The United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UN in BiH), the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (OSCE Mission to BiH), and the EU Delegation/Office of the EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EU in BiH) welcome efforts by authorities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) to enhance protection for victims of gender-based violence in FBiH, including domestic violence, as demonstrated through adoption of the Amendments to the Criminal Code of FBiH (Amendments).
This constitutes a decisive step in ensuring alignment with the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention), and broader international human rights standards, while promoting zero tolerance for all forms of violence against women in BIH. To ensure the full and effective implementation of this legislation, we further expect the swift adoption and enactment of the accompanying bylaws as well as necessary education and training for the judiciary and other critical institutions. To ensure that legislative improvements translate into real protection for victims, this progress must now be matched with concrete implementation efforts.
That said, we regret that the FBiH Parliament failed to adopt the version of the Amendments as adopted by the House of Representatives on 28 May 2025. The last-minute changes narrowed the scope of provisions and limited the provided protections in a manner contrary to the obligations of equal protection set forth by the Istanbul Convention, and other relevant international standards. This represents a missed opportunity for the FBiH to ensure comprehensive protection for all victims of gender-based and domestic violence, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or any other protected status.
The UN in BiH, the OSCE Mission to BiH and EU in BiH remain fully committed to promoting gender equality and supporting institutions at all levels in consistently implementing the FBiH Criminal Code, with the aim of establishing and maintaining sustainable, effective, and victim-centred responses to domestic and gender-based violence, in line with the fundamental rights of all individuals and BiH’s international obligations.
