The Balkan wars between 1991 and 1995 have marked the political development in Bosnia Herzegovina for the past fifteen years.

The current state structure is complicated and expensive, which also makes it difficult to implement the law and reforms. The state structure under the Dayton Agreement has contributed to producing an institutionalisation of ethnical differences. The financial situation is difficult, with little economic growth, a trade balance in deficit and high unemployment.

Norwegian Aid

Norway has been giving aid to Bosnia Herzegovina since 1991, in total more than three billion Norwegian kroner. During and after the war years 1992-95 humanitarian aid was given, and later aid for rebuilding. Since year 2000 support has been given for democratisation and work for fulfilling conditions for seeking membership of NATO and EU. Priority areas are good governance and strengthening of the legal state, reform of the defence and security sector, economic development and support to the civil society (Bosnian organisations). The Norwegian efforts were evaluated in 2010. After this we sought to concentrate the aid on fewer sectors, provide more long-term support and provide more of the assistance directly to local operators. Since 2011 the Embassy in Sarajevo has received ten million kroner which will be allocated to Bosnian organisations in order to strengthen the civil society in Bosnia Herzegovina. Vulnerable states in the Balkans are considered a threat to a united, stable and democratic Europe. Norway will therefore continue its assistance to Bosnia Herzegovina. Slow reform processes have made it necessary to keep a long-term perspective for the Norwegian assistance. Assistance to West Balkan is however expected to be gradually reduced in the coming years.

State Building

After the independence several important government bodies needed to be built from scratch. Norway has contributed over 100 million kroner to the justice sector since 1996 and it is still a priority area.

Reconciliation

In regard to peace and reconciliation, efforts of Nansen Dialogue Network have been important. Norway has spent 150 million kroner on the project for the entire West Balkan. Several hundred people have completed Nansen training and they are now serving in important roles in public service. During the first few years after the war training of young leaders was prioritised. They in turn have taken initiative for building a number of Dialogue Centres in different parts of the former Yugoslavia. In Bosnia Herzegovina they also set up common activities for children from different ethnic groups who attend the same school but do not receive education together. Other initiatives include support for identification of the missing and documentation of war crimes as these issues are important for reconciliation between the parties today. Similar documentation work has also been supported regionally.

Football for Peace

A reconciliation initiative particularly aimed at children is Open Fun Football Schools, a project by the Football Association of Norway, which is run in Serbia, Macedonia and Bosnia Herzegovina. The project engages thousands of children, youth and adult instructors of both sexes and different ethnic backgrounds in football tournaments where the focus is on play and joy. These events create unique multi-ethnic meeting places and opportunities for positive common experiences for children and youths from different backgrounds.