Central level (BiH)

Ministry of civil affairs in charge of defining basic principles for:

• Coordination and consolidation of Entities plans;
• Definition of an international strategy;

The state-level BiH Agency for Labour and Employment has the following core responsibilities:

• Represents the Agency in the field of employment in the areas within its competencies, cooperates with agencies, institutions and international organizations competent in these fields;
• Meets international obligations undertaken in the field of employment in coordination with the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Monitors the application of international standards and policies in the field of employment and participates in their implementation in cooperation with entity employment services and the Employment Service of the Brčko District of BiH;
• Co-ordinates activities in domestic and international projects in the field of employment which are to the interest of Bosnia and Herzegovina and cooperates with entity employment services and the Employment Service of the Brčko District of BiH in their implementation;
• Proposes to the Council of Ministers, through the line ministry of BiH, long-term, medium-term and annual plans for labour market policy guidelines and active employment measures in Bosnia and Herzegovina together with entity employment services and the Employment Service of the Brčko District of BiH;

Responsible ministries/bodies

Ministry of civil affairs
BiH Agency for Labour and Employment

Regional

Whilst in the Republika Srpska, entity level employment policy and the organization
of employment services is centralized, in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, there
is a further layer of autonomous decision-making at cantonal level. 

Below the responsibilities for each entity:
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Labour and employment policies;
• Labour relations and rights arising from labour relations;
• Industrial protection and safety;
• International conventions, and
• Agreements and bilateral covenants in the area of employment.
  

Republika Srpska

• Employment (shared with the Municipalities);
• Work relations;
• Safety at work;
• Labour relations and rights arising from labour relations;
• International conventions;
• Strategy of employment;
• Action plan of employment;
• Training and employment of disabled persons;
• Collective agreements;
• Temporary employment of workers abroad in coordination with authorities at the state level;
• Employment of youth.
  

Intermediate level

Cantons (FBiH)

• Regulation and promotion of local business and charitable activities.
  

Responsible ministries/bodies

Federal Ministry of Labuor and Social Policy

Department of Labour, Recruitment and Pension and disability Insurance

Local

FBiH’s Municipalities

• Employment;
• Plans and programmes necessary for economic growth and job creation.
  

Republika Srpska’s Municipalities

Employment (shared with the Republika Srpska).

Sources:

Council of Ministers of BiH portal, Ministry of civil affairs
LAW ON AGENCY FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
FBiH Government portal, Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy

Constitution of Republika Srpska, Official Gazette of Republika Srpska, 6/92, 8/92, 15/92, 19/91, 21/92, 28/94, 8/96, 13/96, 15/96, 16/96 and 21/96.

Niall O’Higgins, 2013, ‘Employment policy implementation mechanisms in Bosnia & Herzegovina’, Employment Policy Department EMPLOYMENT Working Paper No. 156

Labour and Employment Agency, ‘Employment Strategy of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2010 – 2014’

Government of Republika Srpska Official website

Zakon o republickoj upravi [Law on Republic administration- unofficial translation], Official Gazette of Republika Srpska 118/08.

Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Official Gazette of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1/94, 13/97, 16/02, 22/02, 52/02, 60/02, 18/03, 63/03.

Zakono Principima Lokalne Samouprave U Federaciji Bosne I Hercegovine [Law on the principles of local government in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina - unofficial translation]. “Official

Gazette of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina”, 49/06, 51/09.