What this site is

OSCEBiH explains how Bosnia and Herzegovina works and what it lives on — the economy, the constitutional machinery, the cities and regions, the diaspora, and the infrastructure that ties them together.

It is written for a reader who wants to understand the place rather than be briefed on the last crisis. Nothing here is news. Every guide is written to stay true for years, which is why you will find no dates on articles and no running commentary on who currently holds which office.

How it is written

Explanatory and even-handed, assuming an intelligent outsider who knows none of the acronyms. The site is written in English throughout. A Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian word appears only where it is the right word — općina, polje, konvertibilna marka — and is glossed in English the first time it is used.

What we do and do not do

• The 1992–95 war is part of this subject and is handled straight. Documented findings of fact — including the findings of genocide at Srebrenica by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice — are stated plainly and are never balanced against opinion.
• The site takes no side between Bosniak, Croat and Serb positions and does not adjudicate constitutional disputes. Where something is genuinely disputed, we say who disputes it.
• No profiles of living politicians, officials or business figures. Institutions and structures are the subjects here, not people.
• No investment advice, no forecasts, and no claims about the safety or returns of doing business in the country.
• No atrocity imagery and no memorial photography used as decoration. The photographs on this site are of places, and of adults at work.

Support

The site carries a short list of standing supporters, acknowledged in the colophon under the masthead on the homepage. Supporters have no say in what is published and no sight of it before publication.

An independent publication about the economy and society of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the OSCE, any of its missions, or any government, embassy or international organisation.