Bošnjak and Lucet on the “European Child Guarantee’”

he Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dubravka Bošnjak, spoke with the representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Marco Lucet, about joint projects aimed at improving the situation of children, young people, and marginalized groups, as well as strengthening the country’s social and child protection systems.

Lucet also invited Minister Bošnjak to a high-level ministerial conference on the European Child Guarantee, which will be held in Zagreb on March 30 and 31.

The conference is organized by UNICEF Croatia with the support of the European Commission and hosted by the Croatian Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy. It will bring together around 100 participants from EU member states and candidate countries.

The European Child Guarantee is an initiative aimed at reducing child poverty and social exclusion by ensuring access to key services. Bosnia and Herzegovina has already begun alignment by forming a coordination team at the state level, as well as at the entity levels and in the Brčko District.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina has launched intensive activities to implement the Child Guarantee initiative in the country. As a first step, it has proposed conducting an analysis of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina to identify key challenges and the needs of children.

At the meeting between Minister Bošnjak and UNICEF representative Lucet, discussions also covered projects under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance) of the European Union, which UNICEF is implementing in cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and other relevant ministries. These projects include strengthening social and child protection systems, education, and social centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with implementation planned to continue until May 2027.

Bošnjak and Lucet expressed their commitment for Bosnia and Herzegovina and UNICEF to remain reliable partners in projects aimed at protecting children and young people in the country.