Last week, representatives of the European Commission, Government ministries, institutions for children, NGOs and international organisations have gathered in Sarajevo, to officially launch the Opening Doors campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

During a one day conference hosted by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and organised by Opening Doors’ National Coordinator Hope and Homes for Children BiH and the campaign’s national partners, delegates were able to hear about progress towards Deinstitutionalsation (D) in the country and discuss the barriers which need to be overcome.

Also included in the programme were testimonies from young adults who experienced institutional care in BiH. Oggi Tomic sent his testimony from the UK where he is now living having spent 15 years in institutional care in Bosnia:

During the event, the Federal Minister of Labour and Social Policy restated the Government’s commitment to completing the DI process and, in particular, ending the institutionalisation of children under three:

“The Government is fully committed to the DI process. To that end, we have issued recommendations and conclusions, drafted legislation, adopted the Strategy for Persons with Disabilities and the Action Plan for Children Deprived of Parental Care. We are determined to put an end to placement of children below three in institutions and to see through the transformation process for children and adults currently living in institutional care.“

Meanwhile, representatives from the European Commission reassured delegates that the European Commission will support further efforts to end institutional care in the country.

Read more about the campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina.