Press Releases

Sarajevo, 07.05.2025– Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, H.E. David Lammy, together with H.E. Julian Reilly, UK Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and their associates, visited the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) today. They met with Dr. Irena Hadžiabdić, president of the BiH Central Election Commission, and the Commission members.

The meeting focused on the activities of the Central Election Commission, particularly the organization and implementation of the 2024 Local Elections in BiH, as well as preparations for the upcoming 2026 General Elections. Special attention was given to the successful implementation of pilot projects involving new electoral technologies, with an emphasis on Pilot Project 3 – Biometric Identification and Authentication of Voters – which was made possible, in part, through the support of the United Kingdom. Additionally, thanks to assistance from the UK Government, the Central Election Commission has modernized its warehouse by acquiring 15 barcode scanners and two software applications.

The President of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr. Irena Hadžiabdić, emphasized that the new technologies tested so far—based on initial evaluations—have demonstrated the potential to make the electoral process more efficient, reliable, and transparent. However, she stressed that this can only be achieved if the necessary financial resources, equipment, adequate storage facilities, expert support, and the human resources required for such a complex undertaking are provided in a timely manner.

Dr. Hadžiabdić expressed her gratitude to the officials of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for their continued support of the activities carried out by the Central Election Commission of BiH.