In the context of COVID-19 pandemic induced school closures, digital distance education platforms have become essential for ensuring continuity of learning for all. Students and teachers in BiH have not stayed immune to challenges arising from the switch to online teaching modality, as they have been lacking adequate access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices and quality internet connections. These challenges prevented them to continue their learning trajectories and participate smoothly in distance and blended learning. Strikingly, the lack of learning continuum affected over 9,700 children in primary and secondary schools[1] in BiH, as well as 523 primary and secondary school teachers (including TVET) who did not have access to ICT[2]. Moreover, UNICEF’s U-report showed that 45% of youth experienced challenges with access to learning, such as sharing devices with other family members, or lacking appropriate space and environment for studying. At greatest risk of being left behind are students from marginalized groups, remote rural areas, and low-income households, as well as students with disabilities. The rapid shift to distance learning caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 highlighted the persistent digital divide in terms of connectivity, infrastructure, and the digital skills of teachers for e-learning and blended learning. Decentralised education systems in BiH resulted in a diversity of approaches to distance learning and a lack of common quality criteria for e-learning and shared e-learning platforms. Hence, most administrative units did not develop guidelines for e-learning and the teachers did not receive adequate training in this area.  "Re-imagining Education for Marginalized Girls and Boys during and post COVID-19" project in BiH recognized that defining basic ICT standards in education is one of the main prerequisites in education digitalization process. With this in mind, educational policies must offer standards to educational institutions, defining the recommended infrastructure for ICT, including equipment, stable and accessible Internet connectivity, as well as the necessary security measures. The activity set the norms and standards for computer equipment and supported infrastructure in educational institutions in BiH. The minimum standards determined the lower limit of ICT acceptable equipment which helps education authorities to achieve the goals of standardization of ICT to be used in educational institutions across all administrative units of BiH. The UN implementing agencies created the working group consisting of education authorities to work on defining basic ICT standards in education systems in BiH. During the implementation process, UNICEF and UNESCO provided technical assistance to the working group. This normative support envisages further assistance to education authorities and institutions in implementing the defined ICT standards through their incorporation into legal documents (rulebooks, strategies, manuals, etc.) of educational institutions. Besides, analysis of the existing ICT infrastructure elements for primary, secondary and higher education in all administrative units of BiH was also conducted, serving as a starting point for insight into the current situation of ICT equipment as well as for comparison with the defined ICT standards. The analysis found that 53.29 % of primary schools do not have a permanent internet connection, while 66.04 % do not have a computer classroom.[1] Moreover, number of educational institutions in BiH that use more accessible forms of ICT technology in teaching such as Netbook and tablet computers is relatively low at all levels of education.[2] Defining ICT standards served as a prerequisite for equipping vulnerable children, students and teachers with necessary ICT equipment and internet connections. This included Roma, disabled children, children from rural areas and poor socio-economic families, as well as teachers at TVET and university level where practical teaching process is assumed. “COVID-19 crisis has further deepened inequity and exacerbated an already existing learning crisis as many children, youth and adults were prevented from equal access and opportunities to continue learning. Defining ICT standards in education systems and then ensuring that these standards are followed for delivering ICT equipment to schools is one of the crucial steps in BiH. This would allow all children in BiH to continue learning and participate smoothly in distance and blended learning. Apart from increasing efficiency and resilience to the future shocks in the education systems, this activity promotes and strengthens equity for all education institutions benefiting all teachers and children, leaving no one behind.” Joint statement by Dr. Rownak Khan, UNICEF Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Siniša Šešum, Head of UNESCO Antenna in Sarajevo, UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, and Ms. Lejla Tanović, ILO National Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina Apart from the engagement of UNICEF and UNESCO, procurement and delivery of ICT equipment and internet connections considers interaction with and engagement of private sector stakeholders i.e. Microsoft, in a view of expanding and enhancing the overall implementation effectiveness through formation of public-private partnership. Concretely, Microsoft will be providing authorities with the “Shape of Future Letter” document enabling education authorities to purchase ICT equipment under favourable conditions. The intention now is for the Council of Ministers of BiH and all relevant education authorities to adopt the document, and to synchronize ICT equipment for the needs of the education sector. In this way, the activity hopes to result in the provision of a long-term solution for stable and continuous internet connections for schools, necessary not only during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also for enhancing the overall digitalisation of education systems in BiH. [1] Analysis of the existing ICT infrastructure elements for primary, secondary and higher education, UNICEF-UNESCO, October 2021 [2] Ibid. [1] Rapid Needs Assessment- Education, UNICEF BiH, March 2020 [2] Rapid Needs Assessment-Education-Phase II, UNICEF-UNESCO BiH, August 2020

The territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina is highly exposed and vulnerable to meteorological and geological natural hazards and disasters, which have huge impacts on the agricultural sector. In order to undertake measures to protect this branch of the economy, the Joint Swiss and United Nations (UN) Programme “Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development in BiH” promoted the engagement of a broader BiH community in the planning of priorities and measures for providing a response in emergencies.  The programme laid a foundation for long-term effective and targeted development of a disaster risk reduction (DRR) platform for agriculture in ten local communities vulnerable to risks. Attempts are made to address hazards, exposure and ability to solve problems in the households that depend on agriculture through activities of the local DRR teams. One of the cities in BiH in which communities are implementing the necessary activities to respond to the existing and future disasters is Trebinje. The DRR team in that city has been continually working towards strengthening the existing system which will contribute to reducing levels of exposure to hazards, vulnerability of people and property and an efficient land management. According to Ms. Svjetlana Vuletić of the Agrarian Fund of the City of Trebinje, coordinator and member of the DRR working group in the agricultural sector, the development of a DRR programme for each local community represents concrete support to systemic disaster risk reduction and possibility to manage an emergency.   “Every local community has a chance to have all the plans, measures and stakeholders for both preparedness for, and actual response to, disasters that have already hit at one place. The importance of power and coordination of all local institutions in disaster risk reduction is visible even today, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A local disaster risk assessment in agriculture is a particularly important segment of DRR as this branch of the economy is particularly vulnerable even without natural disasters”, said Ms. Vuletić.       In view of the importance of agriculture in terms of livelihoods, Ms. Vuletić emphasizes that it is necessary to keep focus and to improve continuously the measures for mitigation of vulnerabilities, to prevent the consequences of disasters and to enable recovery of agriculture. This is the reason why the attempt is to define through questionnaires and workshops held in the municipalities which participate in the Programme all possible measures for mitigation, prevention and preparedness aimed at reducing the impact of natural hazards on agriculture.  Ms. Sanja Vuković, member of the DRR platform and DRR working group in the agricultural sector in Trebinje, thinks that new tools for identification of the necessary measures for mitigation of impacts of natural disasters in agriculture, presented through the DRR platform, made the priorities of actions in the field visible . As she said,  the questionnaire was clearly completed just as the workshop was implemented among the local communities facing similar or the same problems.  “We maintained cooperation with all representatives of the local communities where we received the appropriate data required for the implementation of activities related to mitigation of consequences of disasters. We managed to fill out parts of the questionnaire referring to field survey, on the basis of gathered data”, said Ms. Vuković. Members of the DRR platform from Trebinje have recalled the period of floods and landslides in BiH in 2014, which, as they said, should be an alarm to the entire society, from individuals to the highest levels of government, showing  how crucial the preparation of a response to disasters is for the protection of agriculture. “With negative climate change, natural disasters, like earthquakes, landslides, floods, droughts, fires and storms, will be happening increasingly more often. We cannot have a strong impact on their frequency but we can be prepared in the best way possible, we can have an adequate response and the consequences of such disasters mitigated by individuals and local communities”, said Ms. Vuković. The role of local institutions in preparedness and coordination of a response in an emergency is the basic and most important level of preparedness since local communities are the first responders in all disasters, the DRR platform members from Trebinje added. “The conclusion we inevitably draw after every disaster is that only when communities have capacities, knowledge, skills and resources will it be possible to reduce, or at least significantly mitigate, a disaster risk”, Ms. Vuletić said in conclusion. This was shown in practice in the municipality of Kakanj, during the marking of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, 13 October. The event which brought together representatives of the international donor community and local municipality highlighted the importance of building and connecting national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction through multi-sectoral linking policies in DRR related areas. Participating at the marking, which included signing of the Declaration to implement Go Green Initiative, planting seedlings to prevent landslides, and an impressive preparedness simulation exercise, Mr.Nabil Gangi, the FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia noted: “For us at FAO the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction which we celebrate on 13 October every year offers a unique opportunity to acknowledge the progress made towards reducing disaster risks and losses for the benefit of rural lives and rural livelihoods. FAO is proud of the results achieved under the joint initiative so far, and we with great enthusiasm look forward to continuing this successful work in close collaboration with our key partners, including the Government of Switzerland, and capacitating farmers from risk-exposed localities in 10 target municipalities to become more resilient socially and economically to effects of disasters and climate change through improved awareness of evidence-based good practices in agriculture and improved access to technologies”. The Programme “Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development in BiH” is trying to establish strategic frameworks for DRR throughout the country which will ensure integration of risk reduction into the relevant development policies at all levels of government. The Programme in BiH is implemented by the UN agencies: UNDP, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNFPA and FAO, in partnership with the government institutions in the country.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Week in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) was held from 4 – 8 October 2021 and served as a meeting, consultation, and discussion platform for promotion of Sustainable Development Goals in BiH. The SDG Week was implemented in cooperation with the Council for monitoring the implementation of SDGs in BiH (the Council). The Council includes members from all relevant state, entity, and Brčko District of BiH representatives and will work on coordination and monitoring of implementation of the SDGs in the country. The UN and the Council work together on promotion and implementation of SDGs in BIH. The SDG Week was an important venue to present the role of the Council with wider stakeholders. "We are continuing what was started in BiH at the beginning of 2017, when the first working group was formed to roll-out implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals with the immense support of the United Nations Office in Sarajevo and the Government of Sweden. All institutions had to officially adopt the SDG Framework for the document to be alive and for its implementation to start”, said Milos Prica, ambassador at large at the BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "I invite everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina to read the SDG Framework and use it as a guide for how they can contribute to achieving Agenda 2030. The Framework covers many important areas from good governance, health, energy efficiency, education, economic prosperity and beyond. It is an important tool that will help us build a fairer, greener, more prosperous and more inclusive society for all, where no one is left behind”, said Ingrid Macdonald, United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in BiH. Eva Gibson Smedberg, the head of development cooperation at the Embassy of Sweden in BiH, pointed out that Sweden financed the development of the SDG Framework in BiH. "The adoption of the Framework and the establishment of the Council for implementation of SDGs are very important steps forward. Now that the formal conditions have been met, the real work follows on the ground. What is needed for successful implementation is certainly a better awareness of all actors in the process", said Eva Gibson Smedberg. Two events that opened the SDG Week in BiH on 4 October aimed to initiate a discussion with authorities at local level on implementation of the adopted SDG Framework in BiH and open a policy dialogue on the importance of social protection in the context of Agenda 2030. SDG Week put the spotlight on the future of work through a special edition of the Future Talks by UNDP Accelerator Lab. Future Talks brought together inspiring speakers on 5 October from different continents to discuss the future of work. One of the highlights of SDG Week was the conference “Greening the economy – accelerating business”. Representatives of businesses, financial institutions, academia, and international organizations in BiH discussed on 6 October, within three panels, what the green transition entails for the private sector and to deepen the understanding of the benefits of investing in green solutions. The event „Future of Education: Universities 4.0“, held on 7 October, involved young people and students in a dialogue on new directions and tools that education needs to embrace for sustainable living and work. This year, the principal partners of the event were Sarajevo School of Science and Technology (SSST) and The School of Economics and Business of University of Sarajevo, in cooperation with other public universities in BIH. Signing of the Pledge for Sustainable Development marked the end of the first ever SDG Week in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The winners of the SDG Business Pioneers Award in BiH 2019-2021 gathered on 8 October to confirm their commitment to sustainable business and Agenda 2030 by signing the Pledge for Sustainable Development. „Not by chance, the SDG Week closes with private sector. It is our pleasure to bring together progressive companies that share the same values based on Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals. By signing the SDG Pledge, the winners of the SDG Business Pioneers Award demonstrated once more their commitment to create decent jobs, continue to have zero tolerance to corruption and reduce their impact on the environment. We sincerely hope that this example will be followed by others and that it will result in healthier, more competitive and greener BiH private sector”, stated Steliana Nedera, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in BiH. 800+ live audience followed 70+ local, regional, and global keynote speakers in 7 events organized under the framework of the SDG Week. The recorded sessions were viewed by 4200+ people over the span of 5 days.

The City of Bihać has taken important steps towards strengthening protection and rescue services through a series of activities under the Joint Program of the Government of Switzerland and the United Nations "Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina". Together with nine other cities and municipalities, Bihać has been participating in the implementation of the Joint Program since 2019. One of the important program activities is the establishment of an online Disaster Risk Analysis System (DRAS) that provides information on exposure to floods, landslides, earthquakes and mine suspected areas in the cities and municipalities participating in the program. DRAS is an online platform that provides decision-makers and residents with unhindered access to scientific data on natural and other hazards, with the aim of raising awareness of the risk of disasters in a particular location.  From the beginning of 2021, the residents of Bihać have access to this platform. In the past period, local institutions and protection and rescue services in Bihać have jointly ensured that all necessary information is available on DRAS system, which is part of the official website of the City of Bihać and as such is at the service of citizens, public institutions, and companies. Support in the process of establishing the DRAS was provided by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), which together with other UN agencies in BiH is implementing the Joint Program. Elmedin Mehadžić, coordinator for this program in the City of Bihać underlined that citizens have embraced the DRAS platform due to the simplicity of use and up-to-date data. The platform benefits are also recognized by the local communities that have mine covered areas in its vicinity and communities along the Una river that are often flooded.  "Thanks to the DRAS platform, citizens have insight into locations where they are planning to build the facilities, and in the same time, the application has increased awareness among citizens when submitting documents for construction in the risk prone areas. The DRAS platform is also important for the development of tourism, to position Bihać as a safe destination for visitors from BiH and abroad" said Mehadžić.  He adds that the City Administration of Bihać is using the DRAS platform in its daily activities performed by the relevant services, particularly by those dealing with property issues. On the other hand, the Civil Protection Service of Bihać is using the DRAS platform as a good basis for preparing rescue plans and responses to crisis situations, particularly to floods, fires and earthquakes which have become frequent in the region of Bihać over the past years. The DRAS system consists of three Modules, of which Module 1 is publicly accessible and Modules 2 and 3 are accessible to respective local authorities in accordance with their user rights. Module 1 uses hazard maps and projects them onto publicly available Google maps, making them easy to search and use. This Module is related to the data at the precipitation and water levels, which is publicly accessible thanks to the Hydrometeorological Institutes and Water Agencies. Module 2 of the DRAS system allows local governance authorities to view the information on affected and vulnerable groups of population on the spatial maps and overlaps this data with hazard data, which facilitates better inclusion of vulnerable groups into the planning of prevention and response in emergencies.  Module 3 provides rapid computer analysis and preparation of spatial risk assessments for local authorities through a combination of scientific hazard data, and land use and sensitivity data in accordance with the methodology of  the EU Floods Directive. This tool provides local communities with objective and precise calculations of risks using scientific data which exists at higher levels to support evidence-based decision making.   “We are convinced that in the next period, the DRAS platform will be extremely important for our community which wants to reduce disaster risks and thereby protect human lives and property of our citizens through preventive action undertaken in all segments of our society”, Mr. Mehadžić emphasized. In addition to promotion of this platform, the numerous other activities aimed at undertaking timely action in crisis situations have been implemented in Bihać. Support has been provided to continuing operation of the Local DRR Platform and its capacity has been assessed. The team undertook three training sessions – sustainable development, climate change and disaster risk reduction, project management and crisis management – based on the disaster risk reduction (DRR) capacity assessment.  “We took a serious and proactive approach as soon as we signed the DRR Platform and immediately after Bihać joined the Programme, so our representatives in the civil protection and firefighting, social and child protection and education and agriculture sectors take an active part in identifying problems and looking for solutions, improving the organization of work and developing protection and rescue documents”, said Mr. Mirsad Šehić, a member of the local DRR Platform, from the Service for Civil Protection, Technical and Joint Services of the City of Bihać.  “Crisis management as well as disaster mitigation and preparedness measures have to be incorporated into the strategic documents and development planning as it is one of the ways to change the current increasing trend of negative impacts of disasters. Through the Joint Swiss and UN Programme, UNDP with partners supports the building of resilience of ten municipalities to natural and other disasters through an integrated approach which includes civil protection, health, education, social protection and agriculture sectors as important stakeholders in the preparation of disaster risk management strategic documents. Apart from assisting decision-makers, the DRAS system gives an insight into specific hazards within a certain area. By using various tools, we are working together on a different approach as well as on raising awareness about the importance of disaster management, mitigation of disaster effects and better preparedness”, said Ms. Steliana Nedera, UNDP Resident Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.     The City of Bihać Risk Assessment has been upgraded to include the information on flood and landslide maps and hazards, social protection, sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence. “It is important to emphasize that in the future, we will be integrating the documents made through the local DRR Platforms into the Disaster Risk Assessment for the City of Bihać as the fundamental document which treats this issue in our community as well as into the Development Strategy of the City”, Mr. Šehić added.  It is planned to amend the current Federation Methodology for conducting a hazard vulnerability assessment and developing protection plans, whereby certain issues covered by the Platform activities will be incorporated into the legal framework. The City of Bihać believes that these activities facilitate the involvement in the Programme of representatives of the highest instances of the protection and rescue authorities in the country, primarily the Ministry for Security of BiH, and the entity administrations for Civil Protection.