The work of the Council for Youth of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina officially began with a founding session, marking the establishment of a permanent expert, intersectoral, advisory, and intergovernmental body. The Council was established following the adoption of the Regulation on the Establishment of the Youth Council of the Federation of BiH, through which the Government of the Federation fulfilled its legal obligation under the Law on Youth of the Federation of BiH. This represents a significant step forward, as it is the first time that youth representatives have been formally enabled to work together with the executive authorities of the Federation of BiH.
The Council for Youth plays an important role in improving the position of young people, promoting and protecting their rights, and coordinating and harmonizing youth policies at the FBiH level. It will actively participate in the drafting and monitoring of strategic, planning, and action documents relevant to youth, provide opinions and recommendations to federal authorities during the adoption of laws and by-laws, and report to the Government of the Federation of BiH on the challenges facing young people across the Federation of BiH.
The Council consists of ten members. Five are representatives of federal ministries: the Federal Ministry of Education and Science, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the FBiH Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, and the FBiH Ministry of Culture and Sports, while the remaining five are appointed by the Youth Council of the Federation of BiH, the umbrella youth organization of young people in the Federation of BiH.
At its founding session, the Council discussed issues related to the organization of its work, adopted its rules of procedure, and considered upcoming activities, including the scheduling of future meetings and the definition of priority areas of action. Particular emphasis was placed on the need for a systematic, coordinated, and long-term approach to youth policy-making, as well as on strengthening cooperation between government institutions and the youth sector.
Minister Sanja Vlaisavljević noted that the establishment of the Council is an important step for young people in the Federation of BiH and reflects the Ministry’s continued commitment to ensuring stronger youth representation that will lead to improvements in their overall position.
Assistant Minister for Youth Adis Salkić said that over the past two years the FBiH Ministry of Culture and Sports has taken significant steps to immprove the standard of living and opportunities for young people in the Federation. He highlighted three key efforts: the development of the Youth Strategy of the Federation of BiH, which has been awaiting adoption since 2010; increased openness of the Ministry to the public alongside increased budget allocations for youth; and the establishment of the Council for Youth as an intergovernmental sectoral body.
With the establishment of the Council for Youth of the Federation of BiH, an important mechanism for institutional dialogue between young people and government has been created, aimed at contributing to the development of higher-quality youth policies in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Institute for Youth Development KULT is providing expert and technical support to the FBiH Ministry of Culture and Sports in the process of establishing the Council for Youth.
