On 11-12 June 2025, 21 representatives from the Ministry of Education and Research, the National Psychopedagogical Assistance Centre, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and General Inspectorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova participated in a two-day Study Visit to Sarajevo and Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The objective of the visit was to exchange experiences and explore best practices in the field of education, social protection, psychosocial support and integration of displaced persons, refugees, and other vulnerable groups.

In Sarajevo, the Moldovan professionals engaged in a productive exchange with Mr Adnan Delić, Minister of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, focusing on topics such as social protection, the integration of vulnerable groups, and the essential role of civil society in these efforts.

At the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, Ms Željka Marković-Sekulić, State Secretary, and her team outlined the institution’s role in coordinating policies related to human rights protection, displacement, and minority inclusion. The discussions also addressed opportunities to enhance bilateral cooperation with a view to improve the legal and policy framework regarding the management of displacement.

The Moldovan delegation further explored challenges regarding the protection of asylum seekers and the rights of foreigners during the discussions with Mr Emir Prcanović, Director of Vaša Prava BiH, the largest provider of free legal aid in the country and a long-standing partner of the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees in the field of displacement, asylum, and human rights.

In Zenica, the participants visited the premises of the Association ‘Medica’ Zenica and held an insightful meeting with Dr. Sci. Sabiha Husić, Director of the Association. The exchange focused on support for traumatised individuals, protection of vulnerable groups and the importance of advocacy efforts.

Further discussions addressed intersectoral cooperation, the protection and integration of children from vulnerable groups, and practical challenges in provision of services. These were held with representatives of the Cantonal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of Zenica-Doboj Canton (ZDC), the Police Inspectorate, and Primary School “Vladimir Nazor.”

The delegation also visited the First Gymnasium in Zenica, where they engaged with Ms Melisa Begović, the school’s headmaster and youth volunteers on youth participation and school–civil society cooperation.

While in Zenica, Moldovan officials were welcomed by the Prime Minister of Zenica-Doboj Canton, H.E. Nezir Pivić, who appreciated the Republic of Moldova’s interest in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s experience in promoting human rights protection and providing comprehensive support services to vulnerable groups.

The study visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the human rights protection of refugees and migrants in the Republic of Moldova: phase II ", funded under the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova (2025-2028) and implemented by the Council of Europe, in cooperation with the Association “Medica” Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina.