Publications

The infosheet includes information about the establishment and functioning of the Deputy Chairpersons of the Municipal Assembly for Communities (DCMACs) in 2022.

This document outlines what Communities Committees (CC’s) are and provides information regarding CC’s in 2022.

The infosheet includes information about the membership and functioning of the Municipal Offices for Communities and Return (MOCRs) in 2022.

The Guidelines for the Effective Performance of Municipal Coordination Mechanisms against Domestic Violence (MCMDV) are a practical tool to facilitate more effective and co-ordinated responses of these mechanisms to domestic violence cases at the local level. They cover the legal basis and purpose of the MCMDVs, the importance of a multi-institutional and coordinated approach, data collection and reporting, and training and capacity building for MCMDV members.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) monitors and reports on domestic war crimes proceedings to provide an objective and accurate assessment of the capacity and willingness of the judicial system to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate war crimes in an effective, human rights compliant and expedient manner. In addition, the Mission has begun increasing its focus on transitional justice as an essential complement to judicial proceedings. Related Mission programming includes capacity-building, promoting transparency, targeted advocacy and technical support.

The 1990s conflict in BiH resulted in vast displacement and consequently ethnic homogenization in many areas. In an attempt to reverse this process and encourage the return of refugees and displaced persons, the practice of ‘two schools under one roof’ was established as a temporary measure in three ethnically-divided cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Zenica Doboj Canton, Central Bosnia Canton, and Herzegovina Neretva Canton). This interim measure provided children of different ethnicities, who had previously studied in separate, often inadequate private premises (houses, bars, or restaurants), an opportunity to at least receive education in a single school building. Unfortunately, the temporary has become permanent without any systemic solution in sight to transition to integrated schools.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina monitors and reports on hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents, advocates for the effective application of legal provisions on hate crimes, raises awareness amongst institutions and the public and builds the capacity of domestic institutions to prevent and process such cases.

Social cohesion is a societal challenge that requires a strategic approach and the engagement of numerous stakeholders. Improved community cohesion achieved via the sustained engagement of civil society actors and public authorities in the implementation of locally-designed Community Cohesion Action Plans (CCAPs), is a central element of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s engagement in this field.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina demonstrates its clear commitment to combating trafficking in human beings (CTHB) by strengthening domestic authorities’ capacity to counter this heinous practice. The Mission’s CTHB efforts draw on its comprehensive trial monitoring programme, which covers all criminal cases related to human trafficking adjudicated by the judiciary across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The data gathered through this monitoring, combined with long-standing relationships with key counterparts, informs the Mission’s work to enhance the applicable legislative and policy frameworks as well as the capacity of judicial officials, and judicial and other relevant stakeholders.

Education as a fundamental human right must be ensured without discrimination on any ground. It is therefore crucial for every society, including Bosnia and Herzegovina and all its levels of government, to recognize and combat discrimination in education. Two decades after the war ended, many children in BiH are still faced with discriminatory practices in education and a subsequent lack of inclusive quality education. This, in essence, challenges their right to education. Education policies and practices in BiH still uphold ethno-national divisions as opposed to promoting mutual understanding, tolerance, and respect for diversity. A key objective of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina is to strengthen and support the efforts of BiH education authorities to ensure non-discriminatory inclusive quality education for all children.