Sarajevo is hosting the annual meeting of the technical assistance project on financial education

The annual meeting of the regional technical assistance project on financial education of the Constituency Programme of the Ministry of Finance of the Netherlands, implemented by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), is held in Sarajevo from 7 to 9 October 2025.

The Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the host of this significant event, bringing together more than 70 participants from 11 Dutch constituency member countries which take part in this project funded by the Ministry of Finance of the Netherlands (Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia, Romania and Ukraine). The aim of the project is to support countries in strengthening their activities in the field of financial literacy through assessments of adult financial literacy levels, experience sharing, mutual cooperation and implementation of coordinated strategies for financial education based on the OECD Recommendation on Financial Literacy.

The meeting was opened by the Governor of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jasmina Selimović, Ph.D. who highlighted the importance of the project in strengthening institutional capacities and developing effective financial education policies.

"It is a great honour for us that the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina has the opportunity to host the annual meeting of the regional technical assistance project on financial education. This project provides an important framework to support the member countries of the Dutch Constituency Programme in developing and strengthening their national capacities for financial education. We especially appreciate the continued support of the Ministry of Finance of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and of the OECD, which makes it possible for us to exchange knowledge, experiences and good practices in this area. We believe that such joint efforts contribute not only to the improvement of financial literacy, but also to greater financial stability and resilience in our societies", said Governor Selimović.

During the three-day event, participants will have the opportunity to present some of the results achieved in their countries over the past year, and to discuss the challenges in implementing financial literacy strategies moving forward. A special focus will be placed on the importance of strengthening cooperation among stakeholders to achieve higher levels of financial literacy through the sharing of effective tools and approaches.

In this regard, Miles Larbey, Head of Financial Consumer Protection, Education and Inclusion at the OECD said that “Bringing together stakeholders from Bosnia and Herzegovina and ten other countries, this meeting offers a key opportunity to deepen regional cooperation and promote evidence-based solutions that empower households and businesses to make informed, sound financial decisions. The OECD is pleased to coordinate this project, with thanks to the Netherlands Ministry of Finance for their support.”

As part of the event, a panel discussion will be held among central bank governors of several constituency member countries. This panel will be dedicated to the importance of financial education for the development of a sustainable economy in today's rapidly changing world. One of the key topics will be financial education for entrepreneurs with a special emphasis on women entrepreneurs.

The agenda of the meeting also includes a series of thematic sessions that will address current issues such as financial frauds targeting consumers and effective approaches to identify and prevent them, or updates on national progress in the implementation of financial literacy strategies across the region. The Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina and domestic institutions - agencies, faculties, assocciations and others involved in financial education will participate in all discussions alongside representatives from other constituency member countries.

On the final day, the OECD delegation will meet with several domestic partner institutions, to present an analysis of the state of financial education in Bosnia and Herzegovina and discuss future priorities and potential ways forward.

As part of this project running until 2027, the OECD will continue providing support to Bosnia and Herzegovina and other participating countries with the aim of improving individuals' financial literacy, thus strengthening the overall economic stability of the countries. Participating countries benefit from the work of the OECD the International Network on Financial Education (OECD/INFE) which brings together over 300 public institutions – including central banks, financial regulators and supervisors, ministries of finance and ministries of education – from over 130 economies. In August this year, the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina has become a member of this Network dedicated to share experiences, discuss strategic priorities and develop policy responses on financial education issues.