Civil society

Within its legal powers, the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina cooperates with the non-governmental sector and ensures the development of civil society. This area of the Ministry's work was established because civil society and the development of NGOs are recognised as an important element in the public and future European life of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• Cooperation and development of civil society

• Europe for Citizens Programme

• Public consultations - e-Consultations

• Agreement on Cooperation between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Non-Governmental Organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Advisory Body of the Council of Ministers of BiH for Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organisations

Cooperation and development of civil society

By establishing the Sector for Legal Aid and Civil Society Development, the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ensured the prerequisites for the adoption of legislation and strategies favourable to the development of civil society. The development of civil society, namely the non-governmental, non-profit, voluntary and other sector, which is characterised by freedom of association and action for the common good, is also one of the priorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the process of European integration. The Sector's priorities include, among other things: creating a more favourable environment for the development of civil society, preparing and proposing various forms of cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Council of Ministers of BiH, and improving the work of existing bodies, encouraging the participation of civil society in the public consultation process when drafting legal regulations, preparing accompanying periodic analyses and reports on cooperation and compliance with legislation relating to the civil sector, etc. The Ministry will provide support in training civil society organisations on accessing EU funds, facilitating European networking, strengthening the capacity of small organisations, etc.

Europe for Citizens Programme

(https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/europe-for-citizens)

The European Union is made up of its citizens and was created for the benefit of its citizens. It is of great importance to support and enable greater citizen participation in the European Union and in what the European Union represents. This ranges from the need for greater citizen involvement in existing activities to the need to foster a better understanding of the history of the European Union and its origins after the two World Wars. In this sense, the Europe for Citizens programme (the Programme) is an important instrument intended to ensure that the Union's 500 million inhabitants play a greater role in its development through financial programmes and activities in which citizens can participate. The Programme promotes a common European history and values and encourages a sense of responsibility for the future development of the Union. The Programme should be accessible to all citizens of the European Union without any discrimination on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age and sexual orientation. The Programme's participating countries are the 28 members of the European Union, Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina's contact point for the Programme is the Sector for Legal Aid and Civil Society Development of the Ministry of Justice of BiH.

Main activities Contact points:

• Organisation of information days, workshops and targeted meetings for potential users of the Programme.

• Providing information about the Programme by email and telephone

• Providing administrative and technical support to potential users of the Programme during the project application process.

• Updating the website with all relevant information about the Programme (including maintaining the tool for searching for partner organisations to implement projects)

• Production, printing and distribution of promotional materials.

Public consultations - e-Consultations

The Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the first state body in Bosnia and Herzegovina to have begun implementing the Rules for Consultations in the Preparation of Legal Regulations of the Council of Ministers of BiH. All interested citizens and legal entities have the opportunity to participate directly in the drafting of legal regulations. Through the public consultation process, we aim to ensure a higher level of participation from interested parties in legislative activities, better informed citizens, and greater public trust in the strategic policy-making process.

By clicking the link below, you can access the web platform and register to participate in the e-consultations: https://www.ekonsultacije.gov.ba/

Agreement on Cooperation between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Non-Governmental Organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Agreement on Cooperation between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and non-governmental organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Agreement) was signed on 30 November 2017 in the building of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The signatories of the Agreement have committed to dedicating all their capacities to building a prosperous, just, open, pluralistic and democratic society in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Furthermore, the signatories confirmed their commitment to cooperate in fulfilling the conditions for Bosnia and Herzegovina's full membership of the European Union. This Agreement seeks to define priorities that will better correspond with the new challenges for BiH and the opportunities for cooperation between the Council of Ministers of BiH and non-governmental organisations. This creates the conditions for the creation of quality public policies and their effective implementation.

Subsequent accession to the Agreement: Article 2 of the Agreement provides that non-governmental organisations may accede to the Agreement subsequently by notifying in writing the Sector for Legal Aid and Civil Society Development of the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this regard, to accede to the Agreement subsequently, it is necessary to complete Form 1 – Subsequent Accession to the Agreement and send it by e-mail or post.

More about this at: http://www.mpr.gov.ba/nvo/archive.aspx?langTag=bs-BA&template_id=116&pageIndex=1

Advisory Body of the Council of Ministers of BiH for Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organisations

On 1 December 2020, the constitutive session of the Advisory Body of the Council of Ministers of BiH for Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organisations was held. The establishment of the Advisory Body of the Council of Ministers of BiH for Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organisations fulfils one of the most significant commitments from the Cooperation Agreement between the Council of Ministers of BiH and non-governmental organisations in BiH. Furthermore, this step also contributes to fulfilling one of the 14 key priorities from the European Commission's Opinion on Bosnia and Herzegovina's application for membership of the European Union, which concerns ensuring a conducive environment for civil society in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this way, the Council of Ministers of BiH has once again demonstrated its commitment to building a prosperous, fair, open, pluralistic and democratic society in BiH.

In accordance with the Cooperation Agreement between the Council of Ministers of BiH and non-governmental organisations in BiH, the Advisory Body of the Council of Ministers of BiH for Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organisations is responsible for enhancing cooperation between the Council of Ministers of BiH and non-governmental organisations, with the aim of creating a conducive legal, institutional and financial environment for the operation of the non-governmental sector in BiH.

The Advisory Body of the Council of Ministers of BiH for Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organisations is composed of seven members with long-standing experience in creating, monitoring and implementing public policies of importance for creating a stimulating legal, institutional and financial environment for non-governmental organisations in BiH, selected through a public call by the Ministry of Justice of BiH.