The most important bodies with which Bosnia and Herzegovina realizes international cooperation in the field of agriculture and fisheries are as follows:

UN FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is specialized agency of the United Nations.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a member of the FAO since 8 November 1993.

The basic tasks of the Food and Agriculture Organization are:

• Providing assistance to developing countries,

• Providing information on nutrition, food products, agriculture, forestry and fisheries,

• Counseling of governmental organizations,

• Organizing meetings between countries to discuss basic nutritional problems in today's world.

Relationship with UN and UN FAO: Bosnia and Herzegovina took onby virtue of succession into two founding and statutory acts:

A. Constitution of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, signed on  16 October 1945 (FAO Director-General), published in the Official Gazette of BiH, No. 25/93, and entered into force on 12 July 1993; ratified on 15 December 1993  (unlimited validity)

B. Annex II -  Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN - Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies of the UN, signed on 29 November 1948 (UN Secretary General); entered into force on 01 September 1993, not ratified, (unlimited validity).

More on: www.fao.org

OIV -   International Organization of Vine and Wine 

Bosnia and Herzegovina became a member of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) on 11 November 2010. The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the competent state administrative body responsible for coordinating the cooperation with the OIV and coordinating the activities of BiH experts from various institutions.

OIV is an intergovernmental organization established in Paris in 1924 to protect wine origin, purity and authenticity of wine, to promote legislation, to harmonize analytical methods, to protect consumers, to collect and study data on the benefit of the wine to the human body, to analyze production costs of grape vine and its products and to examine the possibilities of their reduction.  The International Organisation of Vine and Wine was made up of 46 Member states with more than 95% of world wine production and consumption.

More on: www.oiv.int

SWG RRD - The Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group

The Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group  (SWG RRD),  as  a  platform  for  networking  and  regional  cooperation,  has  been  established during  the  Agricultural Policy Forum 2005 held in Macedonia and Serbia in June 2005.

The SWG is acting as per the conclusions of the Leipzig Agricultural Policy Forum and the adopted Agenda 2004. It was founded on the basis of a common wish to establish an informal organization for sustainable rural development in the countries of South East Europeconsisted of governmental institutions responsible for rural development in respective countries. The SWG's main objectives are to identify common needs and interests of countries in the field of rural development, to support joint planning of cross-border rural development projects, and support to various institutions to meet the needs of member countries. Each year the chairmanship of SWG is carried out by one member country and lasts one year

With active participation in SWG RRD, Bosnia and Herzegovina has strengthened and intensified its cooperation with countries participating in the work of the rural development Group. It has also actively participated in the planning of cross-border rural development projects and the organization of support through the identification of common needs and interests of the region to address the problems and meet the needs of rural development issues in South East Europe. In addition, the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in charge of rural development have sustained support when it comes to building and strengthening the capacity of staff.

More on: www.seerural.org

GFCM -  The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean

The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM, Commission) operates under the auspices of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO).

It has been established under the provisions of Article XIV of the FAO Constitution, the Agreement Establishing the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean. The agreement was approved by the FAO Conference in 1949 and came into force in 1952.

The GFCM is currently composed of 24 members including the European Union. The objectives of the GFCM are to promote development, conservation, rational management and the best use of living resources, as well as sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the connected waters.

Membership is open to the Mediterranean coastal states and regional organizations as well as member states of the United Nationswhose vessels engage in fishing in the waters of the Mediterranean.

Member States (24): Albania, Algeria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Japan and the European Union.

3 Cooperating non Contracting Parties: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Ukraine.

Bosnia and Herzegovina became a non-contracting GFCM member at the 40th session of the Commission, which was held in May 2016.

More on: http://www.fao.org/gfcm/en/