Cross-cutting sectors (Youth, Gender, Return and Reintegration)
The
Cross-cutting sectors include the Youth,
Gender, and Return and Reintegration sectors. These areas received a
total of € 25.3 million of
grants-based funding in 2007.
Cross-cutting sub-sector composition in 2007
Donor composition in the Youth sub-sector in 2007
Donor composition in the Gender sub-sector in 2007
Donor composition in the Return and Reintegration sub-sector in 2007
Donor Activities in 2007
The
donors in the Youth sector are
Austria/ADA, France,
Germany/GTZ, Italy/IC, the Netherlands,
Sweden/SIDA, the EC, UNDP/United Nations’ Volunteers (UNV) and UNICEF. Of these
donors, Germany/GTZ, Italy/IC, the Netherlands, Sweden/SIDA, the EC,
and UNDP/UNV contributed € 2.13
million to ongoing activities during 2007.
The
donors supporting Gender issues in
BiH are Austria/ADA, Canada/CIDA, France,
Norway,
Spain/AECID, Sweden/SIDA, UK/DFID and UNDP. Of these donors, Canada/CIDA, Norway,
Spain/AECID, Sweden/SIDA and UNDP contributed € 1.79 million to ongoing activities during 2007. Austria/ADA, France and
UK/DFID remained involved in the sub-sector through continuing projects and
providing policy advice.
The
donors to the Return and Reintegration
sector are Germany/GTZ, the Netherlands,
Norway,
Spain/AECID, Sweden/SIDA, Switzerland/SDC/SECO, the EC, and UNDP. Of these
donors, the Netherlands, Norway,
Sweden/SIDA, the EC and UNDP contributed €
16.59 million during 2007. UNHCR, since 1992, is the designated lead UN
agency for the international response to displacement in BiH. The UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also has specific responsibilities under the
DPA to facilitate return and durable solutions for refugees and displaced
persons. Non-DCF members working in Return and Reintegration include the
Croatian government and the Council of Europe Development Bank (in the form of
loans for collective homes).
Sector
Strategies
To
date there is no state-level youth
strategy in spite of the two years’ existence of the Commission for the
Coordination of Youth Issues (CCYI). The former MTDS only envisioned measures
to increase youth employment. In May 2007, the CCYI began the process of
developing a Youth Policy in BiH. This national guiding document is expected to
be completed by the end of 2008. The RS has a Youth Policy 2006-2010, which is
considered fairly comprehensive by some donors, and is implemented by the RS
Ministry of Youth and Family. The FBiH does not have similar structures
advocating youth activities. With the assistance of Germany/GTZ, the FBiH
should have a Youth Policy draft ready by the summer of 2008.
The
Gender Action Plan (AP), developed
by the BiH Gender Equality Agency, was passed in 2006. It is rooted in other
relevant documents, both national and international. The Gender AP consists of
a global component, 15 chapters, and concrete actions. As far as the
institutional gender mechanisms in BiH are concerned, there is one state Gender
Equality Agency and two entity Centres – the Gender Centres of the FBiH and the
RS – responsible for the implementation of the Gender AP.
In
the Return and Reintegration sector
a state-level strategy on the implementation of Annex VII of the DPA has been
in place since 2002. The Strategy predicted that the process of return would be
completed by the end of 2006, but this has not happened due to political and
protection issues, as well as insufficient funding to the sector. The BiH Ministry
of Human Rights and Refugees, in partnership with UNHCR, initiated the revision
of the Strategy in 2007. This multi-sectoral, consultative process created ten
working groups, bringing all interested stakeholders from all levels of
government, civil society, and international actors together. The Strategy will
especially have to focus on the most vulnerable displaced persons who cannot
return, because this issue has not yet been properly addressed.
Donor Coordination
In
January 2007, UNV initiated a working group, inviting all donors that support youth activities for informal
information exchange to streamline projects. To the donors’ regret, this
coordination meeting was not repeated. However, international agencies have
diverging ideas regarding the possible coordination of their activities.
In
the past there were efforts to coordinate donor activities in the Gender sector through regular meetings
chaired by the Director of the BiH Gender Equality Agency. At present there are
only bilateral, ad hoc, project-based meetings between the Agency and each
sponsoring institution. In order to avoid overlap and synchronize their
activities, donors agree there is a need for better coordination, especially
regarding the establishment of investment priorities.
In
the Return sector, coordination
among donors is quite good. In 2007, donors cooperated in different ways. The Netherlands’
main partner for coordination, for example, is UNDP, although it also works
with other implementing agencies as well. Donors that want to sign partnership
agreements with the Netherlands
must synchronize their proposals with existing initiatives in advance, in order
to ensure there is no overlap.
For
a complete overview of donor support to these Cross cutting sectors, click here.
