Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) with Bosnia and Herzegovina 1996-2013

1. Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) with Bosnia and Herzegovina 1996-2013 Managing Director Brigitte Öppinger-Walchshofer Austrian Development Agency, the operational unit of Austrian Development Cooperation

2. ADC with Bosnia and Herzegovina • Austria has supported Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1992 - with humanitarian aid during the war, in reconstruction since the peace agreement of 1995 and meanwhile in convergence with the European Union. • Since 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a priority country of Austrian Development Cooperation. • In 1996, a Coordination Office for Technical Cooperation was established in Sarajevo. • Reconstruction Programme 1996-2004 • Country Programme 2005-2007 • Phasing out: Country Strategy 2011-2013 • 30 June 2011: closure of the Coordination Office for Technical Cooperation • As of 2013: new era of cooperation (alternative funding instruments)

3. Donor coordination and partner dialogue • ADC maintains a close dialogue with the • Bosnian and Herzegovinian government, • civil society and • other donors • in order to • align its programme with the national development strategy, • harmonise its interventions in the selected priority areas, • avoid duplicationsand • harness potential synergies and complementarities in internationaldevelopment assistance.

4. Reconstruction Programme 1996-2004 • In 1996, an extensive reconstruction programme was launched in the following sectors: • Higher education • Refugee return • Water and wastewater • SME promotion • Human rights and democracy, public administration reform

5. Country Programme 2005-2007 • As of 2004, Austrian Development Cooperation supports Bosnia and Herzegovina in convergence with the European Union by promoting the following: • Education • Economic development & employment • Governance as a cross-sectoral issue: fostering a common national identity in Bosnia and Herzegovina

6. Education sector • As good education and ongoing learning are essential for young graduates to succeed on national and international labour markets. We have helped modernise our partners’ education sectors. • ADC supportedthe implementation of the Bologna Process by • developing new and innovative curricula, • returning emigrated professors as visiting professors, • introducing the case study methodology in teaching and • establishing a national contact point for the EU FP programmes, etc.

7. Economic development & employment Our prime aim here is to improve the investment climate and promote small and medium-sized enterprises to generate new jobs and income. Modern administration promotes economic development Efficient land registration is essential for successful economic activity. Together with other partners, ADC therefore promoted the modernisation of Bosnian-Herzegovinian land registration by • procuring hardware and software, • developing computer-assisted databases, • training court personnel and • rehabilitating the land registry.

8. Governance • The effective and purposeful European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina can only be achieved with strong state institutions.This is why we promoted institutional capacity development in governance, including rule of law, democratisation, conflict management, civil society and human rights. • ADC supported the following: • BiH State Court in prosecuting war crimes through finance for international judges • Directorate for Economic Planning in national planning • Ministry of Finance and Treasury in planning administrative and control systems for the efficient use  of public resources

9. Other funding instruments • ADC provided additional funding for the following: • Demining through the Demining Programme of the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs • Regional cooperation • NGO cooperation • Business partnerships • More than EUR 1.2 million in additional funding was made available per year through these programmes.

10. Disbursements 1995 to 2010 • Bilateral assistance by ADC: • about EUR 66 million • Official development assistance (ODA*): about EUR 465 million * i.e. contributions by all ministries, federal states and municipalities

11. Phasing out • As of mid-2011: withdrawal of Austrian Development Cooperation from Bosnia and Herzegovinaafter 15 years of successful bilateral cooperation due to good progress in EU convergence and extensive EU support for the country via numerous Pre-Accession Assistance instruments • 30 June 2011: closure of Coordination Office

12. Phasing out: Country Strategy 2011-2013 • The main aim is the well-prepared and successful phasing out of bilateral Austrian Development Cooperation programmes. The priorities are: • Education (higher education and vocational training) • Economic development and employment • Governance • Gender as a cross-cutting issue • Ongoing programmes will be carefully brought to a successful conclusion and handed over to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2013.

13. New era in bilateral cooperation • In the new era of bilateral cooperation, Austrian Development Cooperation will encourage and help Bosnian and Herzegovinian partners to make greater use of its alternative instruments, such as • Business partnerships • NGO cooperation • These instruments will be complemented by non-ADC facilities, such as • EU twinnings • Assistance from the Austrian Development Bank (Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank)

14. Beyond June 2011 • After the closure of the Coordination Office at the end of June 2011, a consultant for technical cooperation at the Austrian Embassy in Sarajevo will support and monitor project and programme implementation.

15. Thank you for your attention!