTQIA+ community in all five consultations, as well as from persons with disabilities. Ethnic minorities were engaged through the involvement of civil society organizations, which facilitated access to their contact base. Particularly noteworthy was the active participation of representatives from the Roma community, demonstrating a commitment to reaching diverse voices.
In another example, the project organized four multi-ethnic youth residential camps in Kosovo* between June and September 2023. These camps saw the participation of almost 100 young people, with over 50% young women, who acquired new knowledge on promoting constructive narratives and addressing divisive narratives, hate speech, and harmful stereotypes. A post-event survey with participants confirmed that 95% of respondents reported an increased appreciation for interaction with other ethnic groups. Notably, the camps welcomed over 30% of youth from non-majority communities, including Ashkali, Bosniak, Gorani, Roma and Serb youth. The transformational impact of exchanges was experienced by a young Serbian woman whose family expressed initial hesitation about her participation in a multi-ethnic youth event co-organized by the project in Prizren in southern Kosovo*. Despite the hesitation, the young woman’s insistence to participate resulted in the positive and enriching experience of meeting and exchanging with people from diverse backgrounds. The project has already witnessed countless positive inter-group encounters, many of which have led to the development of inter-group and inter-ethnic friendships.
In addition to fostering youth-to-youth exchanges, giving young people from different communities a bigger voice in local governance has been another key aspect of this regional initiative. Supported by the project, 57 municipal councils in the Western Balkans (in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia) have improved youth participation in policymaking, including through the establishment and enhancement of youth councils and strategies. Marking a major step in collaborative planning for youth-related issues, 1,170 young people, 57% women, actively participated in the development of national youth strategies, closing the communication gap between youth and institutions. A key achievement of the project is the process towards the adoption of the National Youth Strategy 2023-2027 in North Macedonia. The strategy’s development process included extensive youth consultations and ensured diversity by working closely with CSOs that support marginalized youth. The next steps include formulating action plans and monitoring their implementation. Additionally, four regional exchanges between youth councilors and young decision-makers have been organized to enhance communication, reflecting a growing demand from both youth and authorities.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the partnership with the Sarajevo Canton on its pioneering Youth Strategy has had a catalytic effect, inspiring other cantons to follow suit and create better opportunities for young people – regardless of ethnicity - in areas such as increased safety and (digital) security, and improved education and employment. Youth, young councilors, decision makers, as well as local and central institutions are requesting further cooperation in this area. “Projects like this demonstrate a genuine and effective response to the needs and priorities of young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the broader region. By actively engaging youth in discussions and activities centered around crucial issues such as gender equality, trust-building, and social cohesion, the project provides a valuable platform for collective action,” said Sajra Kustura.
The project will continue to support the drafting of youth strategies in the region and the implementation of existing ones, while combining these efforts with initiatives to promote inter-community trust-building and social cohesion and learning from promising experiences in the region.
* References to Kosovo should be understood in the context of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).
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12 December 2023
Using the Universal Periodic Review to reaffirm the inalienable rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
On 10th December we celebrated the International Human Rights Day, and we marked the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
On this day in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was the first global recognition that every single human being, wherever he / she lives, has inalienable civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights. In the seventy-five years since this landmark commitment, international treaties and mechanisms as well as national laws and institutions have been put in place to protect human rights, including in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Yesterday, in Geneva, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights hosted a high-level event, co-hosted by the Government of Switzerland, where Member States and other actors presented pledges and a vision to further the enjoyment of human rights globally. The High Commissioner for Human Rights has urged Member States to rekindle the spirit of the Declaration so that its promise of freedom, equality, and justice for all can be a reality.
The compelling call of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is vital given the unprecedented combination of crises raging in all regions of the world. Human rights violations and the erosion of human rights are common to all these crises; and many are a direct consequence of authorities having failed to respect, disregarded, or violated human rights.
The world is facing the highest number of conflicts since World War II - on every continent, in every region - with vertiginous losses of human lives, as well as economic and social shockwaves. The perils of the climate emergency has been starkly visible this year with record-high temperatures, devastating draughts and untamable forest fires. Disinformation and hate speech have reached epidemic proportions. Racism and discrimination are on the rise. Worldwide, one in three women have been subjected to either physical or sexual violence, In Bosnia and Herzegovina, one in two women have suffered some form of gender-based violence.
The values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent human rights instruments are the fundamental, common values of humanity. In these times of crises that divide people along many lines, it is essential to reaffirm the universality of human rights enshrined in the Declaration and at its heart – the recognition that every person has inherent dignity.
In January 2024, Bosnia and Herzegovina will undergo its 4th Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of its human rights situation before the United Nations Human Rights Council, an inter-governmental body that periodically meets in Geneva. The UPR was designed with a view to improving human rights everywhere in the world. This process involves a report by the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, coordinated and prepared by the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, as well as reports by the Human Rights Ombudsman institution, civil society organizations and United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes. A key principle of the UPR is that it must be participatory and inclusive.
The UPR is an opportunity for a frank assessment of the human rights situation in the country, of progress achieved and outstanding challenges. It is also an opportunity for dialogue, among all levels of authorities, within institutions, between authorities, institutions and civil society actors, among civil society actors. It is fundamentally an opportunity for governments to reaffirm their obligations under international human rights law and their commitments to promote and protect the human rights of everyone within their jurisdiction.
As a result of its 3rd review, in 2019, Bosnia and Herzegovina received 207 recommendations from other Member States and accepted 204. The majority of these recommendations remain unimplemented or only partially implemented. Most of these recommendations are pertinent to the priorities for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession to the European Union, notably with regard to the consolidation of the rule of law, dealing with the past, addressing discrimination on all grounds, protecting civic space. They are about putting the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and their dignity, first. It will be critical for the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina at all levels to intensity efforts to implement the past UPR recommendations. Of note, these largely echo recommendations by the United Nations human rights treaty bodies addressed to Bosnia and Herzegovina over several years and related to the State’s commitment as a party to the United Nations Human Rights Treaties and their optional protocols.
In 2023, we observed serious setbacks regarding human rights, notably regarding the rights to freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly, particularly in Republika Srpska, with the adoption of legislation recriminalizing defamation and of draft legislation threatening civil society organizations conducting critical work for the benefit of society. There were also stigmatization of journalists and civil society actors, as well as attacks on human rights defenders with impunity. While the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted a law on civilian victims of war that has been welcomed by many civil society actors, including survivors associations, the reluctance of political leaders to constructively deal with the past persists. Divisions are exploited, narratives increasingly diverge, and progress is hampered in many areas. Revisionism around the 1992-1995 conflict persists, as does the glorification of war criminals convicted by international tribunals. A glaring example is the denial of atrocity crimes, particularly the Srebrenica genocide. Such narratives undermine peace and prevent Bosnia and Herzegovina from moving forward.
Switzerland is at the forefront of building bridges within institutions such as the United Nations, including the Human Rights Council. We firmly believe that ensuring human rights is a prerequisite for long-term social and economic development, peace and security, and we call on all our local partners to take a clear stand in favor of the promotion and protection of human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Press Release
20 February 2024
Continuation of activities to reduce the risks of disaster in Bosnia and Herzegovina
A Steering committee meeting of the Joint Program "Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina" (JP DRR) was held in Sarajevo, which marked the continuation of the activities of this program. The activities of the Joint Program are aimed at helping to improve cooperation between all levels of government in BiH and support vulnerable BiH local communities exposed to disaster risks. During the next four years, BiH institutions and local partners, through the Joint Program worth 7.2 million KM, continue the mission of strengthening the resilience of BiH citizens, especially the most vulnerable population groups and high-risk local communities.Launched in 2019, the Joint Program has already achieved significant results in strengthening institutional DRR capacities in local communities across BiH. Through proactive measures, the Program continues to prepare communities and increase their resilience to risks, ensuring that populations living in areas exposed to hazards are less vulnerable to the adverse social and economic consequences of climate change and disasters. Improvement of strategic DRR frameworks at all levels of government in BiH, together with the establishment of proper policy and regulatory structures within key sectors, and advancement of the DRR system that includes prevention, mitigation, better inter-institutional cooperation, regulatory frameworks and integrates resilience into decision-making processes and investment strategies, is the primary goal of the Joint Program."Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina" is a Joint program supported and financed by the Government of Switzerland and the United Nations (UN), and implemented by UN agencies: the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF ), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with BiH institutions and local authorities. For more information:Džejna HadžićCommunications associate JP DRRdzejna.hadzic@undp.org
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Press Release
20 February 2024
The Inaugural Session of the Peacebuilding Steering Committee in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The inaugural session of the Peacebuilding Steering Committee for Bosnia and Herzegovina, co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elmedin Konaković and the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr. Ingrid Macdonald, was held today in Sarajevo.
The Committee will oversee and guide the activities of the United Nations Secretary General’s Peacebuilding Fund in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a cornerstone of the partnership between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Nations, as well as seek to promote coherence across reconciliation efforts more broadly.
Activities that will be prioritized during 2023-2027 include fostering stronger community ties to look to the future, while reconciling the past; working to bridge the gap that hinders women’s participation in decision-making processes; empowering young peacebuilders and cohesion of local communities, all in partnership with various government and civil society counterparts across the country.
The Peacebuilding Committee will also seek to accelerate efforts to meet the government’s commitment to Key Priority 5, “creating an environment conducive to reconciliation”, of the European Union Accession 14 priorities.
“I would like to congratulate Bosnia and Herzegovina for taking this important step forward with the support of the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund. With the commitment to invest 36 million KM until 2026, this opportunity will enable a longer-term and inclusive approach to peacebuilding and reconciliation across the country. I would also like to sincerely thank our partners and donors for their steadfast support.”, said United Nations Resident Coordinator Macdonald.
“Fulfilling the priorities for membership in the European Union is the key foreign policy goal of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are thankful to the United Nations and other international partners for all their support to institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Working together to build trust amongst people in Bosnia and Herzegovina is and needs to be a key internal goal of all stakeholders in the country”, said Elmedin Konaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Members of the Peacebuilding Steering Committee currently include the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina, ministers, multilateral high-level representatives including the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina and bilateral representatives.
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Press Release
02 February 2024
Auschwitz: Historic agreement signed at UNESCO between the Successor States of Yugoslavia
"Today, fourteen years of diplomatic negotiations are finally bearing fruit. This historic agreement fills a void, an absence of memory at the very site where these horrors unfolded. It shows our joint commitment to learning from the past and healing the wounds of history, which transcends borders and generations. UNESCO, the UN Organization responsible for teaching about the Holocaust and genocide, is proud to become this Agreement’s depositary, as a custodian of truth, vigilant against the erosion of historical reality." - Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General
Block 17 of the former Auschwitz I camp was built in 1941 by its inmates, to house a growing number of prisoners of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp. As the killing mechanism accelerated, its sombre walls became a monument of anguish and despair. Most of the 20,000 deportees from Yugoslavia passed through Block 17. After the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum decided to house national exhibitions, Block 17 became home to the Yugoslav pavilion in 1963. However, following the breakup of Yugoslavia, this pavilion was eventually closed. It has stood empty since 2009.
Fourteen years of negotiations and joint work
Since 2010, UNESCO has provided diplomatic, financial and technical support to the Successor States of Yugoslavia to re-establish a joint permanent exhibition. At the outset, an international steering committee, involving experts, cultural institutions and ministries of culture of the region, and also international experts from the French Shoah Memorial, the German Topography of Terror, and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum was created to establish a common narrative, under the coordination of UNESCO.
From 2012 to 2019, UNESCO facilitated a series of meetings during which cooperation between the six countries concerned was negotiated. The resulting agreement covers the renovation of Block 17 and the creation of a new permanent exhibition that will be structured around four themes – time and space; victims; perpetrators and collaborators; resistance fighters –, focusing on those deported to Auschwitz as a result of Nazi persecution policies during the Second World War in the former Yugoslavia. The exhibition will be designed by the architect Daniel Libeskind, who is renowned for his ability to evoke memory through architecture, and is supported by Austria and the Herman Family Trust.
The signing ceremony was attended by the Ministers of Culture of the six participating States or their representatives, and by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay who, at the States’ request, has agreed to act as depositary of the agreement. The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum is also a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979.
"In a unique effort, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation has built a global coalition of almost 40 international governments, many cities and dozens of private philanthropists, who through their donations are making the preservation of this UNESCO World Heritage Site possible. Today’s ceremony is a clear sign that the governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia are willing to join this coalition and thus to contribute to memory and our responsibility towards future generations. This overall success would not have been possible without UNESCO. For this I would like to applaud the organization." - Wojciech Soczewica, Director General Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation
UNESCO supports Holocaust Education in all regions of the world
UNESCO is committed to ensuring that new generations everywhere are taught the true facts about The Holocaust, through its International Program on Holocaust and Genocide Education in partnership with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and with the support of the Government of Canada. Since 2015, the program has reached 24 Member States across all UNESCO regions. The current program cycle is supported by the government of Canada and involves the participation of Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador, Greece, India, Morocco, Nigeria, Serbia, Rwanda and the United Arab Emirates.
Since 2015, UNESCO has been helping education stakeholders to develop long-term initiatives to reinforce education about the Holocaust and genocide in their respective countries. The Organization currently trains all those who are on the frontline – teachers, educators, school directors, and educators – so they are equipped to address antisemitism in classrooms and beyond to prevent antisemitism in Croatia and Greece – the first of a series of 12 European workshops funded by the European Commission, that will continue this Spring in Slovenia, Austria, Belgium, France and Spain.
In Serbia, UNESCO works with the Staro sajmište Memorial Centre and Museum of Genocide Victims to design an exhibition and educational materials on the Holocaust. And in Sarajevo, the Organization is assisting with the development of a Holocaust museum to commemorate the destruction of over 80% of the Jewish population of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Press Release
19 January 2024
Nearly 30 years following the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, war victims remain neglected
The devastation of the 1992-1995 war continues to impact Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in numerous ways. Amongst other issues, key decision-makers lack the political will to help victims of war deal with lingering trauma and various forms of marginalization. As such, nearly 30 years after the conflict, victims in BiH still lack essential institutional assistance, including compensation. Beyond its grave effects on both individuals and communities, these failures also hinder BiH’s progress toward genuine and lasting reconciliation.
As recently noted by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, confronting past gross human rights violations is central to achieving long-term peace and security in cohesive, pluralist democratic societies. That said, moving forward to achieve durable peace and security respectful of human rights and the rule of law requires full recognition of the depth and breadth of the suffering of all victims of war, including the challenges that hinder access to adequate support, reparation, protections and justice. Chronic neglect and widespread denial of their suffering compound the physical and psychological trauma inflicted during the war. Responses to trauma, therefore, must reflect the realities of these timelines and the evolving needs of victims.
Despite these challenges, some progress has been made. Notably, as a result of years of advocacy by victims’ associations, both the Brčko District (BD; 2022) and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH; 2023) adopted laws that recognize children who were born as a consequence of wartime rape as victims.
Most recently, on 1 January 2024, application of the new FBiH Law on the Protection of Civilian Victims of War (FBiH Law) began. The adoption of this law was an essential step in ensuring the recognition and rights of civilian victims of war and in providing support to a historically neglected and marginalized group.
While important, the FBiH Law and comparable legislation in the Republika Srpska (RS) and BD are insufficient to address these issues.
As consistently recommended by United Nations (UN) human rights mechanisms and the Universal Periodic Review, a unified BiH-wide framework should be established to replace the patchwork of existing laws and ensure the provision of readily accessible and sufficiently and sustainably financed institutional and legal support to victims, free from any form of discrimination, including based on place of residence.
The statutory deadlines enshrined in the various laws regulating the status of victims of war impose arbitrary and undue burdens on victims’ ability to obtain recognition and are inconsistent with BiH’s international legal obligations and human rights norms.
Decisions by international mechanisms affirming the rights of civilian victims of war to effective forms of redress, including compensation, remain unimplemented. This includes recommendations by several UN treaty bodies as well as the 2019 Decision by the UN Committee Against Torture (UNCAT) requiring that BiH issue a public apology and secure payment of compensation to a victim of wartime rape as awarded by the Court of BiH, as well as to establish a comprehensive and effective national-level reparation scheme for all victims of war crimes. Over four years after UNCAT issued its decision, the authorities have yet to fulfil their obligations.
Compounding these difficulties around compensation, RS authorities have engaged in the deeply unfair practice of seeking reimbursement for court costs from victims of war who were barred by statutes of limitations from seeking compensation through civil proceedings. Moreover, despite the availability of formal mechanisms allowing victims to seek compensation through criminal proceedings, judicial authorities throughout BiH have not ensured that victims are able to exercise that right. Indeed, according to the OSCE’s comprehensive trial monitoring program, compensation has been awarded in just 19 of nearly 700 adjudicated war crimes cases.
This unjust situation also creates serious impediments to genuine reconciliation. One of the Key Priorities that determines BiH’s path to the European Union calls for concrete steps to promote an environment conducive to reconciliation and overcome the legacies of the war. In this regard, BiH should implement received and accepted recommendations related to justice and reparation for victims of war, including of conflict-related sexual violence, before its 4th Universal Periodic Review in January 2025.
Authorities in BiH at all relevant levels must take meaningful and prompt action to improve the status of victims who remain vulnerable and marginalized nearly three decades after the war. In this respect, with urgency, we call on:
The FBiH, RS and BD authorities to ensure that all victims can have their status recognized and can effectively access comparable social, financial and medical support, regardless of their place of residence or ethnicity and without fear of intimidation or discrimination or undue burden. This should include the harmonization of the respective approaches and the immediate elimination of all deadlines for obtaining recognition of the status of victims of war.
The BiH authorities, including the Council of Ministers, to ensure the prompt and comprehensive implementation of the 2019 UNCAT decision, including compensating and offering public apologies to the complainant and establishing an effective national-level reparation scheme for all victims of war crimes.
The FBiH authorities to implement the FBiH Law promptly, meaningfully and comprehensively, including the allocation of adequate budgetary resources.
The RS authorities to undertake the legal and policy reforms necessary to ensure a formal end to the practice of seeking reimbursement for costs of proceedings from victims of war who sought and were denied compensation through civil litigation.
Judicial authorities to identify and address any obstacles to awarding compensation to victims in both criminal and civil proceedings. Simultaneously, legislative authorities should promptly remedy any existing laws contrary to international standards relied on by judicial authorities to avoid awarding compensation as part of such proceedings.
The Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo, the European Union Office in BiH, OSCE Mission to BiH, and the UN in BiH remain committed partners to victims, victims’ associations and authorities across the country in order to improve the status and well-being of all victims of war.
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Press Release
08 December 2023
DIALOGUE WITH WOMEN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS: Fostering a conducive environment for the free and safe work of women human rights defenders through coalitions, joint action, and use of the United Nations human rights mechanisms
In 1993, the World Conference on Human Rights adopted the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, which reaffirmed the universality, interdependence and indivisibility of human rights and strengthened the United Nations human rights system, notably by establishing the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights mandate. It also put a strong emphasis on women’s rights and on the role of civil society in promoting and protecting human rights.
The event brought together women human rights defenders, journalists, representatives of the Human Rights Ombudsman Institution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Agency for Gender Equality of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Gender Centre of the Republika Srpska entity.
The dialogue focused on the challenges faced by women rights defenders and actions to support and strengthen their engagement.
In a powerful exchange, women human rights defenders described the serious challenges they encounter, including frequent harassment, threats and attacks in the conduct of their work, as well as institutional barriers and the lack of responses from relevant authorities to the risks they endure.
Women human rights defenders expressed their concern regarding the draft Republika Srpska law on the special registry and publicity of the work of non-profit organizations. They warned that if adopted, it would significantly curtail the space for civil society to conduct its essential work and noted that its chilling effect was already tangible.
The participants agreed upon the importance of thoroughly documenting human rights violations and attacks they faced. The importance of strengthening coalitions for joint action and leveraging the use of international human rights mechanisms was underscored as part of key strategies to address the challenges faced by women human rights defenders and other civil society actors.
Representatives from the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina underscored their commitment to supporting women human rights defenders and the use of United Nations human rights mechanisms, and to facilitating capacity building and other actions to support civil society organizations. The participation of women rights defenders in the preparations of the upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Bosnia and Herzegovina was highlighted as a means to put the spotlight on the situation of women rights defenders.
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