Thirty-one civil servants from Bosnia and Herzegovina completed a specialised training programme on combating racism and racial discrimination, strengthening their capacities to promote equality and build more inclusive public institutions.

The closing gathering, held on 13 May in Tarčin, marked the completion of the first cycle of the online course “Combating Racism and racial Discrimination”, launched in Bosnia and Herzegovina in March 2026. The course is based on the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)’s General Policy Recommendation No. 7 and the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan.

Participants came from a wide range of professional backgrounds and institutions, including the Institution of Human Rights Ombudsman, the Communications Regulatory Agency, ministries of interior, police education institutions, the Press Council and civil service agencies.

Apart from reflecting on the completed online course, civil servants exchanged views on ways to strengthen institutional responses to racism and contribute to a more inclusive and resilient society in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“This course has been conceived brilliantly, both in the professional and in technical sense. It offered plenty of information and chances to broaden my knowledge, as well as to raise awareness about everyday occurrences in my own environment. I hope this initiative will be continued, so that we can build a better society,” said Olja Papaz from the BiH Civil Service Agency.

This activity was organised as part of the action “Towards an equal, inclusive and tolerant Bosnia and Herzegovina”, within the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, as well as the Council of Europe project “Combating Discrimination, Hatred and Fostering Inclusion in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Phase II”, funded through voluntary contributions under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026–2029.