Civil servants, representatives of civil society and media in Brčko District strengthened their understanding of how to recognise and address hate speech during a two-day capacity building held on 19–20 February 2026 in Teslić. Organised by the Government of Brčko District with the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe, the capacity building focused on improving institutional responses, clarifying legal thresholds and promoting preventive measures, including the proactive use of codes of conduct within public administration.

This initiative is in line with a foreseen set of activities institutions are to implement within the document Mapping responses to hate speech in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A situational analysis and mapping report’, in order to challenge paradigms on impunity for hate speech and bias used for hate speech. This document was adopted by the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 27 November 2023, at the proposal of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The capacity building emphasised distinguishing between hate speech and freedom of speech, as well as identifying when hate speech should be addressed under criminal law, civil law, or as an offensive or harmful expression. A key point highlighted was the proactive use of the Code of Conduct as a preventive measure to combat hate speech among civil servants.

It informed participants about the protection mechanisms too, including those from the Institution of Ombudsperson, presented by the two Ombudsperson Dr. Jasminka Dzumhur and Dr. Nevenko Vranjes and of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees BiH, presented by Amina Malicbegovic-Kamenica.

This training was organised with the support of the action "Towards an equal, inclusive and tolerant Bosnia and Herzegovina", which is implemented within the framework of the joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye".