Assessing social progress in the Western Balkans 2016 | Bosnia and Herzegovina

This country report provides policy recommendations on how to strengthen social inclusion and protection of minorities in the Western Balkan region and how to enable the environment for CSOs to to provide social services. It focuses on recent developments that have taken place since  January 2016.

This country report is based on inputs provided by members of the IRIS Network, a regional network that brings together CSOs providing social services in the Western Balkans. The IRIS network has been founded in the in the framework of the EU-funded project “Improving the provision of Social Service Delivery in South Eastern Europe through the empowerment of national and regional CSOs”, implemented by the consortium of LIR CD BiH, OGI Croatia, EDC Serbia, SOS TELEPHONE Montenegro, CLARD Kosovo, ARSIS Albania, ASYD FYROM, and SOLIDAR - led by ASB Germany.
The inputs provided by our partners in the Western Balkans are focused on the following sections:
1. Social inclusion, human rights and protection of minorities;
2. The situation of civil society organizations as service providers.

The system for the disabled getting rights and benefits has traditionally been based on needs rather than status. To improve integration, various steps have been taken in the past year:

A new strategy with action plans for equal opportunities for PwDs (Persons with Disability) for 2016-2020, has been prepared by the Government of Republika Srpska, BiH. It should be adopted in the next few months. Constitutional Amendment XXXII to the Republic of Srpska’s Constitution provides the legal framework for the change. This Amendment includes labour relations, safety at work, employment, social insurance and other forms of social protection, health care, care for former soldiers and invalids, care for children and youth, education and culture.