Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 5 February 2020 – A ceremony took place at the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) today to mark the signature of Regional Housing Programme (RHP) cooperation agreements by the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, the Federal Ministry of Displaced Persons and Refugees, and 17 municipalities and cities across the Federation entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The cooperation agreements set the framework for the implementation of the BiH6 sub-project, which will re-/construct homes for vulnerable refugees and displaced persons at a total cost of EUR 18.5 million.

In addition to the mayors of the relevant municipalities and cities, the agreements were signed by Deputy Minister Dževad Mahmutović on behalf of the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, and Minister Edin Ramić on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Displaced Persons and Refugees.

On behalf of the European Union – the largest donor to the RHP – Jamila Milovic-Halilovic, Head of Communication and Spokesperson at the EU Delegation to BiH, noted: “The focus of this programme is the beneficiaries. Providing them with a safe home is a priority. However, in order to integrate them into local communities and enable them to remain in their new homes, it is necessary to provide them with access to education, social services and employment.”

Minister Ramić said: “The apartment buildings in the BiH6 sub-project will remain permanently owned by local communities, which will provide land and infrastructure connections. We are looking forward to implementing the RHP in the Federation of BiH.”