The House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has adopted the conclusions and recommendations of the second thematic session of its Committee on Youth Affairs. The next step is for the House of Peoples to deliberate on these conclusions and recommendations, after which the Government of FBiH and lower levels of government are expected to integrate them into their policies and concrete measures — without which they will remain merely words on paper.

With 63 votes in favor, 12 abstentions, and one against, the House of Representatives of the Parliament of FBiH, at its session held on October 28, 2025, adopted the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Committee on Youth Affairs’ Thematic Session “Youth and Security – Challenges and Responses in Contemporary Society.”

This thematic session, held on October 22, was organized by the Committee on Youth Affairs of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of FBiH, in cooperation with the Youth Council of the Federation of BiH, the Institute for Youth Development KULT, and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. The session aimed to strengthen dialogue between institutions and young people and to create the basis for systemic changes that would ensure better support for youth in the Federation of BiH.
The event gathered over 80 representatives of youth organizations, organizations working with young people, and umbrella youth bodies from across the Federation, alongside Members of Parliament.

Participants emphasized the urgent need to establish a functional and sustainable system of youth support that recognizes the needs and interests of young people across all sectors — from education, employment, and housing to social protection and health.

A special focus of the session was placed on budget allocations for youth as a measurable indicator of institutional commitment and prioritization of youth issues.
In this context, Irma Rešidović, Secretary General of the Youth Council of the Federation of BiH, presented the Analysis of Budget Allocations for Youth in the Federation of BiH (2022–2024) — the first comprehensive analysis of public investments in youth programs and projects at the federal and cantonal levels, developed with the support of the PRAGG project.
The analysis revealed that allocations for youth account for less than 0.1% of the total Federation budget and that there is significant disparity among cantons and between different types of organizations. Discussions reaffirmed the need to elevate youth policy to a higher institutional level — with clearly defined responsibilities, standards, and operational frameworks — and to ensure continuous monitoring and evaluation of the effects of public policies on young people.
Participants highlighted the importance of strategic planning, transparent budgeting, and participatory decision-making as key prerequisites for improving the position of youth.

Based on the proposals presented, the Committee on Youth Affairs adopted 41 conclusions and 23 recommendations, representing a comprehensive set of concrete guidelines for the Government of the Federation of BiH, relevant ministries, and cantonal governments in key areas of youth policy.

According to youth representatives, this marks an important step forward toward systemic youth support and sends a clear signal that youth issues must be treated as a development priority for the Federation of BiH.

The conclusions and recommendations now await consideration by the House of Peoples. Their full implementation by the Government of FBiH and lower levels of government will determine whether these commitments become real policy action or remain “dead letter on paper.”

The complete text of the adopted conclusions and recommendations — whose importance is underscored by the growing number of young people leaving or preparing to leave the country, for which local policymakers bear the greatest responsibility — is available below.

STRATEGY FOR YOUTH OF THE FEDERATION OF BiH
The Government of the Federation of BiH is tasked with submitting the Draft Strategy for Youth of the Federation of BiH 2025–2034 to the Parliament of FBiH for formal legislative procedure, with a request that it be considered by the House of Representatives of the Parliament of FBiH.
Recommendations for the cantonal level of government:

It is recommended that the assemblies of the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton, Posavina Canton, West Herzegovina Canton, Una-Sana Canton, Zenica-Doboj Canton, and Canton 10 develop and adopt a youth strategy in line with the applicable provisions of the Law on Youth of the Federation of BiH and cantonal competencies.
EDUCATION (formal and non-formal)

The Federal Ministry of Education and Science is tasked, in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Finance and accredited higher education institutions, to establish within six months and regularly update on its official website a section with information on available scholarships for pupils and students in the Federation of BiH and BiH.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Science is tasked with forwarding the Draft Law on Student Standards of the Federation of BiH to further procedure, with precisely defined provisions on the financial evaluation of measures for student transport, meals, and additional services; the preparation of a sustainability study for these measures; and support to student dormitories through public-commercial management models that are socially responsible, financially sustainable, and focused on safeguarding students’ social protection.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Science is tasked with conducting an analysis of the implementation status of the document Strategic Guidelines for the Development of Career Guidance in the Federation of BiH 2015–2020, including achieved results, identified challenges and obstacles, and preparing proposals for further activities and measures to improve youth career guidance, with clearly defined institutional responsibilities and indicative implementation timelines, to ensure continuous and effective action in this field.

Recommendations for the cantonal level of government:

It is recommended that all cantonal ministries of education, in cooperation with relevant institutions and organizations of persons with disabilities, develop and implement measures to ensure equal access to education for children and youth with disabilities, especially those from rural areas.

It is recommended that cantonal ministries of education, transport, and spatial planning, in cooperation with local self-government units and other competent institutions, ensure architectural accessibility of public institutions for persons with disabilities, and improve public transport systems and youth traffic safety.

It is recommended that cantonal ministries of education develop and implement service-learning programs in primary and secondary schools, through which teachers together with students would carry out small actions to solve problems in local communities, with the aim of strengthening knowledge, social responsibility, and solidarity among youth.

EMPLOYMENT, SELF-EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the Federal Employment Institute are tasked with developing and establishing a centralized digital platform for publishing all youth employment support programs, tracking applications, and transparently informing users about their status, thereby improving transparency, efficiency, and trust in the youth support system.

The Government of the Federation of BiH and the competent ministries are tasked with developing a regulatory framework that recognizes and systemically supports young people who earn income through freelance work, including solutions related to their tax status, access to social security, and professional development opportunities, in line with EU practices and recommendations of relevant international institutions.

The Government of the Federation of BiH and the House of Representatives of the Parliament of FBiH are tasked with urgently ensuring the adoption of the Law on Employment Intermediation and Social Security of the Unemployed, as well as the adoption of the necessary by-laws and the adjustment of internal acts of employment services, in order to enable the separation of active and passive jobseekers, ensure accurate data on the unemployed, and restore the function of employment services as intermediaries in employment.

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is tasked with implementing pilot activities within the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan in BiH in 2026.

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is tasked with ensuring coordinated and continuous information activities on the rights and obligations of students and employers related to Article 166a of the Labour Law of the Federation of BiH, through a digital information center for student work and public campaigns to increase the availability and understanding of the legal framework.

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is tasked with drafting a Regulation on Student Work to operationalize Article 166a of the Labour Law of FBiH, which will specify definitions, procedures, and employer obligations, including standards of remuneration, occupational safety, engagement records, and reporting. The Regulation should ensure a unified interpretation of the legal provisions, reduce employers’ legal uncertainty, and provide students with a clear and safe framework for engagement, with coordinated action by the competent institutions.

The Government of the Federation of BiH is tasked with establishing a permanent coordination platform to monitor the implementation and effects of Article 166a of the Labour Law of FBiH, involving competent ministries, the Tax Administration, employers’ associations, and representatives of student organizations. The platform will enable continuous data exchange and serve as the basis for the Government’s annual report to Parliament with recommendations for possible amendments to the legal and by-law framework.

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is tasked with proposing a framework for regulating intermediaries in student work, including the establishment of a register of intermediaries that defines minimum registration criteria, obligations regarding work transparency, rights and protection of students, and annual reporting on the number of engaged students and the amount of paid remuneration.

The Government of the Federation of BiH is tasked with ensuring that the issue of student work is adequately recognized and included in relevant strategic and planning documents of FBiH, as part of a broader approach to empowering youth and facilitating the transition from education to the labor market. Within this approach, it is necessary to ensure institutional coordination, continuous data collection, and annual evaluation of effects, so that student work becomes an integral instrument of workforce development.

Recommendations for the cantonal level of government:

It is recommended that cantonal employment services improve youth information systems on available employment and self-employment support programs through interactive social-media campaigns targeting youth, and continuously strengthen local service work by developing information-distribution mechanisms via staff training and cooperation with civil society organizations.

SOCIAL CARE

Housing

The Government of the Federation of BiH is tasked, within six months, with developing and proposing an integrated housing support model for youth, which—building on the existing program with Union Bank—combines rent subsidies, adaptation of existing family homes, access to publicly managed apartments, and subsidies for the purchase of a first property.

The model should be financially sustainable, transparent, and prioritized for young people leaving the parental home for the first time, with differentiated measures for youth in rural areas, youth with disabilities, youth without parental care, and young married couples, including adaptable housing units, special subsidies, and priority in support programs.

The Government of the Federation of BiH is tasked with ensuring a minimum 10% increase in budget funds intended for the implementation of youth housing programs, to enable broader coverage of young beneficiaries and a larger number of subsidies, guarantees, and programs.

The Government of the Federation of BiH, in cooperation with the cantons, is tasked with establishing minimum common tax standards and coordinating the digital interconnection of land registry data and the Tax Administration of FBiH, as tax policy—through gradual introduction of measures—must be aligned with the objectives of youth housing policy in two dimensions: reliefs when purchasing a first property that solves the housing issue, and taxation of residential properties not under lease for the youth category.

The Government of FBiH is tasked with drafting and proposing a legal framework for regulating the rental market, safeguarding the rights of tenants and landlords as well as the guaranteed right to property. The framework should set general criteria for setting and increasing rents in high-pressure market areas and establish a register of lease contracts within the FBiH Tax Administration.

The Government of FBiH is tasked with drafting and proposing a sustainable model of public-private partnerships and socially incentivized housing construction for youth, covering both ownership and non-ownership forms of housing, with clearly defined criteria for beneficiaries (age, income, priority to young families), and annual reporting on the effects and transparency of implemented projects.

The Government of FBiH is tasked with drafting and proposing a legislative and institutional framework for social housing based on long-term and affordable rent, defining beneficiaries and criteria, repurposing the public housing stock, and establishing a digital register of apartments and beneficiaries, with a special focus on a sustainable financing model combining public funds, local budgets, funds, credit lines, and partnerships with the private sector.

The Government of FBiH is tasked with establishing a centralized monitoring system and a public register of all youth housing programs (subsidies, social apartments, PPP projects), with an annual report to be published publicly and submitted to the Parliament of FBiH.

Social care

The Government of the Federation of BiH is tasked with submitting to the Parliament of FBiH, within three months, a Draft Law on Social Services, and—following its adoption—preparing by-laws that ensure a competitive and transparent social-services market, including certification, monitoring, and quality evaluation, with a focus on social entrepreneurship and social mentoring for youth, and establishing mandatory consultative mechanisms with civil society organizations that work directly with youth.

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is tasked with establishing a register of social protection beneficiaries at the FBiH level, relating to youth aged 15 to 30.

The Government of the Federation of BiH is tasked with promptly considering and adopting the Law on Amendments to the Law on Foster Care of FBiH, and forwarding it to parliamentary procedure in both houses of the Parliament of FBiH, to ensure higher-quality care and safer living conditions for children without parental care, and to improve support for foster carers and foster families.

The Government of the Federation of BiH is tasked with urgently considering and adopting the Law on Amendments to the Law on Inspections of FBiH, with the aim of establishing an Inspectorate for Child and Social Protection within the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of FBiH, thereby enabling timely and high-quality inspection oversight in social protection institutions in the Federation of BiH.

Recommendations for the cantonal level of government:

It is recommended that all cantonal governments, within six months, develop and propose an integrated housing support model for youth. The model should combine rent subsidies, adaptation of existing family homes, access to publicly managed apartments, and subsidies for the purchase of a first property; be financially sustainable and transparent; and be prioritized for young people leaving the parental home for the first time.

It is recommended that all cantonal governments provide formal mechanisms for youth participation (youth advisory bodies, public consultations, participatory working groups) in the design, implementation, and evaluation of all youth housing policies and programs.

It is recommended that all competent cantonal ministries, in cooperation with municipalities, within six months prepare a plan for deinstitutionalization and the development of flexible community-based social services. The plan should include needs mapping of youth by municipalities, the development of mobile teams and support centers, and a reduction of long-term dependence on institutional care.

YOUTH HEALTH

The Federal Ministry of Health is tasked with initiating the accreditation process for evidence-based addiction prevention programs, creating their register, and defining financing and evaluation methods.
The Federal Ministry of Health is tasked, in cooperation with cantonal ministries and social protection institutions, with harmonizing procedures and standards in the procurement of orthopedic aids, and improving the practice of issuing medical certificates in order to prevent discrimination against persons with disabilities during employment.
The Federal Ministry of Health is tasked with preparing a report on the harmful effects of energy drink consumption among minors in the Federation of BiH.

Recommendations for the cantonal level of government:

It is recommended that competent cantonal ministries ensure continuous and accessible psychological counseling in all schools, universities, and youth centers as a preventive measure in protecting the mental health of youth.

YOUTH SAFETY

The Government of FBiH and competent ministries are tasked with normatively defining the internet as a public space and supplementing legislation with specific provisions on digital safety of youth, including violence prevention, data protection, hate speech, and sexual harassment, as well as setting a minimum age for opening social media profiles, recommended 12 or 13 years.
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is tasked with finalizing all by-laws under the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women of FBiH as soon as possible, to enable full implementation of the law.

INVESTMENT IN YOUTH, ACTIVISM, VOLUNTEERING, AND PARTICIPATION IN DECISION-MAKING

The Government of the Federation of BiH is tasked with establishing a functional budget classification for youth that will clearly mark and track all expenditure items intended for youth across all sectors, and the Federal Ministry of Finance is tasked with introducing, within the budget process, a mandatory analysis of the effects of budget measures on youth, in accordance with Article 25 of the Law on Youth of FBiH.

The Government of FBiH is tasked with ensuring earmarked and diversified allocation of funds by types of organizations and thematic areas, in order to provide more even support to the youth sector and prevent the concentration of funds among a limited number of beneficiaries, with an obligation to standardize reporting and evaluation of youth projects and programs through publicly available criteria, scoring scales, evaluation comments, and explanations for rejected applications, to ensure systematic tracking of investments and improvement of the status of youth.

The Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports is tasked, within its possibilities, with proposing an increase of funds within the Transfer for Sports budget line.

The Government of FBiH is tasked with digitizing and simplifying the application process for public funds for youth, including the Transfer for Youth, to make funds more accessible to smaller and newly established organizations.

All ministries are tasked with carrying out decentralization and targeted promotion of public calls intended for youth through information sessions, workshops, webinars, and cooperation with local media, to increase the participation of organizations from all areas, and with introducing mentoring and technical support programs for organizations with smaller capacities, to improve project quality and result sustainability. The Federal Ministry of Justice is tasked with establishing a centralized register of youth organizations to serve targeted communication, beneficiary tracking, and the development of mentoring and advisory networks.

The Federal Ministry of Justice is tasked with establishing a centralized register of youth organizations, to serve targeted communication, beneficiary tracking, and the development of mentoring and advisory networks.

The Government of FBiH is tasked with renaming the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports to the Federal Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Law on Youth of the Federation of BiH.

The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports, and the Federal Ministry of Finance are tasked with ensuring an increase of funds for the budget line Transfer for Youth from BAM 600,000 to BAM 1,000,000 for the year 2026.

The Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports is tasked, in cooperation with the Youth Council of the Federation of BiH, with proposing amendments to the Law on Youth of FBiH to enable simpler and more accessible youth organizing.

The Federal Ministry of Justice is tasked with creating a Guide to the Law on Volunteering of the Federation of BiH, recognizing the importance and promotion of volunteering in FBiH, to ensure a coordinated approach to volunteering at different levels and to make volunteering an integral part of local and cantonal development strategies.

The Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports is tasked with improving the funding allocation system for the Youth Council of the Federation of BiH from the FBiH budget, and to disburse funds in the first quarter of the current year, regardless of the announcement of the Transfer for Youth public call.

The Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports is tasked, in cooperation with all other entity ministries that deal with youth issues within their portfolios, with jointly improving the approach to organizing and collecting data, in accordance with applicable legal solutions relating to youth in FBiH. Collected data must allow extraction at least by sex and by age (or age groups), enabling the extraction of data for youth as defined by the Law on

Youth of the Federation of BiH.

Recommendations for the cantonal level of government:

It is recommended that all cantonal governments establish a functional budget classification for youth, by which all expenditure items intended for youth will be clearly marked and tracked across all sectors, for systematic monitoring of investments and to avoid a fragmented approach; and to standardize reporting and evaluation of youth projects and programs, with publicly available criteria, scoring scales, evaluation comments, and mandatory explanations for rejected applications.

It is recommended that all cantonal committees on youth affairs, within their competencies, strengthen oversight of the execution of youth budgets, including transfers from the cantonal to the local level.

It is recommended that all cantonal governments ensure budget allocations for umbrella youth organizations as separate budget items in the cantonal budget.

It is recommended that all cantonal governments digitize and simplify the processes for applying for public funds for youth, to make funds more accessible to smaller and newly established organizations.

It is recommended that all cantonal ministries carry out decentralization and targeted promotion of public calls for youth projects through info-sessions, workshops, webinars, and cooperation with local media, to increase the inclusion of organizations from all areas.

It is recommended that all competent cantonal ministries introduce mentoring and technical support programs for organizations with smaller capacities, in order to improve project quality and the sustainability of results.

It is recommended that all cantonal ministries of justice establish a centralized register of youth organizations, to be used for targeted communication, beneficiary tracking, and the development of mentoring and advisory networks.

It is proposed that all cantonal assemblies include and appoint youth representatives to youth committees, in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Law on Youth of the Federation of BiH and cantonal competencies.

It is proposed that all competent cantonal ministries for youth establish youth departments/sections.

It is proposed that all cantonal governments establish the position of a Youth Officer and ensure adequate training and professional development for these officials, in accordance with the Law on Youth of the Federation of BiH.

It is recommended that cantonal assemblies and cantonal committees on youth affairs, within their competencies, organize thematic sessions on youth policies at least once a year, focusing on specific areas.

It is recommended that all cantonal ministries that provide or support services to the population collect user data in a way that enables extraction by age, sex, type of service used, and place of residence. Age data should enable extraction by individual years or age clusters, and at minimum in accordance with the definition of a young person under the Law on Youth of FBiH.

It is recommended that all cantonal assemblies, in accordance with the Constitution of FBiH, adopt regulations that will govern the area of sports and the position of youth in sports.