BIHAMK joins EBRD Civil Society meeting in Sarajevo to champion the improvement of road safety and sustainable mobility as part of Bank investments

On 30 September, EASST partner BIHAMK (Bosnia and Herzegovina Automobile Club) joined the EBRD Civil Society meeting in Sarajevo as part of the Bank’s Board of Directors’ visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

The meeting included a select group of civil society representatives sharing their perspectives on (i) political reform challenges and good governance, (ii) green and sustainable energy, and (iii) gender and economic inclusion.

Road safety plays a central role across each of these themes – linking to issues of enforcement, emergency response, active mobility, accessible and inclusive public spaces, safe and sustainable public transport, and many more. We are pleased and grateful to see the EBRD working with and engaging civil society at all levels of the investment process. NGO collaboration from the beginning of a project is absolutely essential to ensuring investments are sustainable, inclusive and socially responsible. It helps avoid costly mistakes and expensive retro-fitting, and ensures that local expertise and community support is part of the package.

During the meeting, Vanja Hreljić, International Affairs Manager at BIHAMK took the opportunity to speak about the urgent need to improve road safety in BiH through investment in sustainable and inclusive transport systems. She referenced our collaboration with EBRD in 2023 to deliver training on Road Tunnel Safety Management for key stakeholders from every canton of BiH, and our hopes to continue such collaborations in the future.

As a member of the EBRD CSO Steering Committee, EASST is delighted to represent road safety and sustainable mobility as a critical development issue, contributing to consultations on the EBRD’s Environment and Social Policy and EBRD’s Approach to Civil Society, bringing in expert voices from the region.