Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dubravka Bošnjak, points out that in fulfilling the tasks that await us on the way to achieving full membership in the European Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina will need to coordinate activities that contribute to the harmonization of the education system with the labor market, as well as with the European Education Area.
“This is a big challenge considering the fragmented education system, as well as the demands that the European Commission puts before us every day. Smart Specialization and work on creating a Smart Specialization strategy in Bosnia and Herzegovina directly contribute to approaching the EU standards. Inclusivity in education, strengthening of mechanisms for the protection of human rights in the education system, regulation of professions, and creation of conditions for international testing of students in BiH, which unfortunately are at a slight standstill, are activities that should be given special attention in the coming period,” said the Minister in an interview with FENA.
In the first interview after taking office, Bošnjak emphasizes that the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina is found in all program documents and work guidelines of all levels of government, including the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The role of the Ministry, she adds, is very important in terms of coordinating competence to fulfill the tasks that would bring BiH from the recently obtained candidacy status to a negotiating position with the EU as soon as possible. It is up to us, says the Minister, to show that we not only deserve to be a candidate for membership in the European Union but that we are part of the European family.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs is large and has many branches. It is directly responsible for citizenships, personal and travel documents, and demining, and in the fields of health, science and culture, education, work and employment, sports, geodesy and meteorology – the Ministry of Civil Affairs has a coordinating role between the two entities and Brčko District, and in certain areas between the Republika Srpska entity and cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Brčko District. Each of these areas has different priorities.
“We have already started concrete activities in the field of healthcare that will directly help strengthen the healthcare system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are also aware of the challenges in the field of education and the need to harmonize education policy with the labor market, and in general to create conditions for improving the quality of education at all levels. It is necessary to start the procedures for the adoption of strategic documents from the ministry’s competence as soon as possible, in order to open up new perspectives and access to various resources and opportunities,” said Minister Bošnjak.
After a recent conversation with Ambassador Johann Sattler, it was announced that the special attention of this ministry will be devoted to the field of health and the continuation of the implementation of projects worth millions that will contribute to the strengthening of the health sector in BiH. Minister Bošnjak stated that the health area is a specific and demanding field, as we have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has shown us the vulnerability of the health system and the need to strengthen capacities for an effective response to possible cross-border threats to health.
“We have started activities on the project “EU Support to Health Sector Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, the value of which is 10 million euros, with planned implementation in the next three years. In addition to the institutions from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the implementation partners are the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the World Bank. The goal of the project is to contribute to the strengthening of health systems in BiH based on primary healthcare, which will be capable of making progress in achieving universal healthcare coverage in BiH. Also, respecting the recommendations of the Delegation of the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we have started the procedure for joining the “Program for Health” (EU4Health). It is a new EU program in the field of health with a budget worth more than 5.3 billion euros intended to make EU systems stronger, more resilient and more accessible, which will contribute to facing long-term health challenges. The program identifies four key goals related to improving and promoting health, protecting people, ensuring the availability and affordability of medicines and medical products, as well as strengthening health systems,” explains Bošnjak.
When it comes to her appointment, Minister Bošnjak says that it may have been a surprise for part of the public, in a political context, because her career before accepting the position of Minister of Civil Affairs was related to the economy, that is, banking.
Answering questions about potential “dangers” in her ministerial work, she says that by creating an environment of goodwill, understanding and appreciation, potential dangers are eliminated.
“As this Ministry has a coordinating role where agreement, negotiation and consensus are very important, energy should be directed to quality cooperation with entities, cantons and the District. I am convinced that in this way we will achieve the best results. We must not forget that in BiH the only way to achieve any result is through inclusiveness, respect and equality. When you apply that path to any ministry in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the Ministry of Civil Affairs, I believe that the result is inevitable. And finally, I want to believe that the cooperation in the Council of Ministers with colleagues from other ministries will be constructive and focused on only one goal – welfare for all residents of BiH,” said Minister of Civil Affairs of BiH Dubravka Bošnjak in an interview with FENA.
