USAID's Justice Activity in Bosnia and Herzegovina — Quarterly Report, April–June 2019

The purpose of the JA is to help justice sector institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina effectively combat government corruption and prosecute economic, organized, and other serious crime cases. At the same time, the JA aims to increase public confidence in the judiciary by strengthening its integrity and ensuring greater self-accountability and transparency within the justice sector. The JA operates through two components: Component 1, which focuses on strengthening the professional status and performance of prosecutors, and Component 2, which aims to strengthen justice sector institutions to uphold public integrity and combat corruption. To achieve these objectives, the JA works in partnership with key actors and stakeholders in the justice system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC), partner courts and prosecutor offices (POs), ministries of justice (MOJs), professional associations in the judiciary, civil society, and other donors. During the reporting period of April to June 2019, the JA continued to implement Prosecutor Partnership Programs (PPPs) and Prosecutor Office Assistance Plans (POAPs) with 19 POs. The JA also provided intensive practice-based training and mentorship on criminal and financial investigation to prosecutors working in the Cantonal POs in Sarajevo, Orašje, and Mostar and in the District PO in East Sarajevo. Additionally, the JA supported the participation of prosecutors from Bosnia and Herzegovina at the anti-corruption training conducted by the Central and Eastern European Law Institute (CEELI) in Prague, Czech Republic, and organized a study tour for six prosecutors from partner POs. The JA also continued to provide legal consultancy support to the Cantonal POs in Goražde and Doboj and the District PO in Prijedor, while extending this type of support to the District PO in Doboj. Specific expert support was provided to the District PO in Doboj in developing its budget framework document. Furthermore, the JA developed a proposal of targeted results and indicators for measuring the work of POs on asset forfeiture until the year 2021, to be presented to and considered by the Collegiums of Chief Prosecutors. As part of its continued cooperation with the HJPC's Standing Committee for the Efficiency of POs in BiH (SC), the JA presented the Draft Guidelines for Prosecutors on the Use of Expert Witnesses to the SC. An agreement has been reached on the steps necessary to finalize this document in the next quarter. The JA also successfully implemented two workshops for chief prosecutors and public relations (PR) officials, focusing on sharing best practices in prosecuting crimes linked to violations of public procurement procedures. The Glossary of the Financial Terms (Glossary) was printed and distributed to the POs and other interested users. The Glossary aims to provide a common understanding of financial terms and concepts, facilitating the work of prosecutors and other justice sector institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Overall, the JA continued to make progress in implementing its activities and achieving its objectives, with a focus on strengthening the justice sector institutions and combating corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina.