The Youth Guarantee is a key European Union initiative in Bosnia and Herzegovina aimed at ensuring that young people under the age of 30 receive opportunities for employment, education, training, or internships within four months of leaving education or becoming unemployed. This youth-focused policy supports young people in finding suitable opportunities, directly contributing to local economic development, reducing unemployment, and aligning Bosnia and Herzegovina with EU standards.

“The Youth Guarantee has the potential to significantly reduce disparities in opportunities available to young people, particularly in addressing economic inequality. It provides practical measures to enhance skills development and increase employability. Additionally, it enables youth organizations to be active partners in implementing these measures, which is crucial for our work and the further development of programs that will support and empower youth in Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina,” emphasized Dijana Gašić, a representative of the Youth Council of Republika Srpska.

Given that youth unemployment remains one of the biggest challenges in BiH, the Youth Guarantee can play a key role in creating a better future for younger generations. This was discussed yesterday at the forum titled “Why is the Youth Guarantee Important in Bosnia and Herzegovina?” held at Europe House in Sarajevo.

The event gathered young leaders from across BiH, representatives of government institutions, international organizations, civil society, and academia. The forum was organised as part of the project “Youth for EU Integration: Advocating the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan” implemented by the Association PROI with support from the Foundation Centre for Democracy within the project “Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe,” funded by the European Union.

“This initiative is not merely a social programme—it is an opportunity to provide young people with a stable foundation for the future while increasing the competitiveness of local communities. Examples of successful implementation in neighboring countries, such as North Macedonia, demonstrate its tremendous potential for BiH. Besides supporting youth, the Youth Guarantee enhances the competitiveness of local communities, contributes to economic development, and brings Bosnia and Herzegovina closer to EU standards,” stated Irhad Strika, project coordinator at PROI.

The forum also included representatives of the EU Delegation to BiH, the International Labour Organization, entity ministries, the Employment Service of Brčko District, as well as representatives of the Youth Council of the Federation of BiH, Brčko District, and Republika Srpska. They analyzed institutional processes, challenges, and opportunities for implementing the Youth Guarantee, with a particular focus on improving institutional coordination and involving youth in all stages of decision-making processes.

“As an umbrella youth organization, we represent and advocate for the interests of young people in the Federation of BiH. It is vital for us that our voices are heard and that we are equally involved in decision-making processes that directly concern us. While youth participation is not yet fully recognized as a societal priority, the development of the Action Plan for the Youth Guarantee shows that youth inclusion is possible and represents a step toward establishing sustainable employment mechanisms that provide equality and diversity of opportunities,” said Irma Rešidović of the Youth Council of the Federation of BiH.

Participants of the forum presented specific recommendations to accelerate the implementation of the Youth Guarantee, which include:

• Prioritising the adoption of the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan in BiH.
• Strengthening inter-institutional coordination and synchronisation at all levels of government.
• Increasing investment in youth employment programmes through mobilizing domestic and international resources.
• Actively involving youth in policymaking and decision-making processes to ensure their voices are adequately represented.

Harun Šabanović, a representative of the Youth Council of Brčko District BiH, emphasized:
“The Youth Guarantee is a key tool in combating youth unemployment and inactivity in Brčko District BiH. Through concrete measures such as opportunities for first employment, professional training, and support for entrepreneurship, we aim to ensure that no young person is left without opportunities for development. It is our responsibility to work together with institutions to implement these policies and secure better conditions for future generations.”

The forum concluded with a call for all relevant stakeholders to work jointly and urgently to make the implementation of the Youth Guarantee a priority.