Press statement | 31.12.2019

10 years since the adoption of the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina, No. 59/09). Although the principle of equality and non-discrimination is an integral part of all treaties and human rights declarations, as well as the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Article II, paragraph 4), the significance of the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination is immeasurable. The law defines the legal and institutional framework for combating discrimination in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the institution of the Ombudsman for Human Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been entrusted with the status of a "central institution responsible for protection against discrimination". Some progress has been made, but key mechanisms and institutional actors still face numerous challenges and problems.

Amendments to the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination of 2016 (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina, No. 66/16) enhanced the legal framework for the protection against discrimination. Amendments to the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination foreseen a significantly higher role of the Ombudsperson in the activities of promoting anti-discrimination protection, which is reflected in informing the public, raising awareness, conducting campaigns and other forms of prevention of discrimination (Article 7, paragraph 2, item 1). Although the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination in 2009, therefore, even before the amendments (Article 7, paragraph 5), there is an obligation to have a special budget item for the work of Department for Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination, to this day, therefore 10 years after the legal obligations, has not been implemented. Limiting the financial and personnel capacities of the Department did not significantly affect the work on individual complaints of citizens, but to a certain extent limited the exercise of other legally entrusted competences, such as proactive and preventive action in relation to the occurrence of discrimination.

In the year 2019, the Ombudsperson Institution plans to carry out a series of activities to mark the ten years since the adoption of the Law, and the focus will be on proactive action, promotion of tolerance and the suppression of discrimination.

Useful Links

• Office Days of the BiH Ombudsman
• LYRA On-Line Platform for reporting discrimination
• Freedom of Access to Information
• Cooperation with NGO
• ​Marrakech Declaration, 12th October 2018
• Infographics for 2017 Annual Report
• Operational Strategy of the Institution of Human rights Ombudsman of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the Period 2016. – 2021.
• Medium-Term Plan 2020-2022
• Annual Financial Report for 2018
• Annual Financial Report for 2017
• Annual Financial Report for 2016
• Annual Financial Report for 2015
• Ombudsman Manual for handling discrimination cases
• Guidelines for filling in the complaints in the area of discrimination
• Application before European Court of Human Rights - Instruction
• The life of an application before the European Court of Human Rights
• News Archive

We are protecting rights of natural persons and legal entities in accordance with the Constitution of BiH and international human rights instruments...
Ombudsmen of BiH

Ombudsman's Activities

Ombudsmenka dr. Jasminka Džumhur u studijskoj posjeti u Vukovaru

The Ombudsmen attended the session of the Joint Commission on Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Ombudsmeni prof dr. Ljubinko Mitrović i Nives Jukić na sjednici Odbora za za rad i socijalnu zaštitu Predstavničkog doma Parlamenta Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine

Ombudswoman Dr. Jasminka Džumhur spoke with students of the Gymnasium „Obala“ in Sarajevo and members of the CIVITAS section

Ombudsmen Dr. Jasminka Džumhur and Nives Jukić Visit Novi Grad Sarajevo Municipality

Ombudsman Prof. Dr. Ljubinko Mitrović Attends Ceremonial Academy of Pan-European Apeiron University and „Gemit-Apeiron“ High School

Activities Archive