A conference entitled “Strengthening partnerships and exchanging experiences for improving local employment policies for vulnerable categories in BiH” was held in Trebinje on 19 May 2026, organized within the project “Joining forces for jobs and stability: Supporting vulnerable people in BiH through public-private-civil partnerships”.
The conference was organized by ASB South East Europe and LIR Civil Society, with the support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), in cooperation with the local communities of Goražde, Teslić, Trebinje, Zavidovići, Travnik and Vareš.
The event brought together representatives of local communities, institutions, civil society organizations and experts in the field of employment and social inclusion, with the aim of exchanging experiences and presenting the results of the project.
In the introductory part of the conference, the participants were addressed by Mirko Ćurić, Mayor of the City of Trebinje, Elmir Bojadžić, Regional Director for Southeast Europe at ASB South East Europe, and Biljana Zgonjanin, President of the Board of Directors of LIR Civil Society.
During the conference, key project results were presented, developed tools and recommendations for improving local employment policies, with a special focus on the importance of cooperation between the public, private and civil sectors.
Through the project, 240 people successfully completed vocational training and advanced training programs, while 90 beneficiaries found employment in 47 companies. Also, through the program to support self-employment and small business development, 96 beneficiaries from six local communities were supported.
A special part of the program was a panel discussion dedicated to the role of local communities and civil society organizations in employing vulnerable groups, during which participants discussed challenges, examples of good practice and opportunities for improving local employment policies.
It was concluded that cooperation between local authorities, civil society, employment services and the private sector is crucial for creating sustainable employment opportunities and economic stability for vulnerable categories of the population in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
