As Bosnia and Herzegovina navigates major economic and environmental changes, government institutions and international partners have launched a new joint programme, financed by the Joint SDG Fund, to help build a more resilient, inclusive and climate-responsive labour market and social protection system.
On 26 November 2025, representatives of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Nations and the World Bank met in Sarajevo for the inaugural Steering Committee meeting of the programme, Managing the Labour Market and Just Climate Transition in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The meeting brought together representatives from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Federal Employment Institute, UNICEF, the World Bank, UN Women, and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office. The Steering Committee was co-chaired by Jelena Rašeta, Head of the Employment Policy and Labour Market Division at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, and Marc Lucet, UNICEF Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Representing the Ministry, Tarik Smailbegović, Advisor to the Federal Minister for Social Policy, underscored the importance of reinforcing labour market institutions and social protection systems as the country responds to economic transformation and growing climate-related risks.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina is entering a period of significant labour market transformation,” said Tarik Smailbegović, Advisor to the Federal Minister for Social Policy at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.
“Strengthening employment services and social protection systems will be essential to support workers and vulnerable households as the economy evolves and climate-related risks increase.”
The joint programme responds to a range of structural pressures affecting workers, families, and communities, including industrial restructuring, changing skills demands, and more frequent climate-related shocks. It aims to strengthen coordination among employment policies, labour market institutions, and social protection systems to better support people through economic and climate transitions.
Through coordinated interventions, the programme will strengthen public employment services, improve labour market information systems, and develop mechanisms for climate- and shock-responsive social protection. It will also pilot innovative local models to reinforce employment services and expand support for workers and vulnerable households affected by economic disruption and climate-related risks.
“The green transition will reshape labour markets and economic opportunities across the region,” said Marc Lucet, UNICEF Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“By strengthening employment services and linking them with responsive social protection systems, this programme aims to ensure that workers, families with children, and especially the most vulnerable are supported through these changes.”
A strong gender lens is also embedded throughout the programme, recognizing that women often face additional barriers to employment, skills development, and economic participation.
“Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina still face major barriers to entering and staying in the labour market, from unpaid care work to limited access to training and employment services,” said Jo-Anne Bishop, Representative of UN Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“As green and digital transitions accelerate, these gaps risk widening. This programme will help ensure labour market and social protection reforms are gender-responsive so that all women, including those who are inactive or hard to reach, can benefit from opportunities created by the just transition.”
Another key area of focus will be strengthening labour market data and analytical capacity, enabling institutions to anticipate change and respond more effectively to emerging employment trends.
“Strong labour market institutions and effective employment services are critical for helping countries manage economic transitions,” said Christopher Sheldon, World Bank Country Manager for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.
“This programme will support the development of better employment services and systems that help workers adapt to new opportunities.”
The Steering Committee meeting provided an opportunity for partners to review the programme’s objectives, implementation priorities, and governance structure, and to align expectations across participating institutions.
The programme is financed by the Joint SDG Fund and implemented jointly by UNICEF, the World Bank, and UN Women, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Federal Employment Institute, and institutions at cantonal and local levels.
The initiative forms part of the UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, which supports countries in strengthening labour market systems and social protection to respond to economic transformation and climate change.
Original publication: https://bosniaherzegovina.un.org/en/311997-bosnia-and-herzegovina-launches-joint-programme-strengthen-jobs-and-social-protection-green
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds, and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
