Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan (NAP) adopted in 2010 was the first of its kind in South-East Europe and one of the first adopted in a post-conflict country. It is an ambitious document with 13 objectives. The Second NAP was improved in terms of its structure with three strategic goals (according to the UNSCR 1325 pillars), midterm outcomes, expected outputs and activities. The human security concept, as one of strategic goals, was introduced in the second NAP. The third NAP has a structure that is in line with the second NAP, but the human security goal was improved with measures to address emerging security threats and challenges, and crisis.
The development and implementation of each NAP was spearheaded and coordinated by the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina through a series of consultations with government and civil society actors. There is a Government Coordination Board (GCB) for monitoring the implementation of NAPs, in place since 2011. They, among others, participate in annual planning and preparation of regular annual reports to be adopted by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a local-national-regional-global approach to NAP implementation (“from local to global level”) which enables localization of the WPS agenda in Bosnia and Herzegovina, systemic gender mainstreaming within relevant national institutions, regional and international recognition, cooperation, and exchange of best practices.