Fresh energy and new cooperation mechanisms are needed to boost peacebuilding and trust-building processes in the country was one of the conclusions from the discussion between representatives of international organizations and more than 20 organizations which was the final part of the three-day strategic consultation session in Sarajevo.
Through the dialogue with the CSOs active in the field of peacebuilding, UN Resident Coordinator – Ingrid Macdonald, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH – Brian Aggeler, Head of the CoE Office in Sarajevo – Bojana Urumova and the representative of the European Union in BiH – Joeri Mass, have shared their perspectives and discusses some of the key points that are crucial for achieving more sustainable results in building peace and improving trust in BiH.
International organizations have emphasized the important role that CSOs have in advocating for a strategic approach and institutional recognition of peacebuilding processes, as well as in continuous efforts in building trust and cohesion in the country.
Faced with the shrinking of the civil society in BiH and the pressure they still face especially in the areas such as dealing with the past and peacebuilding, representatives of international organizations have emphasized that the civil society experiences and needs would be an important part of their negotiations with local authorities and that they will contribute more to stop negative practices that hinder peacebuilding processes in the country.
Furthermore, further networking of CSOs that work on dealing with the past and peacebuilding, as well as stronger support to CSOs active on the local level is recognized as crucial in the long run. Consultation process of this kind will continue, to ensure that the international organizations’ efforts are in line with priorities and recommendations from the experience on the ground.
The strategic consultation session was organized within the project “Empowering Trust and Cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Communities”, funded by the European Union (EU) and jointly implemented by the EU, United Nations (UN), Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) and Council of Europe (CoE).
