Youth Officers in Step With Youth of BiH

Youth in BiH are facing many challenges, and Youth Officers can and should help them overcome any obstacles. This was one of the conclusions from a 4-day seminar Youth Officers in Step With Youth of BiH, held in Sarajevo from November 20 to November 23, 2018.

The seminar included a presentation of the current situation of youth in BiH, the problems they face, the opportunities they (do not) have, and international programs they can use.

The goal of the seminar is to improve the relationship between Youth Officers and youth who often don’t know who to talk to in government institutions, while Youth Officers, on the other hand, don’t have enough information about opportunities for youth in BiH.

Youth Officers are experts working for local administrations, responsible for mediating between the local administration and youth in the implementation of youth laws, communicating with organizations dealing with youth issues, youth organizations, and providing support to youth in their local administrations.

The seminar brought together Youth Officers from across BiH, representatives of ministries competent for youth issues and representatives of various programs intended for youth. Guests of the seminar included representatives of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), Youth Council of FBiH, Youth Council of Republika Srpska, and the Erasmus+ program. Pursuant to the Youth Law of FBiH, every local administration is obligated to have a Youth Officer. In Republika Srpska there is no legal requirement for administrations concerning Youth Officers, whereas Brčko District and the Federation of BiH have clearly defined the roles of Youth Officers.

Information, recommendations and opinions shared during this event on all topics will be made available to relevant institutions in charge of youth issues at all levels of government, and used to design other trainings for Youth Officers. The seminar was held by the Institute for Youth Development KULT in cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH, and with the support of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ).