Official Visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (10-20 June 2025)

The flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina flying from the top of a pole against a blue sky background.

From 10 to 20 June 2025, I visited Bosnia and Herzegovina to assess the situation for human rights defenders in the country.

I presented my findings in full to the Human Rights Council at its 61st session on 3 March 2026.

Royalty free photos available at the end of this page.

Human Rights Council Presentation – March 2026

Read the full country visit report [EN]
Call for input for country visit report [EN] Start of Mission Press Release [EN] End of Mission Press Release [EN/BCS] End of Mission Statement [EN/BCS]
Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, stands with a group of women human rights defenders from the LARA Foundation during her country visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are gathered outside the entrance of a building, smiling together on a sunny day.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor sits with two human rights defenders from the Roma and Polish communities, who work to protect the rights of minorities. They are seated outdoors at a white table, smiling together. Mary holds a publication titled Mala Evropa / Little Europe, featuring historical images.
Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, stands with two members of her team in front of a banner for the international conference “From Gender Justice to Sustainable Peace: A 25-Year Vision,” held on 12-13 June 2025 in Sarajevo. They are smiling and standing outdoors beside the historic city hall building, with a commemorative plaque visible on the wall behind them.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor stands amongst a group of six human rights defenders who work on the rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The group is gathered in an office setting, smiling and wearing visitor badges.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor stands with three human rights defenders working on the rights of the Roma community during her visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are posing together in a brightly decorated room with colourful artwork on the wall behind them, including a tree, butterflies and cartoon animals.
Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, stands with members of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Court’s secretariat during her official visit. They are gathered indoors in a formal meeting room, standing in front of a framed painting, with a conference table and documents visible in the foreground.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor stands with two women’s rights defenders in Zenica, during her official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The three are smiling together outside a restaurant, with greenery and string lights visible in the background.
Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, stands with woman human rights defender Hajrija Čobo in a sunlit garden. They are surrounded by vibrant red rose bushes, with homes and hanging flower pots visible in the background. Both are smiling warmly on a clear, bright day.
Mary Lawlor with a member of the Izvor Foundation
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor stands outdoors with a group of environmental human rights defenders and a member of her team during her official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are smiling together beneath the shade of surrounding trees on a sunny day.
Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, stands with Jasminka Džumhur and Nives Jukić, two of the three Ombudspersons of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in front of a blue banner displaying a map of the country surrounded by stars. They are posing indoors, smiling, in professional attire.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor stands next to Ombudsperson Nevenko Vranjes during her official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, stands with three environmental defenders from Eko Forum Zenica, during her official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are pictured indoors in an office setting, with shelves of publications and photographs of industrial pollution on the wall behind them. A banner reading “Zdravlje u zraku” (Health in the Air) is visible above them.
Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, stands between two young women human rights defenders, Sara Tuševljak and Sunčica Kovačević, during her official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The three women are smiling and standing in an indoor meeting space, with a UNICEF poster in the background.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor stands next to the Minister of Justice of Republika Srpska during her official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor stands next to a member of the Joint Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentary Assembly during her official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor stands next to a member of the Joint Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentary Assembly during her official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor speaking at a press conference at the end of an official country visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2024. Behind her are the flags of the United Nations and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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