Purpose: To inform the visit of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders to Bosnia and Herzegovina, scheduled from 10 to 20 June 2025.
Background
The Special Rapporteur invites human rights defenders and other interested parties to submit information relevant for the preparation for her visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, scheduled to take place from 10 to 20 June 2025.
During the visit, the Special Rapporteur will meet government officials, human rights defenders, civil society representatives, environmental activists, trade unionists, journalists and human rights lawyers, as well as representatives of the international community and other relevant stakeholders.
Objectives
The purpose of the visit is to assess, in the spirit of co-operation and dialogue, the situation of human rights defenders in the country, identifying both positive developments and ongoing challenges, and to analyse how the principles and commitments outlined in the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders are being upheld by the relevant authorities.
The Special Rapporteur will present her report on the visit to the Human Rights Council at its 61st session in March 2026. The report will set out and analyse the information she has received in the framework of the visit and will make recommendations to a number of actors, including the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Key questions and types of input/comments sought
1. Regarding the general context for defending human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
- What are the main national laws and policies in place that affect the work of human rights defenders and civil society?
- How are these laws and policies implemented?
- Please share examples of policies and good practices related to supporting human rights defenders and their work?
- What are the main barriers, types of interference or restrictions that human rights defenders face in their work in the country?
2. Specific issues of concern:
- What are the key or most pressing challenges currently faced by human rights defenders in the country?
- What recommendations would you propose on how to effectively address these challenges?
- Are women human rights defenders facing differentiated challenges? Please provide specific examples.
- Are there specific groups of human rights defenders, such as those working on particular human rights issues or representing certain communities, facing different challenges? Please provide specific examples.
- Is business activity putting human rights defenders at risk in the country? Please provide specific examples.
3. Stakeholder engagement:
- Which authorities would be relevant for the Special Rapporteur to meet while she is in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
- Which other organizations, groups or individuals would you recommend the Special Rapporteur to meet in the context of her visit?
- Bearing in mind that her time in the country will be limited, which areas recommend the Special Rapporteur to visit, including in rural areas outside major cities?
Please also let us know if there are any other issues, specific questions or recommendations that you would like the Special Rapporteur to look into or raise with a particular authority while in the country.
Please feel free to provide inputs to any of the questions. You do not need to answer all the questions.
How inputs will be used?
Submissions will be used to prepare for the country visit and will be considered during the visit and taken into account for the Special Rapporteur’s country visit report to be presented at the Human Rights Council in 2026. These inputs will not be shared publicly.
Submissions should be strictly limited to a maximum of 2,000 words and must be in English.
Next Steps
Input/comments may be sent by e-mail. They must be received by 18 May 2025 . Please make sure the name of the person submitting and a contact address, or that of a contact person if the submitter is an organisation, are included in the body of the email.
Email address: hrc-sr-defenders@un.org
Email subject line: Bosnia and Herzegovina Country Visit – Input
Word/Page limit:
2000 words
Accepted file formats:
Word, PDF
Accepted Languages:
English
