The Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina has taken an important step towards the responsible and institutional use of artificial intelligence (AI) in its daily work by adopting a Roadmap for AI. With this decision, it becomes the first legislative institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina to establish a strategic framework for integrating AI into its operations.

As AI increasingly transforms the way public institutions work around the world, there is a growing need for its use to be guided by clear governance, appropriate safeguards and strong institutional capacities. Rather than leaving AI tools to individual and informal use, the Parliamentary Assembly has chosen to establish an institutional approach that enables their safe, transparent and responsible application.

The initiative builds on recommendations of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which encourage parliaments to strengthen their capacities and establish governance frameworks for the responsible use of AI. The Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina is now among the institutions translating these global recommendations into practice.

From AI readiness to institutional action

The adoption of the Roadmap follows several months of UNDP support, including an AI readiness assessment, capacity development for Secretariat staff and a collaborative process to identify priority areas for institutional AI adoption.

The assessment, based on the IPU AI Maturity Framework for Parliaments, combined surveys, interviews and practical workshops to evaluate the institution's preparedness.

While the findings showed that AI tools were already being used in day-to-day work, they also highlighted the need for common standards, institutional policies and stronger capacities to ensure their responsible use..

Building capacity for responsible AI

More than 40 Secretariat staff participated in a two-day training programme focused on the practical application of AI in parliamentary work.

Alongside hands-on experience with generative AI tools, participants strengthened their understanding of responsible AI use, critical evaluation of AI-generated outputs and the legal, ethical and security considerations associated with AI adoption in the public sector.

"I came to the training quite sceptical, but through practical examples I realised how artificial intelligence can support everyday work. At the same time, I understood how important it is to establish clear rules before introducing AI more broadly across public institutions."

Marijana Pešikan, Assistant Secretary of the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina.