Improving the integrity of 2024 and 2026 electoral processes in BiH in line with the ODIHR recommendations and international standards

Following the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 General Elections, the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission issued a set of recommendations to be taken into account for further improvement of the election process in BiH. Also, the Opinion of the European Commission (EC) on the application of BiH for European Union (EU) membership, from May 2019 clearly identifies that meaningful accession progress cannot be made without fundamentally improving BiH’s legislative and institutional framework towards ensuring that elections are conducted in line with democratic standards.

Activities proposed would greatly contribute to ensuring coherence and sustainability, including further developing sustainable capacities of electoral administration, public reporting and review mechanisms, and supporting compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards.  The proposed activities would also significantly contribute to increase in trust in the integrity and transparency of elections, politics and institutions in general, that is arguably at an all-time low. The OSCE in general, and the OSCE Mission to BiH specifically, is best placed to carry out such a reform, owing to its status of the honest broker, institutional memory and expertise that stretches across different OSCE’s institutions, Missions and different Departments and Sections. The assistance and advice offered to the CEC, CSOs, parliamentary working bodies and other interested stakeholders will be closely co-ordinated with ODIHR, the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Office of the European Union Special Representative (EUSR/EUDEL), United States (US), USAID, United Kingdom (UK) and other international partners. The Mission also supported civil society organizations through a Partnership Agreement in acquiring skills and knowledge to effectively advocate for necessary electoral legislation reforms.