Assistance Policy toward Bosnia and Herzegovina

1. Basic Policy
   1. Significance of Japanese Assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina
      • The stabilization of Bosnia and Herzegovina is important for the stabilization of the South Eastern European region as a whole
      • The strengthening of cooperation between Japan and Europe
      • The building of a relationship with Bosnia and Herzegovina with a view to its future accession to the EU
      • Japan considers it important for it to contribute to peace building, poverty reduction and economic development in BiH through its ODA as a member of the international community.
      • The assistance will be particularly beneficial to the development of Bosnia and Herzefovina because it is based on Japan’s experience of cooperation in many countries in Asia and Central and Eastern Europe.
   2. Basic Policy of Japan’s Assistance to BiH
      • Japan, along with other donors and international organizations, provides Bosnia and Herzegovina with assistance aimed at promoting ethnic reconciliation and economic stabilization, which will be the foundation for the consolidation of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
      • Japan’s ODA to Bosnia and Herzegovina which had been previously focused on the hardware type of cooperation for post-conflict reconstruction—i.e., the reconstruction of socio-economic infrastructure and the improvement of facilities related to Basic Human Needs in fields such as health, education, etc.,--would be reoriented toward the software type of cooperation, such as capacity building in various institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
      • It is important to select and concentrate on priority sectors and to execute assistance more effectively.
2. Priority Sectors for Assistance
   1. Promotion of Market Economy
   2. Environment
   3. Peace Consolidation