Committee of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings

Recommendation CP/Rec(2026)02

on the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention

on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings

by Bosnia and Herzegovina

adopted at the 38th meeting of the Committee of the Parties

on 3 July 2026

The Committee of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (hereinafter referred to as “the Convention”), acting under the terms of Article 38(7) of the Convention;

Having regard to the purposes of the Convention to prevent and combat trafficking in human beings, while guaranteeing gender equality, protect the human rights of victims of trafficking, design a comprehensive framework for the protection and assistance of victims and witnesses, ensure the effective investigation and prosecution of the offences related to trafficking in human beings, and promote international co-operation;

Bearing in mind the provisions of Article 36(1) of the Convention concerning the monitoring role of the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) in the implementation of the Convention;

Having regard to the Rules of Procedure of the Committee of the Parties;

Having regard to the instrument of ratification deposited by Bosnia and Herzegovina on 11 January 2008;

Having examined the fourth report concerning the implementation of the Convention by Bosnia and Herzegovina, adopted by GRETA at its 56th meeting (2-6 March 2026);

Bearing in mind the focus of the fourth evaluation round of the Convention on vulnerabilities to human trafficking and measures taken to prevent them, detect and support vulnerable victims, and punish the offenders, as well as the additional focus on the use of information and communication technology (ICT);

Considering the conclusions and proposals for action contained in Appendix 2 of GRETA’s fourth report on Bosnia and Herzegovina related to the thematic focus of the fourth evaluation round and follow-up topics specific to Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Welcoming the measures taken and the progress achieved by Bosnia and Herzegovina in implementing the Convention, and in particular:

-       the adoption of the Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings for the period 2024-2027, followed by the adoption of anti-trafficking action plans at the state, entity and cantonal levels;

-       the amendments to the Criminal Code of the Brčko District aimed at strengthening the anti-trafficking legal framework and enhancing victim protection;

-       the proactive work of the local mobile identification teams in detecting potential victims of trafficking;

-       the issuance of Guidelines for the judicial procedure in human trafficking cases, covering access to free legal aid, victim compensation and the non-punishment principle;

-       the significant increase in the number of convictions for trafficking in human beings;

-       the provision of training on trafficking in human beings to various professionals, including law enforcement, labour and child protection authorities.

A.           Recommends that the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina take measures to address the following issues for urgent action[1] identified in GRETA’s report:

1.    provide adequate financial support to day-care centres for children in street situations so as to guarantee the sustainability of their activities, and to increase accommodation facilities to meet the needs of emergency protection for children at risk of exploitation (paragraph 38) ;

2.    strengthen their efforts to prevent the harmful practice of child marriages, including through programmes empowering Roma girls, sensitising and training teachers, social workers and other professionals working with Roma children, and engaging local communities (paragraph 47);

3.    Referring to GRETA’s Guidance Note on combating trafficking for labour exploitation and the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation to Member States CM/Rec(2022)21 on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation, take measures to ensure that:

-     sufficient staff and resources are made available to labour inspectorates to enable them to play a frontline role in preventing and detecting cases of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, in particular among migrant workers;

-     labour inspectors, law enforcement officers and other relevant actors increase their outreach work to identify victims of human trafficking for labour exploitation, paying particular attention to at-risk sectors, such as the construction and catering industries;

-     regular training and guidance are provided to labour inspectors and other relevant officials, with a focus on vulnerabilities that lead to human trafficking and on early detection of cases of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation;

-     effective inspection of private employment agencies with a view to protecting foreign workers employed through those agencies;

-     migrant workers are provided with clear and accessible information about the risks of human trafficking for labour exploitation and the rights of victims of trafficking, as well as their rights under labour laws, in a language and format they can easily understand;

-     interpreters are available for the languages commonly spoken by foreign workers during inspections carried out by labour inspectors (paragraph 67);

4.    take further steps to prevent asylum seekers from becoming victims of trafficking in human beings, in particular by:

-     systematically screening migrants and asylum seekers for vulnerabilities and indicators of a trafficking in human beings, in particular at the border, and ensuring that a proper vulnerability assessment is carried out in respect of all foreigners accommodated in the reception/detention centres for foreigners;

-     strengthening the capacity of and providing regular training to first-contact authorities, such as the Border Police and the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs, as well as other relevant officials, with a focus on vulnerabilities that lead to human trafficking and on early detection of cases of trafficking among migrants and asylum seekers;

-     providing the centres for social work with adequate human resources and sustainable financial means and arranging for interpretation when needed, with a view to ensuring that unaccompanied and separated children are provided with adequate protection by legal guardians, in order to prevent them from becoming victims of trafficking in human beings (paragraph 79);

5.    ensure that a procedure is in place for the identification of victims of trafficking among asylum seekers and migrants in an irregular situation, including unaccompanied or separated children, by the border police and in reception centres (paragraph 109);

6.    take steps to improve the provision of assistance to victims of trafficking in human beings, in particular by:

-     allocating adequate and sustainable funding from the State budget to victim assistance and ensuring its timely availability for the different services provided;

-     ensuring that child victims of trafficking benefit from appropriate accommodation and access to education, especially by setting up specialised safe houses for children;

-     developing victim-centred and age-appropriate programmes for long-term support and integration of victims of trafficking (paragraph 117);

7.    take further measures to provide legal assistance and free legal aid to victims of trafficking, in particular by ensuring that:

-     legal assistance is provided systematically and as soon as there are reasonable grounds for believing that a person is a victim of trafficking;

-     centres for legal aid play a greater role in providing free legal aid to victims of trafficking. In this regard, the criteria for receiving free legal aid from the legal aid centres should be harmonised throughout the country;

-     adequate funding is secured for centres for legal aid and NGOs providing free legal aid to victims of trafficking (paragraph 153);

8.    make further efforts to guarantee effective access to compensation for victims of THB, in particular by:

-     ensuring that the collection of evidence about the harm the victim has suffered, including the financial gain by the perpetrator from the exploitation of the victim or loss sustained by the victim, is part of the criminal investigation with a view to supporting compensation claims in court;

-     ensuring that victims obtain a decision on compensation from the offender as part of the criminal trial and requiring courts to state, where applicable, why compensation is not considered/awarded;

-     making full use of the legislation on the seizure and confiscation of assets, as well as international co-operation, to secure compensation to victims of THB, and ensure that recoverable property which is seized in criminal proceedings is returned as soon as possible to the victim;

-     including the topic of compensation for victims of human trafficking in the regular training curricula for lawyers, prosecutors and judges;

-     setting up without further delay a state compensation scheme accessible to victims of trafficking, regardless of their nationality and immigration status (paragraph 161).

B.           Bearing in mind GRETA’s conclusions that some recommendations made repeatedly in preceding evaluation rounds have not been implemented or have been only partially implemented, requests the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to take steps to implement the recommendations in points 5, 6, 7 and 8 as a matter of priority;

C.       Recommends that the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina take measures to implement the other proposals for action listed in Appendix 2 of GRETA’s fourth evaluation report;

D.      Requests the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to report to the Committee of the Parties on the measures taken to comply with this recommendation by 3 July 2028;

E.       Invites the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue the dialogue in progress with GRETA and to keep GRETA regularly informed of the measures taken in response to GRETA’s conclusions.