The second thematic session of the Commission for Youth Issues of the House of Representatives of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is scheduled for 22 October. The session will bring together key actors from across sectors to open a broad discussion on the position of young people in the Federation of BiH and to put forward concrete recommendations and measures for improving it.
The session is jointly organized by the Commission for Youth Issues of the Parliamentary House of Representatives, the Youth Council of FBiH, the Institute for Youth Development KULT, and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD).
The discussion will include education, employment, housing policy, and youth participation in decision-making, with one segment of the session dedicated specifically to youth safety in a broader social context.
The goal of the thematic session is to engage all relevant stakeholders – parliamentarians, youth organisations, academia, institutions, and civil society – to ensure that youth issues remain high on the political agenda and that sustainable solutions are developed for the challenges young people face.
Adisa Kokić Hinović, Chair of the Commission for Youth Issues, stressed the importance of institutional dialogue between young people, experts, and decision-makers, noting that this session puts young people at the centre, offers expert analysis and discussion, and brings all relevant actors together.
“This is a unique event in FBiH where young people, youth organizations, institutional representatives, experts in the relevant fields, and FBiH-level decision-makers all sit together. They identify key challenges, propose concrete conclusions, and submit them to the Parliament of FBiH. And that is crucial: young people become active, direct participants in the decision-making process,” she said.
She added that the Commission is committed to involving young people from across the FBiH, introducing new practices, and showing that political work can look very different – more cooperative, more transparent, and more accountable – and that everyone has a role in bringing about positive change.
A similar message came from Jasmina Banjalučkić, Programme Strategy Manager at the Institute for Youth Development KULT, who emphasised the importance of long-term youth engagement in political processes. She underscored that youth should always rank high on political agendas, that their needs, problems, and solutions should be discussed, and that they must not be reduced to a political talking point.
“This session and the work of the Committee create conditions in which young people are part of the highest decision-making structures in FBiH – the Parliament. In addition to conclusions that will guide the development of the necessary legal framework, the session will address investment in young people, and we expect increased funding for young first home buyers as well as for youth-led projects across FBiH,” she noted.
Irma Rešidović, General Secretary of the Youth Council of FBiH, said that the previous session laid the foundations for better youth policy in the Federation of BiH and that, in the absence of a strategic approach to youth programmes, the conclusions and recommendations from that session served as a meaningful starting point for developing policy in an engaging, participatory way.
“For that reason, we believe that this mechanism will help sustain a positive institutional approach to youth issues and ensure implementation of key measures in education, employment, health, and investment in young people, as well as in their everyday activities across FBiH,” she noted.
Esma Latić, Programme Manager at the Westminster Foundation for Democracy in BiH, highlighted that the importance of this topic extends far beyond a single session. As long as young people cannot envision their future here, Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to lose its key potential. This is why it is crucial for decision-makers to demonstrate that they listen, understand, and act in the best interests of young people.
“This thematic session is an example of such action and shows that when citizens’ voices are heard and institutions take responsibility, democracy truly serves the common good,” she said.
The second thematic session of the Commission for Youth Issues of the House of Representatives of FBiH marks an important step toward systematically improving the position of young people in the Federation of BiH and reaffirms that their voices and needs are increasingly resonating within government institutions.
