Bosnia and Herzegovina

Switzerland is supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina in its transition towards a democratic society and social market economy. Cooperation activities focus on supporting inclusive social and political reforms, encouraging economic development, creating more decent jobs and strengthening the health sector.

The Dayton Peace Agreement brought the armed conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to an end in 1995 after three years of devastation and bloodshed. 26 years after the conflict, BiH remains a fragile state and the Dayton Agreement still defines the complex political structure of the country, composed of two entities: (1) the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and (2) the Republika Srpska and Brčko District, a self-governing administrative area. The cumbersome state apparatus with 14 different levels of government and sometimes overlapping competences poses a challenge to reconciliation and state-building.

BiH applied to join the European Union in February 2016 and its application was accepted in September of that year. In its opinion of 2019, the European Commission defined 14 priority areas for improvement in the areas of democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights and public administration reform. However, ethnic divisions still influence the country’s politics and reforms are slow. The economy suffers from severe structural deficits, including 47% unemployment among young people aged between 15 and 24. Social and economic divisions are growing and nearly 50% of the population is exposed to some form of discrimination. 

Taking into account the needs and the challenges BiH faces, Switzerland will continue to support the country within the scope of its new cooperation programme for the period 2021–24. This support will be focused on specific sectors in line with the priorities defined by the BiH government. The Swiss cooperation programme will be guided by the 2030 Agenda and intervene in line with EU accession priorities and relevant domestic strategies.

Economic development and employment

Switzerland’s efforts in BiH encourage a favourable environment for investments and private sector development as well as more decent jobs and income opportunities for women and men. Switzerland advocates for government policies that encourage economic growth and sustainable prosperity.

Alongside these efforts, Switzerland is helping to fight unemployment among young people. It supports selected vocational education and training (VET) schools and the establishment of a formalised dialogue between VET schools, education authorities and companies, to foster market orientation of the technical vocational education and training (TVET) system.

Basic education and vocational training

Private Sector Development and financial services

Health

The aim in this thematic area is to sustainably guarantee universal access to high-quality primary healthcare and equip women, men and young people with the knowledge to adopt healthier lifestyles. Switzerland's efforts to set up primary healthcare services focus on the development of nursing services, community mental healthcare and preventing chronic diseases to reduce health sector costs in the long term. 

Health

Local governance and municipal services

In its cooperation with BiH, Switzerland is helping to develop accountable institutions tailored to citizens’ needs by improving access to public services and making them easier to use. The enhancement of municipal services is especially important in the water sector and for disaster risk reduction. The inclusion of marginalised groups is a key concern. Interventions therefore encourage all citizens, in particular women and youth, to express their voices in a structured way and to actively participate in decision-making.

State and Economic Reforms

Migration

As a transit country for migrants, BiH faces migration management challenges. It can rely on close cooperation with Switzerland within the Migration Partnership signed in 2009 and facilitated by the SEM, and on Swiss expertise in this area. Switzerland will continue to reduce hardship experienced by migrants transiting BiH, while strengthening BiH’s capacities to prevent irregular migration, improve border management and protect migrants' rights. It will also continue to facilitate transfers of BiH diaspora know-how and resources, as well as the flow of remittances.

Migration

Organisation and partners

Switzerland coordinates its work with the authorities of BiH and with other donor countries, multilateral organisations and international financial institutions as well as civil society and private sector partners. The principles of good governance, gender equity, social inclusion, citizen participation and climate change and resource efficiency are an integral part of the Swiss cooperation programme. The other Swiss state actors engaged in BiH are the FDFA State Secretariat, the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), and the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) via the deployment of a military contingent to the European Union Force in BiH.

Switzerland's main partners in BiH are:

• Swiss NGOs, including Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation and the Swiss Red Cross
• Swiss partners, including the Office of the Public Prosecutor of the Canton of Zurich and Geneva University Hospitals
• Multilateral organisations, including the UNDP and the World Bank
• National partners, including government departments, regional and local authorities (bodies, cantons, municipalities), civil society organisations and BiH NGOs
• Co-funding partners, including Sweden, Germany and the EU