The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and UNICEF BiH organized a conference today entitled “Social Protection System Reforms in the FBiH – A Fairer, More Resilient and Efficient System for All”.
The conference brought together decision-makers, international partners and the professional community, with the aim of confirming reform priorities in the field of social protection and strengthening multisectoral cooperation in the Federation of BiH. This platform aims to improve the system that responds to contemporary challenges; from poverty and demographic changes to climate and other crisis situations.
The Federal Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Adnan Delić, said that social policy is the foundation of a strong and resilient society and the first line of defense against any crisis, and that the focus of today’s conference is universal child benefit as a key recommendation of the FBiH demographic recovery strategy.
“This is equal and automatic support for every child without an income test. This model already exists in 26 European countries and brings three proven effects – increasing the birth rate, reducing child poverty and increasing the work activity of young parents,” said Delić.
The Minister explains that the conference will present a study on the introduction of child allowance, carried out in cooperation with UNICEF and the Institute of Economics, which focuses on two models. The first includes all children up to 18 years of age, and the second model includes a realistic child allowance, which could receive support due to realistic financial assessments, and involves the phased introduction of child allowance, which would involve expanding the coverage of children from the current 20 percent to 50 percent, with a trend of gradual expansion, until the conditions are met to include all children in the FBiH.
“Whichever variant is accepted, it is better than inaction and what we currently have, because depopulation costs us much more than child allowance,” Delić emphasized.
Regarding the reform of the social protection system, Delić notes that it is planned to move in three parallel pillars consisting of reform laws, a shock resilience model, which includes clear protocols for rapid mobilization and assistance in the event of floods, pandemics or economic shocks, and amendments to the Law on Material Support for Families with Children, which can be done as early as this year in order to pave the way for universal child allowance and halt negative demographic trends.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dragan Mioković, emphasizes that one of the most important topics that needs to be discussed, given the demographic situation in which BiH society finds itself, is the universal child benefit, or rather a quasi-universal model with expanded coverage.
“I am convinced that the legislative authority will recognize the importance of this issue and we will do everything necessary to put this on the agenda of the House of Representatives in the context of amendments to the Law on Material Support for Families with Children. I hope that by 2026 we will be able to provide families in BiH with the benefits that should result from this law,” said Mioković.
The Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to BiH, Adebayo Babajide, notes that social protection is one of the foundations of an inclusive, just and prosperous society, and that through it we ensure that no one is left behind and that all citizens have the opportunity to live a dignified life regardless of their circumstances.
“The European Union is a loyal partner of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is focused on supporting this country and transforming its social protection system. Currently, the European Union is funding projects worth almost ten million euros, which aim to improve services for children and adults with disabilities and strengthen alternative care, alternative care models for children without parental care. Also, one of the key issues we are dealing with is to ensure participation in society and employment for people with disabilities, who are otherwise exposed to a high risk of poverty and often do not have access to the assistance they are entitled to, due to complex processes and restrictive rules,” said Babajide.
Marc Lucet, UNICEF Representative in BiH, said that important reforms are being launched today, through which the FBiH makes a long-term investment in its greatest asset – its people and children.
UNICEF, together with other international institutions, supports the Government of the FBiH in its work on a universal child allowance, an institute of social protection and social protection that is resilient to crisis situations. Investing in universal child capital is crucial for the future of this country. With the Institute of Social Protection FBiH is being trained in terms of innovations in social protection research and reform – said Lucet.
