Series:Analitika - Policy Memo

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Amendments to the Legal Framework for Protection Against Discrimination in BiH: Progress Achieved and Further Improvements

Izmjene i dopune zakonskog okvira za zaštitu od diskriminacije u BiH: Ostvareni pomaci i potrebna unapređenja

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: BiH; discrimination; legislation; legal framework;

Usvajanjem Zakona o zabrani diskriminacije (ZZD) 2009. godine uspostavljen je pravni i institucionalni okvir za borbu protiv diskriminacije u Bosni i Hercegovini. No, Zakon je patio od brojnih manjkavosti, što je u znatnoj mjeri potvrđeno i u praksi njegove implementacije. Pored ostalog, sudovi i sudije u BiH nisu u potpunosti ovladali standardima antidiskriminacijskog prava, Institucija ombudsmena za ljudska prava BiH nije u stanju da ispuni sve elemente svoje kompleksne nadležnosti u ovoj oblasti, a žrtve diskriminacije oklijevaju da traže zaštitu zbog dosta nepovoljnih odredbi Zakona.

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Obstacles to Evidence-Based Policy Making in Bosnia And Herzegovina

Obstacles to Evidence-Based Policy Making in Bosnia And Herzegovina

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: BiH; evidence; policy making; obstacles;

The strengthening of policy-making capacities of public institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is crucial considering the country’s vast scope of needed policy reforms and its ambition to join the EU. EU accession requires a challenging and fast-paced process of policy formulation, involving the harmonization of existing and the adoption of new legislation which is aligned with the EU acquis. However, although many programs in post-war BiH have sought to deliver technical assistance to public institutions at different levels of government, the policy-making practices and capacities of such institutions remain generally underdeveloped in key areas of policy making: policy formulation, impact assessment, and monitoring and evaluation of policy implementation and its effects. This is amply demonstrated by relevant OECD SIGMA reports for 2015 and 2017, with BiH scoring poorly in all segments of policy making, trailing behind neighboring countries. More specifically, available evidence shows that the underlying feature of policy making is a chronic lack of analytical capacity within public institutions and other policy actors, which severely restricts their capability to undertake sound policy making procedures. In other words, although, at the formal level, there are regulatory frameworks in place that should ensure proper policy making processes, the lack of analytical capacity renders those formal preconditions largely ineffective as it undermines evidence-based policy making. This policy memo particularly looks at the capacity for policy analysis of BiH government institutions. Its main purpose is to outline a set of measures that could be deployed to improve overall analytical capacity for policy making in the country. The policy memo takes a broader, systemic view, arguing that any attempt to improve the analytical capacity of government institutions will be insufficient if analytical capacities of other elements of the policy making ecosystem – such as non-governmental organizations actors, academia and independent research institutions – are neglected.

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Transparency of the Judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Transparentnost pravosuđa u Bosni i Hercegovini

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: BiH; judiciary; transparency;

Transparentnost javnih institucija od suštinske je važnosti za demokratska društva: riječ je o mehanizmu koji građanima omogućava kontrolu i učešće u aktivnostima državnih institucija koje su od općeg značaja. Tri su komponente transparentnosti: reaktivna transparentnost, odnosno pravo građana da traže pristup informacijama koje su u posjedu javnih institucija; proaktivna transparentnost, odnosno obaveza javnih institucija da proaktivno omoguće što širi pristup informacijama kojima raspolažu, naprimjer, putem web-stranica; i, konačno, uspostavljanje mehanizama koji građanima garantuju da će država ispuniti svoje obaveze u domenu transparentnosti. Logično, u takvom kontekstu pravosuđe ne može biti izuzeto od obaveze transparentnog djelovanja, kako u domenu svojih administrativnih funkcija tako i u odnosu na pravosudnu praksu. U tom smislu, transparentnost pravosuđa podrazumijeva otvoren pristup informacijama o radu pravosudnih institucija. Transparentnost sudova i tužilaštava sastoji se iz dvije ključne komponente: proceduralna otvorenost i institucionalno-organizacijska otvorenost. Osnovni elementi proceduralne otvorenosti su javnost krivičnog postupka kojim se zainteresiranim stranama omogućava prisustvo glavnom pretresu i izricanju presude, te dostupnost sudskih i tužilačkih dokumenata prikupljenih ili sačinjenih tokom postupka. Pritom, minimalni zahtjev u tom smislu je osigurati pristup presudama i optužnicama u skladu sa zakonima o slobodi pristupa informacijama. Institucionalno-organizacijska otvorenost podrazumijeva pristup administrativnim informacijama (npr., proces imenovanja sudija, javne nabavke, informacije o imovini sudija itd.), kao i pristup informacijama o funkcionisanju pravosudnog sistema u širem smislu, poput statističkih podataka o broju i vrsti obrađenih predmeta, trajanju i rasporedu suđenja, uključujući i relevantne dokumente o krivičnim predmetima, poput sudskih i tužilačkih akata. Ovo potonje se u principu osigurava proaktivnom transparentnošću pravosudnih institucija, prije svega, objavljivanjem relevantnih informacija i dokumenata putem njihovih web-stranica. Transparentnost pravosuđa od izuzetne je važnosti zbog više razloga. Prije svega, transparentnost je važna komponenta osiguranja prava na fer suđenje, jer značajno smanjuje prostor za pristrasnost i nezakonito djelovanje tokom sudskog postupka. Drugim riječima, transparentnost pravosuđa osigurava pravilnost, nepristrasnost i objektivnost suđenja. Pored toga, transparentnost također ima i edukativnu, odnosno preventivnu funkciju. Izuzetno važan efekat transparentnosti pravosuđa odnosi se na jačanje legitimiteta i autoriteta pravosudnih institucija u društvu. Može se reći da što su pravosudne institucije transparentnije, to je njihov autoritet veći. Također, transparentnost pravosudnih institucija može doprinijeti i njihovoj neovisnosti, s obzirom na to da je mnogo teže vršiti pritisak na sudije i tužitelje ako su procedure javne. Kada je riječ o ulozi pravosudnog sistema u borbi protiv korupcije, transparentnost pravosuđa ima posebno važnu ulogu. Naime, transparentnost može pomoći unapređenju funkcionisanja pravosudnog sistema i, iznad svega, pozicionirati pravosudne institucije kao ključne aktere u borbi protiv korupcije, koji svojim radom mogu direktno “unaprijediti korištenje javnih resursa i kvalitet javnih politika, te utjecati na način na koji građani percipiraju vladine institucije”. U tom smislu, “osiguranje transparentnosti postupaka koji se bave koruptivnim krivičnim djelima tim je važnije jer je riječ o predmetima od posebnog interesa za javnost”. U Bosni i Hercegovini (BiH) se već godinama radi na unapređenju transparentnosti pravosudnih institucija. Međutim, iako su postignuti određeni pomaci na tom planu, rezultati su daleko od zadovoljavajućih. Posebno je ograničen napredak u domenu proaktivne transparentnosti, pri čemu BiH zaostaje kako za trendovima u toj oblasti tako i za susjednim državama, koje su na tom planu, komparativno posmatrano, dosta napredovale. U tom smislu, ovaj tekst daje sažeti pregled stepena transparentnosti pravosudnog sistema u BiH i nudi okvirne preporuke za rješavanje niza problema u toj oblasti.

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Monitoring and Evaluation of the Judicial System: Some Methodological Issues and their Implications for Measuring the Judicial Response to Corruption

Monitoring i evaluacija pravosudnog sistema: neka metodološka pitanja i njihove implikacije na mjerenje odgovora pravosuđa na korupciju

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: judicial system; corruption; monitoring; methods;

U posljednjih desetak godina intenzivirane su aktivnosti na globalnom planu kako bi se razvili odgovarajući metodološki instrumenti na osnovu kojih bi se omogućilo što pažljivije praćenje rada pravosuđa i što preciznije uočavanje trendova u pogledu uspješnosti pravosudnih institucija u praksi. U fokusu pažnje različitih aktera u pravosuđu sve više su metodologije, kategorije i indikatori koji omogućavaju sagledavanje stanja pravosudnog sistema na različitim nivoima: od stanja vladavine prava općenito do praćenja i mjerenja učinka sudija i tužilaca. Osnovni je cilj ovog teksta prezentirati neke od bitnih problema, dilema i mogućih metodoloških pristupa monitoringu i analizi rada pravosuđa u Bosni i Hercegovini (BiH), s posebnim osvrtom na procesuiranje korupcije kao oblasti koja je već dugo predmet naročite pažnje i domaće javnosti i međunarodnih aktera. Relevantnost i aktuelnost ovog teksta je posebno izražena s obzirom na potrebu redefiniranja ukupnog pristupa praćenju rada sudova i tužilaštava, odnosno sudija i tužilaca u BiH, a u skladu s preporukama relevantnih međunarodnih instanci. Stoga se skica izazova i mogućih načina praćenja rada pravosuđa u domenu procesuiranja korupcije koju će ponuditi ovaj tekst može smatrati skromnim doprinosom tom važnom zadatku koji stoji pred pravosuđem u BiH.

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The Quality of the Judiciary's Response to Corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Key Findings of a Three-year Monitoring and Analysis

Kvalitet odgovora pravosuđa u Bosni i Hercegovini na korupciju: Ključni nalazi trogodišnjeg monitoringa i analize

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: BiH; judiciary; corruption; resposnse; monitoring; analysis;

U periodu od 2016. do kraja 2018. godine, Centar za društvena istraživanja Analitika proveo je monitoring i analizu kvaliteta postupanja pravosuđa u Bosni i Hercegovini (BiH) u predmetima vezanim za koruptivna krivična djela. Metodološki okvir razvijen za te potrebe prvenstveno se fokusira na statističke, odnosno kvantitativne, te kvalitativne pokazatelje rada pravosuđa u ovoj oblasti. Statistički pokazatelji u tom smislu su numerički indikatori obima posla tužilaštava i sudova u BiH u oblasti koruptivnih krivičnih djela u periodu od godine, a koji su dobijeni na osnovu zvaničnih podataka Visokog sudskog i tužilačkog vijeća BiH (VSTVBiH). Kvalitativni pokazatelji su dobijeni analizom sadržaja optužnica i presuda izvršenom na slučajnom uzorku od 50 predmeta iz svih jurisdikcija u BiH koji se odnose na koruptivna krivična djela, a koji su pravosnažno okončani u konkretnoj godini. Ovaj dokument prezentira neke od najvažnijih nalaza trogodišnjeg monitoringa i analize rada pravosuđa na svim nivoima u BiH na procesuiranju koruptivnih krivičnih djela. Nalazi su objedinjeni za sve tri godine za koje je monitoring obavljen kako bi se omogućilo jednostavnije uočavanje trendova po bitnim aspektima rada pravosuđa u BiH u ovoj oblasti. Važno je napomenuti da, budući da smo inicijalnu metodologiju dorađivali i dopunjavali u kasnijim godinama, u nekim segmentima kvalitativne analize za prethodne godine nisu navedeni podaci za sve indikatore.

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Active Labour Market Policies in BiH: Why More Attention Should be Paid to Training Programmes

Active Labour Market Policies in BiH: Why More Attention Should be Paid to Training Programmes

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: BiH; labour market; policies; active labour market policies; training programmes;

Active labour market policies (ALMPs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) are underdeveloped. Public spending on ALMPs is low; in 2014 it amounted to 0.15% of the country’s GDP, whilst EU countries on average spend around 0.45% of GDP on active measures. In addition, ALMPs have a tertiary importance in the prioritisation of spending on employment measures, and are mostly financed from the funds of public employment services (PES) left over after operative costs and costs of passive measures have been met. The labour force coverage rate of ALMPs is only 1%, whereas, by way of comparison, it amounts to around 4% in the OECD countries for which data are available. The existing analyses also indicate that these programmes often inadequately target population categories which have greater chances of finding employment (young university-educated people, etc.). Furthermore, the capacities of PESs are insufficient, which lowers the chances of adequate implementation of ALMPs. Finally, a unified methodology and mechanisms for systemic evaluation of these programmes have not been established by the PESs in the recent period. In addition to the aforementioned problems regarding the development and implementation of ALMPs, the existing design of active policies could also be called into question, if international trends in the field and the local socioeconomic context are taken into consideration. The existing ALMPs are a set of isolated interventions on the labour marked primarily intended directly to employ target groups as a stopgap measure to manage some of the pressing issues arising from the present socioeconomic circumstances in BiH. However, they include very little investment in human resources and bolstering the competitiveness of jobseekers, although such investment would, in the long run, improve the functioning of the labour market.

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International Assistance and Media Democratization in the Western Balkans: Lessons Learned

International Assistance and Media Democratization in the Western Balkans: Lessons Learned

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Western Balkans; media; democratization; international assistance;

This policy memo summarizes the key findings from a comparative research project that explored the link between international media assistance and the democratic transformation of the media in five Western Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia. Its purpose is to contribute to the understanding of factors that can influence the results of international assistance programs and conditionality mechanisms aimed at the development of sustainable and functional media institutions in countries undergoing democratization. Moreover, the research findings offer an insight into the implications of the transposition of imported institutional models into the media systems of transitional societies in the Western Balkans, and as such can inform similar media assistance programs in the future.

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Commentary on the Draft of Human Rights Ombudsman Law

Komentari na Prijedlog zakona o ombudsmanu za ljudska prava BiH

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: BiH; human rights; Ombudsman Law; draft; commentary;

Aktuelne aktivnosti na donošenju novog Zakona o Instituciji ombudsmana za ljudska prava BiH nužan su i dobrodošao korak u pravom smjeru – jačanja statusa i nezavisnosti Institucije. Tekst Prijedloga, koji je formuliralo Ministarstvo za ljudska prava i izbjeglice BiH, predviđa značajna unapređenja, ali otvara i brojna pitanja te ostavlja mnogo razloga za zabrinutost. Tekst u ovoj formi i sa ovakvim rješenjima umnogome ignorira preporuke relevantnih međunarodnih tijela (naročito Međunarodnog koordinacijskoga komiteta državnih institucija za promoviranje i zaštitu ljudskih prava – ICC-a – i Venecijanske komisije), vodi slabljenju Institucije i neadekvatnom odgovoru na izazove vršenja njenih sve brojnijih nadležnosti, te gotovo izvjesnom gubitku “A” statusa prema međunarodnoj klasifikaciji državnih institucija za zaštitu ljudskih prava, koji imaju sve takve institucije koje u potpunosti djeluju u skladu sa međunarodnim standardima u ovoj oblasti.

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Labor Market Reforms in BiH: Flexibility without Security?

Labor Market Reforms in BiH: Flexibility without Security?

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: BiH; labour markets; flexibility; security; unemployment;

The labor market in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is facing mounting challenges. Unemployment is continuously high and employment low. Factors such as the wartime destruction of industrial infrastructure, loss of business links due to the dissolution of Yugoslavia, inadequate adaptation to the new business and technological environment, failed privatization processes, and a generally unfavorable macroeconomic climate have had a negative impact on creating new jobs. In addition, the almost daily protests by workers owed salaries or benefits by their employers indicate grave weaknesses in the system of social security and protection of workers’ rights.

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Recommendations for the Improvement of Legal Protection in Public Procurement Procedures in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Recommendations for the Improvement of Legal Protection in Public Procurement Procedures in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: BiH; public procurement; legal protection; improvement; recommendations,

Legal protection in public procurement procedures implies a set of legal norms that regulate the mechanisms available to participants in public procurement procedures in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) if participants consider that the decision brought by a contracting authority violates their rights and legal interests. An appropriate normative framework also ensures the realization of fundamental objectives of legal protection in public procurement procedures such as inspiring competition and preventing discrimination, cronyism and corruption. On the basis of such a normative framework, provision of goods and services at the best value for money is ensured, as well as cost-effective spending of public funds, faster economic growth and harmonization with the fundamental principles and other standards of European law.

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Recommendations for Improving The Anti-Discrimination Law

Preporuke za unapređenje Zakona o zabrani diskriminacije

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: BiH; discrimination; anti-discrimination law; improvements; recommendations

Sveobuhvatni zakonski okvir za zaštitu od diskriminacije u BiH, usvojen 2009. godine, donio je uglavnom sve ključne inovacije specifičnog parničnog postupka za zaštitu od diskriminacije koje su predviđene evropskim antidiskriminacijskim pravom. Novi instituti kakvi su prebacivanje tereta dokazivanja na tuženu stranu ukoliko tužilac uspije da demonstrira pretpostavku diskriminacije, mogućnost učešća trećih lica kao umješača u postupku na strani tuženog, te kolektivna tužba koju udruženja, ustanove i druge organizacije koje imaju opravdan interes ili se bave zaštitom ljudskih prava mogu podnijeti u situacijama kada je postupanjem tuženog u pogledu više osoba povrijeđeno pravo na jednak tretman, svakako imaju značajan potencijal da unaprijede efektivnost sudske zaštite od diskriminacije i u Bosni i Hercegovini. No, prema dostupnim informacijama o broju sudskih postupaka povodom diskriminacije, taj potencijal nije iskorišten u dovoljnoj mjeri, imajući u vidu da se još uvijek tek manji broj žrtava odlučuje da potraži sudsku zaštitu. Na sličan način žrtve diskriminacije oklijevaju da se obrate i Instituciji ombudsmena za ljudska prava BiH. Takva situacija uslovljena je čitavim nizom faktora, među kojima značajno mjesto svakako zauzima zakonski okvir, čija pojedina rješenja nisu u najboljem interesu žrtava diskriminacije.

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How to Approach Open Government Partnership Action Planning for Bosnia and Herzegovina?

How to Approach Open Government Partnership Action Planning for Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: BiH; government; communication; partnership action planning;

On September 24, 2014, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) became the 65th member of the multilateral initiative Open Government Partnership (OGP), which aims to encourage government institutions to become more transparent and accountable to their citizens. In that sense, the Open Government Partnership aims to promote the transparency of public administration, including the public in decision-making, creating mechanisms for calling governments to account and using new information and communication technologies for improving the transparency of government and cooperation between citizens and public institutions. In order to meet these framework objectives, in accordance with the Partnership concept, governments and civil society in member countries should work together on the planning and implementation of ambitious reforms. Therefore, after a country joins the initiative, it is expected that, within a prescribed period, it will draft and submit an action plan for the implementation of reforms in the aforementioned areas to the OGP Support Unit. This refers to a two-year activity plan that defines the priorities for the country with regard to key areas of the OGP, which binds members to meet the objectives set by the Open Government Declaration. BiH is expected to submit its action plan by the end of June 2015. According to the OGP calendar, it is expected that government institutions, in cooperation with civil society, draft the action plan between January and June 2015. It should be noted that, based on experiences during the first round of action plan drafting, the obligations that countries undertook under the OGP may be grouped in seven thematic areas: 1. Public participation – including citizens in the making of public policies 2. Integrity of government – fighting corruption and strengthening democratic institutions 3. Freedom of access to information – guaranteeing public access to government data 4. Fiscal transparency – assisting citizens in monitoring the spending of public money 5. Public service provision – providing services useful to citizens 6. Extractive resources transparency – ensuring that income from extractive resources is used for public benefit 7. Openness of data – digitalization and opening government data to the public in order to ensure transparency and access to information It is especially important to stress that work on action planning implies close cooperation between relevant public institutions and civil society organizations in defining priorities and activity plans. Strengthening the dialogue and cooperation between government and civil society is considered a key step in the drafting and implementation of the action plan, which is one of the main aims of the Partnership. Therefore, under the Partnership, governments are requested to, inter alia, submit reports on the quality of the dialogue and cooperation with civil society during the development and implementation of the action plan. Moreover, cooperation between government and civil society is also evaluated within the independent reporting mechanism on the drafting and implementation of the action plan. However, a serious problem with BiH is that months after the state formally joined the OGP, nothing has essentially been done in this area, so that in April 2015, just three months before the deadline for submission of the action plan, the action plan drafting process has not begun. Bearing in mind that the action plan should be prepared and submitted by the end of June 2015, the question arises whether it is possible to start the process of action planning in the remaining three months while undertaking wide consultations in accordance with the standards and principles of the Partnership. The second question is, how to conceptualize the consultation process during the drafting of the action plan in order to include as wide a circle of interested stakeholders as possible and get the best possible proposals?

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Open Government Partnership and Action Planning: Approach, Challenges and Practice

Open Government Partnership and Action Planning: Approach, Challenges and Practice

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: BiH; development; action plans; open government partnership; civil society;

On September 24, at the United Nations Headquarters, the Open Government Partnership formally welcomed Bosnia and Herzegovina as the 65th country to join the OGP. The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is an international voluntary initiative established on the principles of transparency, accountability and public participation. Launched in 2011 with the aim to provide an international platform for domestic reformers committed to making their governments more open, accountable, and responsive to citizens, the OGP has grown from eight countries to the 65 participating countries today. In all of these countries, government and civil society are working together to develop and implement ambitious open government reforms. Today there are more than 2000 initiatives implemented by different countries under the OGP, with the purpose of making governments more accountable and open. Different countries joined the initiative at different times, so some of them are now implementing their second Action Plan, some are implementing their first Action Plan and the most recent members, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, will be developing their first action plans. It is expected that Bosnia and Herzegovina will submit its first Action Plan to OGP by June 2015. The purpose of this Policy memo is to outline key elements of action planning and suggest possible avenues for approaching the action planning process in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the following period, as the country is about to start working on its first Action Plan.

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Transparency of Public Universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Transparentnost javnih univerziteta u Bosni i Hercegovini

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: BiH; higher education; universities; transparency;

U javnim debatama o visokom obrazovanju u Bosni i Hercegovini (BiH), pitanje transparentnosti visokoškolskih institucija uglavnom ostaje zanemareno. Iako je ovo pitanje u većini zemalja Evropskog prostora visokog obrazovanja (EHEA) odavno dospjelo u žižu interesovanja, rasprave o transparentnosti bosanskohercegovačkih univerziteta i drugih visokoškolskih institucija najčešće su sporadične i ne izlaze van okvira medijskog diskursa. Ipak, zahtjevi za novim politikama upravljanja informacijama u javnim institucijama neumitno vode ka konačnom otvaranju ove diskusije. Zvaničnim pridruživanjem Partnerstvu za otvorenu vlast 24. septembra 2014. godine, BiH je, kao 65. članica ove multilateralne inicijative, barem formalno izrazila interes da se priključi naporima zemalja članica usmjerenim na osiguranje transparentnog, otvorenog i odgovornog rada javnih i institucija vlasti, te unapređenje kvaliteta javnih usluga. S tim u vezi, javne institucije i usluge potrebno je reformirati na način da budu pristupačnije, otvorenije i usmjerenije ka korisnicima, podrazumijevajući pri tome otvorenost i dostupnost javnih informacija, kao i veću uključenost građana u rad institucija. Budući da obrazovanje predstavlja jednu od temeljnih javnih usluga svakog razvijenog društva, neophodno je da se visokoškolske institucije u narednom periodu usmjere ka povećanju svoje transparentnosti, odnosno ka otvaranju svojih informacija prema široj javnosti. Ovaj će korak biti naročito izazovan za visokoškolske institucije u BiH, koje u proteklom periodu nisu učinile značajnije korake na ovome polju. Otvaranje informacija i podataka koji su u posjedu visokoškolskih institucija ima višestruku korist za različite aktere, od studenata i samih visokoškolskih institucija, preko poslovne zajednice, pa sve do šire javnosti. U izvještaju koji je 2013. godine objavio McKinsey Global Institute, identificirano je i navedeno pet osnovnih područja obrazovanja koja mogu biti unaprijeđena zahvaljujući otvaranju podataka, a to su: (1) poboljšanje kvaliteta nastave, (2) veća informiranost studenata o studijskim programima, (3) približavanje studenata potrebama tržišta rada, (4) veća transparentnost informacija o finansiranju studija i (5) povećanje efikasnosti administrativnog sistema obrazovnih institucija. Naravno, područja u kojima se ostvaruje korist od otvorenih informacija nadilaze okvir od pet navedenih, pa je s pravom moguće tvrditi da je transparentnost visokog obrazovanja u interesu ne samo studenata i visokoškolskih institucija, nego i niza drugih relevantnih društvenih aktera. Tako, naprimjer, veća transparentnost javnih univerziteta i fakulteta može pomoći donosiocima odluka prilikom izrade javnih politika, dok poslovna zajednica može ostvariti bolji uvid u kvalitete i kompetencije kadrova dostupnih na tržištu rada. Osim toga, veća otvorenost informacija u posjedu visokoškolskih institucija od značaja je i za širu javnost budući da transparentnost javnih institucija vodi ka većem stepenu njihove odgovornosti i smanjenju prostora za korupciju. Stoga je cilj ovoga policy memoranduma skrenuti pažnju na principe i prednosti politika otvorenosti u domenu visokog obrazovanja, inicirati širu diskusiju o ovim politikama, te, u konačnici, apelirati na relevantne donosioce odluka da djelovanje u pravcu povećanja transparentnosti visokoškolskih institucija uvrste u svoje programske ciljeve. U prvom dijelu teksta izložit ćemo moguće pristupe pitanju transparentnosti visokoškolskih institucija, dok ćemo se u drugom dijelu osvrnuti na postojeće stanje transparentnosti i otvorenosti u bosanskohercegovačkom visokom obrazovanju te, u skladu s tim, formulirati osnovne preporuke za buduće djelovanje u pravcu otvaranja bosanskohercegovačkih univerziteta.

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Data as Potential: Towards Open Data Policies in BiH

Data as Potential: Towards Open Data Policies in BiH

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: BiH; transparency; information access; open data policy; government;

The state and its institutions are the biggest producers, collectors and users of various types of data. Besides personal data, contained in public registers and health records, data of importance to the wider public is also collected, such as data on the state of the environment, economic trends, meteorological and other data. In the past, data of importance to the public was mostly unavailable. In cases where it was available, it was extremely difficult to find and use. Thanks to technological development and the relatively easy and inexpensive opening up of data on the Internet, but also more pronounced public requests for more transparent, accountable and efficient governance, governments worldwide committed to policies of opening data held by public institutions. Examples include websites such as US government’s Data.gov and Usa.gov, or the UK government’s Data.gov.uk and the European Union’s Open Data Portal, all of which provide educational, health, transport, environmental and other data. All of this has led to the rapid growth in use of open public data, in the private and non-government sectors alike. Software applications enable access to data on the Internet or on mobile devices and data is used to improve public services, initiate new commercial projects or enhance transparency of government. Some examples of websites specialized in processing, publishing and further use of open data are OpenSpending.org, which currently holds more than 700 datasets on public spending in 66 countries, or OpenCongress.org which enables monitoring of the work of the US Congress. Although the publication of open public data is a pronounced world trend and the potential of open data has been recognized in the region, such practice has not truly taken hold in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite NGO initiatives to open up public data, public institutions, with a few exceptions, mostly do not allow access to data on the Internet or via mobile technology. In order to prevent BiH seriously falling back in the area of proactive disclosure of such data, which would negatively impact all sectors of society, it is necessary to start a wider public discussion on opening up data held by public institutions. This policy memo aims to contribute to such a discussion.

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Criminal offence of Inciting National, Racial or Religious Hatred, Discord or Hostility: Lack of Precision Within the Norm and Problems in its Practical Application in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Criminal offence of Inciting National, Racial or Religious Hatred, Discord or Hostility: Lack of Precision Within the Norm and Problems in its Practical Application in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: BiH; criminal law; criminal offense; incitement of hatred; discord; hostility; norms; lack of precision;

Differences in the stipulation of the criminal offence of inciting national, racial or religious hatred, discord or intolerance (hereinafter: inciting hatred), imprecise formulations and lack of definition of the key terms in the description of this offence in the four currently applicable criminal codes in Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: BiH) hinder the efficient and consistent prosecution of these crimes.

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Towards Proactive Transparency in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Towards Proactive Transparency in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: BiH; transparency; legislation; access to information; international standards;

Freedom of access to information (FOI) laws in BiH should be changed. That is confirmed by numerous analyses and discussions, which have for years indicated the shortcomings of the current state and entity-level laws. Inter alia, in cases when a relevant public body refuses access to information, the appeal process is not sufficiently defined by law. Although freedom of information laws are applied as lex specialis, many laws which were later adopted in practice limited access to information. The public interest test, foreseen by all three acts, is arbitrarily applied in practice, while the access to information is often baselessly refused, using legally defined exceptions as reasons for refusal. Meanwhile, a procedure for amending the existing state law, which was started in early 2013, actualized the discussion about the need for achieving a balance in existing laws between the right to access information and the right to privacy, in accordance with international standards.

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Why Bosnia and Herzegovina Should Join Open Government Partnership

Why Bosnia and Herzegovina Should Join Open Government Partnership

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: BiH; open government partnership; governace; citizens; trust; transparency;

Open Government Partnership (OGP) aims to encourage governments worldwide to become more transparent and more accountable to their citizens, “with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of governance, as well as the quality of services that citizens receive.” This multilateral initiative was formally started on September 20, 2011, when the governments of Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, United States of America and United Kingdom endorsed the Open Government Declaration. Meanwhile, the number of states participating in the initiative grew to 60, including all the Western Balkans countries apart from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Kosovo. The initiative is overseen by a Steering Committee, which is comprised of government and civil society representatives.

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Obstacles to the Adoption of Public Policies Based on Facts - The Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Prepreke za donošenje javnih politika zasnovanih na činjenicama – slučaj Bosne i Hercegovine

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: BiH; public policies; obstacles to adoption; EU;

Jačanje kapaciteta javnih institucija za donošenje javnih politika u Bosni i Hercegovini (BiH) od ključne je važnosti uzme li se u obzir širok spektar reformi kroz koje BiH mora proći da bi postala članica EU. Proces pridruženja EU podrazumijeva vrlo izazovan i ubrzan proces izrade javnih politika, što opet podrazumijeva harmonizaciju postojećih i usvajanje novih zakona u skladu s pravnom stečevinom EU. Međutim, iako su mnogi programi u postratnoj BiH nastojali isporučiti tehničku pomoć javnim institucijama na različitim nivoima vlasti, prakse i kapaciteti tih institucija i dalje su generalno nerazvijeni u ključnim oblastima donošenja javnih politika: formulacije politika, procjene utjecaja, monitoringa i evaluacije implementacije i efekata javnih politika. Ovo je jasno pokazano u izvještajima OECD SIGMA-e za 2015. i 2017. godinu, gdje je BiH vrlo loše ocijenjena u svim segmentima donošenja javnih politika, pri čemu vidno zaostaje i za susjednim zemljama.

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Labor Market Reforms in BiH: Flexibility Without Security?

Reforme tržišta rada u BiH: Fleksibilnost bez sigurnosti?

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: BiH; labour market; flexibility; security; reforms;

Tržište rada u Bosni i Hercegovini (BiH) suočava se sa velikim izazovima. Nezaposlenost je kontinuirano visoka, a zaposlenost niska. Faktori poput ratnog razaranja industrijske infrastrukture, gubitka poslovnih veza usljed raspada Jugoslavije, neadekvatne prilagodbe novom poslovnom i tehnološkom okruženju, neuspješnih privatizacijskih procesa i generalno nepovoljne makroekonomske klime ostavili su negativne posljedice na kreiranje novih radnih mjesta. Pritom se kroz gotovo svakodnevne proteste radnika kojima poslodavci ne isplaćuju plate ili ne uplaćuju doprinose pokazuju ozbiljne slabosti sistema socijalne sigurnosti i zaštite prava radnika.

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