ANNUAL REPORT ON THE RESULTS OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA Republika Srpska was commented on the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Social Protection of the Republika Srpska, which will also be discussed further in the report. Recommendations issued in the reporting period relate to the issues of eliminating accessibility to educational institutions and teaching processes, the issue of inaccessibility and unavailability of transport in the Canton of Sarajevo, the enforcement of court judgments in which one of the parties is a person with disabilities, and the issue of financing the work of associations that gather persons with disabilities. According to data from the 2008 Disability Policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, about 10% of the population in Bosnia and Herzegovina suffers from some kind of physical, sensory, developmental or mental disability. 413 Therefore, persons with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a vulnerable category, reasonably expect authorities of all levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure, through concrete measures, the full enjoyment of the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Constitution of the Republika Srpska and the Statute of the Brčko District of BiH. Positive progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina is noticeable, especially when it comes to the adoption of strategic documents related to the exercise and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities 414. However, the recommendations of the November 2019 Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group Report 415, as well as the April 2017 recommendations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 416 point out that it is necessary to continuously work to raise public awareness, i.e. to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities. During the reporting period, representatives of the Institution actively participated in several conferences, working meetings and roundtables focused on the rights of persons with disabilities and which resulted in conclusions with the aim of defining further course of action. Throughout 2019, communication with international bodies has been continuously pursued 417. 413 2008 Disability Policy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BiH Official Gazette, No. 76/2008. Strategy for the Advancement of the Rights and Status of Persons with Disabilities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2016-2021 and Strategy for Improving the Social Position of Persons with Disabilities in the Republika Srpska 2017-2026. 415 The 2019 Working Group Report on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is available at http://www.mhrr.gov.ba/PDF/LjudskaPrava/Zakljucna%20zapazanja%20na%20Treci%20ciklus%20UPR-a.pdf 416 Concluding Considerations to the Initial Report of Bosnia and Herzegovina of 12/04/2017 http://www.mhrr.gov.ba/ljudska_prava/Prava_osoba_sa_invaliditetom/Zakljucna%20razmatranja%20i%20preporuk e%20Komiteta%20za%20prava%20osoba%20sa%20invaliditetom%20za%20BiH.pdf 417 At the request of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), information was provided to the Institution regarding the preparation of a study on Article 8 (awareness raising) of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Regarding the activities of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on good practices with a view to ensuring effective access to justice for persons with disabilities, the Institution provided an overview of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina from the aspect of the jurisdiction of the Institution. Also, at the request of the European Network of National Institutions for Human Rights (ENNHRI), an overview of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding the voting rights of persons with disabilities was provided, especially for those under guardianship. Given that Bosnia and Herzegovina is due to report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2020, the Institution has submitted to the Committee an overview of the state of rights of persons with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the purpose of drawing up a list of questions for Bosnia and Herzegovina. 414 99