Sarajevo, 24 April 2025 – Representatives of civil society organizations from across Bosnia and Herzegovina gathered today in Sarajevo for the first Civil Society Assembly organized within the PRAGG project — an event that brought together over 30 participants, with the goal of strengthening cooperation between citizens and institutions.

This gathering was more than just another meeting — it marked the beginning of a new dialogue focused on how institutional representatives can build better relationships with citizens in order to address long-standing needs in the interest of civil society.

First-hand, honest and concrete

Through group work and open discussions, representatives of organizations working directly with citizens shared their experiences, challenges, and ideas on how to improve cooperation with public institutions.

The event concluded with a set of concrete recommendations and proposals that will be submitted to the BiH Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Justice. Among other things, they propose strengthening the Advisory Body that connects institutions with civil society, creating clearer mechanisms for regular collaboration, and ensuring that the voices of citizens are not heard occasionally — but consistently — in decision-making processes.

“What we heard and saw today gives us both hope and a sense of responsibility — that we all must work to overcome challenges on the path from information-sharing, through dialogue and cooperation, to genuine partnership. Whether we come from the government or civil society sector, the needs and problems of citizens must be our shared priority. We have the same goals, and that means our joint efforts must focus on cooperation between institutions and civil society — only then can we achieve real results. No one here is asking for ideal conditions — but everyone expects to be heard. I believe this Assembly is an important step in that direction,” said Slaviša Prorok, PRAGG Project Manager.

"The Advisory Body of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organizations has taken a significant step towards improving the working conditions for civil society organizations in BiH, by drafting the first Council of Ministers strategy – the 'Strategy for the Development of Civil Society 2025–2029.' I hope it will be adopted and that we will finally see the first steps forward through its implementation. This gathering contributed to recognizing the need for all organizations to be more actively involved in all these important processes that shape the environment in which we all operate within the civil sector" - stated Aida Daguda, a representative of the previous convocation of the Advisory Body of the Council of Ministers of BiH.

Partnership instead of distance

At a time when Bosnia and Herzegovina is on its path toward democratization and development, the role of civil society and its organizations is becoming increasingly important — even crucial. The aim of this gathering was not only to support those working on change in their communities every day, but also to lay the foundation for a new kind of relationship — one based on mutual respect, trust, and shared responsibility.

 
PRAGG is funded by the Government of Switzerland and implemented by a consortium led by HELVETAS and NIRAS, in partnership with local partners — the Centres for Civic Initiatives (CCI) and the Institute for Youth Development KULT.