Back Strengthening mediation to make dispute resolution more effective in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Vlašić, Bosnia and Herzegovina 18 September 2026
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Strengthening mediation to make dispute resolution more effective in Bosnia and Herzegovina

How can mediation become more effective in Bosnia and Herzegovina? This was a key focus of discussions at a two-day workshop organised on 17 and 18 September 2026 in Vlašić, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The workshop followed an observation visit conducted on 27 and 28 April in Sarajevo, Banja Luka and the Brčko District. The visit provided an opportunity to look at the functioning of mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methods and identify obstacles to their effective use.

Building on these observations, participants discussed the challenges affecting the effective functioning of mediation and explored possible ways forward. The second day was focused on developing a common approach to enhancing the effectiveness of mediation, based on the CEPEJ’s tools on mediation, in particular the European Handbook for Mediation Lawmaking. Discussions also focused on possible improvements to inter-institutional co-ordination in the field of mediation.

This activity was organised by the CEPEJ action “Strengthening the Efficiency and Quality of Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiHSEJ)”, which is part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.

Horizontal Facility III

The joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” (Horizontal Facility III) is a co-operation initiative, running from 2023 until 2026. The programme covers actions in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye. It enables the Beneficiaries to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy and to comply with European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.

The envelope of this facility amounts to ca. 41 million EUR (85% funded by the EU, 15% by the CoE).

Find out more about the Horizontal Facility III programme >>

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.