Bosnia and Herzegovina, Short Cultural Policy Profile
A new Short Cultural Policy Profile for Bosnia and Herzegovina is now available on the Compendium website. The profile provides an overview of the country’s complex, decentralized governance and the challenges of sustaining a vibrant cultural sector within a fragmented political framework.
Special thanks go to our expert Jasmina Husanović for compiling and updating the profile.
Key developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s cultural policy:
Decentralized Governance
Cultural competencies are spread across the state, two entities (Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska), the Brčko District, and ten cantons. The multi-layered structure results in the absence of a unified national policy center and fragmented coordination.
Institutional Preservation
Public funding overwhelmingly prioritizes salaries, infrastructure, and operational costs of existing institutions. This “institutional survival” model limits resources for innovation, audience development, and contemporary cultural initiatives.
Legal Vacuum of National Institutions
Seven major national institutions, including the National Museum and National and University Library, exist without permanent state budgets and rely on temporary grants.
Independent Sector and Innovation
The independent cultural scene is a resilient driver of contemporary arts, experimentation, and international cooperation. Many independent actors depend heavily on EU programs and international donors due to insufficient domestic funding.
International Alignment
BiH integrates UNESCO and Council of Europe principles such as cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue into its discourse. Practical domestic implementation of these policies remains uneven.
Digital Transformation
Post-COVID-19, digitalization has become more prominent, though systemic digital policy and infrastructure remain underdeveloped.
Social Cohesion and Heritage
Cultural heritage is central but strained, with potential for reconciliation underutilized due to ethnonational segmentation. Culture is increasingly recognized as a tool for social development, though implementation is limited.
In summary, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s cultural policy is shaped by extreme decentralization and a dual system: public institutions maintain continuity while independent actors drive innovation, often relying on international support to sustain contemporary cultural life.
You can find all available Short Cultural Policy Profiles on the Compendium website.
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