Over the next two years, the Council of Europe will provide technical assistance to the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina and other stakeholders to professionalise election administration, enhance their capacities, and promote broader and more inclusive public participation.

Under Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights, European citizens are guaranteed free and democratic elections. In this context, the Division of Parliamentary and Electoral Cooperation of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) offers advice and technical assistance to member states on various election-related matters.

The PACE report on the observation of the 2022 general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina highlighted several issues, including distrust in lower-level commissions due to political appointments, insufficient efforts to increase women’s participation, procedural irregularities on Election Day, and intimidation and attacks on journalists. Additionally, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities noted the lack of voter education initiatives, particularly in rural areas.

The activities planned under this project aim to help the CEC meet its legal obligations and comply with international election standards, thereby strengthening the integrity and inclusiveness of the election process. These include establishing a CEC Centre for Education and reviewing relevant bylaws to enhance the knowledge and capacities of the CEC and its staff in accordance with the BiH Election Law and European standards.

Other initiatives will involve collaboration with media professionals to improve election reporting and prevent hate speech, inflammatory rhetoric, sexism, and gender-based violence during electoral campaigns.

The final aim of the project is to engage with the wider public, aiming to promote greater voter participation, particularly among minorities, women, youth, and first-time voters.

The Council of Europe remains committed to helping Bosnia and Herzegovina fulfil its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and ensuring the highest standards of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights for its citizens. This project will be implemented as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022–2025 and is funded through voluntary contributions.