Volunteering in Bosnia and Herzegovina is only partially regulated by law.

Civil society sector in the country has implemented a number of outreach and advocacy activities in a period from 2004 to 2008 with a goal to raise public awareness on a necessity to provide legal framework for volunteering. In 2008, due to the efforts of young activist and volunteers, the (Entity) Government of Republika Srpska formally adopted a Law on Volunteering. However, despite this success, the engagement of volunteers and civil society organizations on the issue continues as challenges still remain in regards to the Law’s implementation.

At the State level (BiH) and the Entity of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBIH) , civil society and government actors continue their efforts to secure legislation that would formally recognize and protect volunteers and volunteering. A working group of representatives of UNV, national and international organizations, and government actors have developed draft legislation. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, no significant progress has been achieved to date in terms of ensuring a parliamentary endorsement for this law at the State or FBIH level.

Why We Need Law On Volunteering
Volunteering is not a particularly popular or well understood concept in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as reflected in the low rate of formal volunteering – which in 2009 was found to be only 4.5% of the population. This situation is due to various reasons ranging from the heritage of the old communist regime in which ‘forced unpaid labor’ was often defined as volunteerism to a fragile economy and high employment rates ranking among the highest in Europe. In such environment, it is difficult to expect a significant increase in volunteering without greater social and legal recognition of the importance of volunteering.

Legislation on volunteering therefore helps to form the basis of a secure social environment conducive to development of volunteerism; prevent possible abuses and exploitation of volunteers and/or organizers of volunteering opportunities; and to define rights and obligations of all persons and entities taking part in organized volunteering activities.

Without a law on volunteering in both entities and at the state level, there is no common definition of what volunteering is. Such discrepancies provide opportunities for misunderstanding of volunteerism, and possible abuses of volunteers or the status of being a volunteer, depending on where they live or volunteer in Bosnia and Herzegovina.