INSTITUTION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 9.4. Financing and operation of associations of persons with disabilities During the reporting period, the Institution received several complaints alleging non-transparent way of allocating funds from the public budget, non-transparent spending of funds allocated from games of chance, as well as the issue of placing the association in business premises. Example: Alliance of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Associations of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina addressed the Institution 444 stating that one of the members of the Alliance, the Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of Banovići Municipality, is unable to resolve the issue of space for accommodation of the Association, due to the unwillingness of the competent municipal authorities to find an adequate solution to the problem. The Institution was requested to be involved in the case at hand, after which the Alliance informed the Institution that the competent municipal authorities had undertaken the obligation to resolve the disputed issue. Establishing clear and transparent criteria for the allocation of funds from the budget is an important issue for the operation and functioning of the non-governmental sector. The complaint that the Ombudsmen acted on in 2019 indicated the importance of a transparent procedure, from the very announcement of the Public Invitation, to the stage of monitoring and reviewing how the funds were spent. Example: Complaint considered by the Institution 445 indicates a non-transparent way of allocating funds from the budget of the Una-Sana Canton to associations of persons with disabilities from the Una-Sana Canton. The complaint stated that for a long period of time there was a nontransparent practice of transferring money from the Canton budget to nine disability associations. The complaint states that the financing of associations of persons with disabilities is not disputable, but it is disputable to finance individual associations, while other associations cannot even get the opportunity to apply for funds from the cantonal budget, since the award procedure is conducted without a public invitation. It was found that there is a problem in the Una-Sana Canton regarding the way of financing the work of associations of persons with disabilities, reporting on the use of funds transferred from the budget of the Una-Sana Canton, lack of clear criteria and conditions for financing the work and lack of transparency of the process of transferring funds from the public budget, which is mostly reflected in the non-publication of a public call for applications, which the Government of Una-Sana Canton was aware of in 2009. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Policy of the Una-Sana Canton informed the Government of the Una-Sana Canton that the reports submitted by the associations of persons with disabilities were sketchy, non-transparent and unclear and from them it was not possible to determine the time of incurring the costs or the identity of the legal entity, or the individual who made the cost. Furthermore, the Audit Office of the Institutions of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Annual Audit Report on the Most Important Findings and Recommendations for 2017/2018, expressed a reservation with the explanation that the transfer to non-profit organizations - disabled associations in the amount of KM 127,500 was realized in a non-transparent manner and without applying clear and measurable criteria. The Ombudsmen issued a Recommendation 446 to the Prime Minister of the Una Sana Ž-SA-02-452/19 Ž-BL-02-233/19 446 P-277/19 444 445 108