Program Overview

Challenge

Given that Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a post-war country, it has made significant progress in the last 15 years. However, the country still faces a number of challenges in the areas of economic and democratic development. 

USAID Initiative

The U.S. foreign assistance program, implemented primarily by USAID, is helping to create a multi-ethnic, stable, prosperous and democratic Bosnia and Herzegovina irreversibly on the road to Euro-Atlantic integration. 

Economic Growth: Through ongoing programs, USAID is working to improve economic opportunities and promote a business-friendly environment.

 Efforts to improve economic opportunities target the highest growth potential sectors and aim to improve their competitiveness, specifically the wood processing, tourism, agriculture and light industry sectors. This assistance includes marketing BiH as a tourist destination, introducing new technologies in the agriculture sector, promoting marketing linkages, and supporting the use of IT applications to improve efficiency of small and medium enterprises.

Efforts to promote a business-friendly environment focus on economic reforms and institution-building to increase the ability of government institutions to support economic growth and development; reduce or eliminate barriers for businesses; streamline processes for registration and enforcement; establish a more transparent tax system; create a reliable energy regulatory environment; strengthen and improve intellectual property rights protection; and promote transparent banking, investment, and insurance policies. Read More...

Democratization: USAID’s democracy programs focus primarily on the areas of rule of law, local governance, and civil society. USAID’s rule of law program emphasizes activities focused on strengthening the independence, accountability and effectiveness of the judiciary; coordinating the implementation of the recently adopted Justice Sector Reform Strategy (JSRS); and helping BiH judicial institutions to prepare for EU accession. USAID is also helping to strengthen the BiH government’s capacity to combat trafficking in persons and implement the country’s National Action Plan.

USAID works with local governments to improve their effectiveness and accountability, improving customer service, administrative/management systems, budgeting and financial management, and reducing opportunities for corruption. Efforts in Srebrenica are connecting municipal institutions with citizensand relevant organizations through an internet communications network.

USAID’s civil society programs strengthen independent media and empower organizations and citizens to engage in advocacy and civic actions to improve the quality of life of BiH citizens. They also assist non-governmental organizations with building strategic partnerships with the government and improving the financial viability of the sector. Read more...

Peace and Security: USAID in BiH promotes tolerance, respect for diversity and a shared national identity. It also enriches anti-trafficking efforts to assist security sector reform efforts and help BiH meet requirements for NATO integration.

BiH is a country of origin, transit, and destination for women and girls trafficked internationally and internally for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. A recently initiated anti-trafficking program will focus overall on sustainability, specifically by ensuring high levels of trafficking prevention education, improving the quality of victim assistance, and establishing a monitoring and evaluation system that supports improved implementation of the National Referral Mechanism and the National Action Plan.

The USG continues to be actively engaged in the municipality of Srebrenica in order to support the revitalization of the municipality after the 1995 genocide that occurred there. As such, USAID has initiated a program to provide unemployed youth of Srebrenica with an opportunity to gain practical work experience through an internship with employers in the region. The program aims to create an attractive workforce for potential investors as well as deter youth from seeking employment out-side the region. Read more...