Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Nations Zlatko Lagumdžija said at the round table dedicated to strengthening institutions and political progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina that citizens are much more interested in peace and cooperation than some political leaders who are trying to push them towards conflicts and divisions. He emphasized that cooperation between people of different ethnic and political affiliations in Bosnia and Herzegovina is much more present than it can be concluded from political discourse, but that such cooperation often fails to translate into concrete institutional changes.
Speaking about a situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina for more than three decades after signing the Dayton Peace Agreement, Lagumdžija emphasized that preserving peace requires more than the mere absence of conflict.
According to him, post-conflict societies are often observed through the prism of permanent divisions and political disagreements, while cooperation, shared priorities and initiatives that connect citizens are neglected.
“Our experience shows that peace is not built merely on political agreements and institutional processes, but also through the everyday actions of citizens, communities, civil society and a private sector,” Lagumdžija said.
Cooperation Among Citizens Is Higher than Politicians Admit
Reflecting on the research presented during the event, Lagumdžija emphasized that his findings point to an important fact about Bosnian and Herzegovinian society.
“Cooperation across political and ethnic-national divisions is much more present and productive than the political institutions and public discourse often admit,” he emphasized.
Despite social fragmentation and limited mutual decision-making, individuals and organizations from different communities continue to build relations, achieve mutual interests and concrete results.
Lagumdžija believes that such experiences show that Bosnian and Herzegovinian society is much more connected than it can be concluded solely from political divisions.
Shared experiences, everyday relations and practical cooperation, as he said, represent a foundation for peace and progress, without a need for citizens to give up their own identities or political views.
However, he warned about a much more serious issue: a great part of that cooperation remains informal, local in character, or limited to individual projects.
“Far too often, this cooperation does not translate into continuous institutional action, lasting policy changes, or broader reforms,” he emphasized.
He described precisely this gap – between constructive citizen cooperation and political decision-making at the institutional level, which is frequently hindered by divisive rhetoric—as one of the key challenges facing Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Peace is not everything, but without peace nothing else is possible”
Lagumdžija emphasized that citizens across Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to recognize the importance of peace and stability, even when they have different views on political and constitutional matters.
Peace, as he emphasized, is not only an achievement preserved since 1995, but a shared priority and responsibility for the future.
He especially emphasized the need to strengthen institutions that will recognize the common interest of citizens, respond to their needs and act on the principles of professionalism, fairness, equal treatment, and responsibility.
“Peace is not everything, but nothing else is possible without peace,” Lagumdžoja said, emphasizing the interconnection between peace, development, and human rights.
He recalled that these very principles form a foundation of the United Nations’s three interconnected pillars of action: peace and security, development, and human rights.
According to him, peace creates conditions for development; inclusive and sustainable development strengthens stability, while respect for human rights and dignity strengthens the foundation of a just and peaceful society.
No Sustainable Peace Without Facing the Past
Speaking about institution building, Lagumdžija reminded that in January 2011, during its presidency of the UN Security Council, Bosnia and Herzegovina initiated an open debate about a post-conflict peacebuilding and institution building.
At the time, The Security Council recognized institution building as a key component of peacebuilding, while emphasizing the importance of national ownership over the process.
Lagumdžija noted that for Bosnia and Herzegovina, these principles are not abstract concepts.
Sustainable peace, according to him, requires dialogue across ethnic, religious, political, and generational divides, recognition of victims’ suffering, respect for the dignity of survivors, accountability and justice, as well as a readiness to confront the legacy of the past.
He specifically emphasized the need to counter hate speech and discrimination, as well as the importance of inclusive education.
These goals, he noted, are aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Bosnia and Herzegovina for the period 2026–2030, which identifies inclusiveness, accountable institutions, and social cohesion among its shared priorities.
Youth Play a Particularly Important Role
Lagumdžija emphasized the importance of young people in peacebuilding and overcoming social divisions.
As an example, he cited the Student Declaration on Peace, the initiative led by the University in Sarajevo and EU Peace Alliance, which demonstrates the commitment of the young people to peace, dialogue, human dignity and cooperation.
He emphasized that institutions must enable meaningful public participation in decision-making.
Where institutions are accountable, citizens have more reasons to trust them, while meaningful public participation enables institutions to better understand the needs of the population.
The rule of law and equal opportunities, he added, further solidify the foundations of lasting peace.
He emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina remains firmly committed to peace, stability, the rule of law, sustainable development and European path, including its readiness to share personal experiences in peacebuilding, post-conflict recovery, and reconciliation with other societies facing similar challenges.
Citizens Want to Build Bridges, not Walls”
In the concluding part of his address, Lagumdžija especially emphasized the difference between the everyday lives of citizens and political rhetoric which dominates the public space.
He emphasized that one of the most important research findings is that cooperation across political and ethno-national divides in Bosnia and Herzegovina is much more frequent than political discourse suggests.
“I have known this for decades, but now I also have scientific proof of it,” he said.
According to him, through practical cooperation, citizens maintain the interconnectedness of a shared society that has existed for centuries, despite institutional shortcomings and political attempts to direct the country toward non-European values and a segregated society.
“Citizens are far more interested in building bridges of cooperation between different communities and peoples than in erecting walls and segregation,” Lagumdžija stated.
He stressed in particular that ordinary people are much more committed to peace than certain political leaders.
“Citizens, real people, are far more interested in peace and cooperation than some leaders whose goal is to direct them in another direction, toward conflict,” he emphasized.
Speaking about the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he stated that diverse national, religious, and other identities should not be an obstacle to living together.
“Our multiple identities are our strength, not our burden,” he noted.
He concluded that lasting peace must be built together with citizens, not just for them.
Political agreements can stop violence and establish an institutional framework, but citizens—through participation, solidarity, responsibility, and commitment to justice – give peace its enduring social meaning.
The key challenge for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lagumdžija conveyed, remains bridging the gap between the aspirations of its citizens and what institutions actually deliver, so that existing inter-community cooperation can become a firmer foundation for inclusive governance, reconciliation, and sustainable development, N1 writes.
