Within the project “Better social inclusion through strengthened IRIS CSOs Network”, implemented by LIR Civil Society and Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Deutschland eV, with the financial support of the European Union, the document “Annual Shadow Report for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2021” was prepared which assesses the state and progress in the implementation of national and local policies and legislation related to social services and monitors the implementation of relevant EU negotiating chapters in this area: Chapter 19 – Social Policy and Employment, Chapter 23 – Justice and Fundamental Rights treatment of socially vulnerable groups and the principle of non-discrimination and Chapter 20- Enterprise and industrial policy.

A great contribution to the preparation of the Report was provided by the civil society organizations of the IRIS network throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, which with their experience, activities and daily work with beneficiaries are most relevant for providing quality and clear information on social services and further guidance. Based on the assessment of the situation and progress, but also the identified needs, general recommendations related to the negotiation chapters 19, 20 and 23 are given, as well as recommendations in the field of public policies and recommendations for the improvement of social services.

The document consists of the following chapters:

1. Executive Summary,
2. Introduction,
3. Chapters overview- 19, 20 and 23,
4. Current situation (findings from the Analytical Report of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Commission’s opinion on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s application for EU membership) and progress made in Chapters 19, 20 and 23 (as assessed by expert / CSOs and illustrated with concrete available examples, supported by relevant CSO analysis, latest statistics, media clipping),
5. The impact of the pandemic and the state of emergency on the social protection system and the provision of social services,
6. Conclusions, recommendations and three annexes.

The most important recommendations are public advocacy and raising awareness of the possibilities and needs of social entrepreneurship, initiating the development of strategic documents, strengthening preventive mechanisms to reduce the risk of social exclusion, joint work of all institutions to improve the position of marginalized, developing adequate and realistic social inclusions programs that can give good results at the micro and macro level and be sustainable, and defining key actors and individuals who will be the bearers of change in society.

The document “Annual Shadow Report for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2021” is available at this LINK.