About us

The Vaša prava BiH Association, based in Sarajevo, is a leading non-governmental and non-profit organization that provides assistance to users throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina in all matters of civil rights and human freedoms. The Vaša prava BiH Association stands for freedom and human dignity. This commitment is reflected in the provision of free legal aid and representation of the interests of users.

The Vaša prava Bosne i Hercegovine Association is a local, non-governmental and non-profit organization based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was originally established in 1996 as a network of information and legal aid centers under the auspices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), whose mandate is to ensure the safe, legal and dignified return of refugees and displaced persons to their pre-war homes. The project was implemented by four international and domestic NGOs until December 2003, when the Network became a domestic NGO “Your Rights” - the Legal Aid Network that incorporated the work, mandate and goals of the previous UNHCR-funded Network of Information and Legal Aid Centers.

Registered at the state level in 2005, the Vaša prava Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina is today the largest legal aid organization and one of the largest non-governmental organizations in the region. It has developed into an efficient network of legal and information assistance centers with 35 employees in 9 offices and over 120 mobile teams throughout BiH.

The main goals of your BiH rights are:

• protection and effective exercise of individual rights of service users through the provision of free legal aid, thus enabling equal access to justice without discrimination on any grounds;
• informing and educating about legal regulations, rights and obligations of service users; contributing to the strengthening of the rule of law, the rule of law and the development of civil society;
• providing free legal aid, providing information on the rights and obligations of service users, legal advice, drafting various submissions, representing service users in proceedings before courts, state institutions, bodies and authorities in accordance with relevant laws and international human rights instruments, providing other forms legal assistance in order to protect the rights and interests of service users;
• advocacy and awareness raising on human rights and civil society issues; publishing an informative legal magazine, brochures, posters, leaflets, posters, updating the website, in order to achieve the goals of the Association;
• organizing and holding seminars, round tables, expert forums, sessions and other information campaigns;
• cooperation with the same or similar associations, associations and other bodies and organizations in the country and abroad

Since 1996, the Association has provided assistance to about 450,000 refugees, returnees, displaced persons, minority groups and groups of vulnerable domicile populations in legal matters such as: restitution of property, social, economic and cultural rights, discrimination in access to employment, utilities, education and social assistance as well as other human rights guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and other international legal instruments.

The Association's legal aid program covers a wide range of activities, including various legal areas of labor law, property relations, family law, social rights, status rights, pension and disability insurance, reconstruction and reconstruction, refugee rights from the Republic of Croatia and is aimed at several different user categories , from the most vulnerable and vulnerable such as displaced persons, returnees, refugees, members of minority peoples, asylum seekers, victims of trafficking to vulnerable local populations.

Through a network of free legal aid offices and mobile teams, Vaša prava BiH provides all forms of legal assistance, in accordance with domestic law, the European Convention on Human Rights and other international human rights instruments. In addition to the legal component, the information component has a very important role in the work of the Association, which supports all legal activities through the organization of comprehensive information campaigns.

Based on the signed Protocol with the State Ministry of Security, Vaša prava BiH provides free legal assistance to victims of trafficking, asylum seekers in BiH and other persons under international protection in BiH. In addition, in accordance with the Protocol with the Ministry for Refugees and Displaced Persons, the associations also receive legal assistance from beneficiaries under the jurisdiction of this Ministry.

In addition to cooperation at the local and regional level through the Balkan Asylum Network, in 2006 a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed with the European Council on Refugees and Asylum - ECRE, based on which the Association Vaša prava BiH became a national partner in the regional project. Also, part of its activities the Association directs towards the adoption of the Law on the provision of free legal aid in non-criminal areas.