The Politeia thematic session – Green Agenda and Public Policy-making in the Western Balkans was held in Belgrade (27-29 November 2023) within the project Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe, funded by the European Union.
Youth from the Western Balkans had the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of topics such as: Current environmental protection policies and other public policies related to youth; special public policy documents related to the implementation of the Green Agenda and EU integration: Chapter 27, and the Economic Reform Programme (ERP). The session covered the structure of public policy documents, the preparation process, and various stakeholders involved in shaping policies for youth and the environment.
The Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe Project is implementing by the Center for Democracy Foundation (CDF), Belgrade (as project coordinator) and partner organizations: Academy of European Integration and Negotiations from Tirana (AIEN); Kosovo Stability Initiative from Pristina (IKS); Association Network of Progressive Initiatives from Sarajevo (NPI); NGO Info Center from Skopje (NGO IC); Regional Academy for Democratic Development from Novi Sad (ADD); Youth Act Center from Tirana (YA). The project is funded by the European Union.
Twelve young people from Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and North Macedonia participate in the thematic session “Youth and employment policies in the Western Balkans”, as part of the “Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe – RYDE” project.
The participants, young professionals, students, young activists, policy makers and youth from political parties, discuss the existing youth employment policies in the Western Balkans region.
Under the guidance of lecturers Dragan Atanasov and Anelia Mitrova, the participants have the opportunity to inform about the existing employment policies in the Western Balkans region, to analyse specific political documents related to youth and employment, and they will also get to know case studies in order to gain a deeper understanding of the content and impact of these policies.
The thematic session will provide an in-depth understanding of the structure of creating public policy documents, setting goals and measures, legal analyses, measuring the social impact of public policy, the impact on young people and vulnerable groups.
In continuation of the thematic session “Youth and employment policies in the Western Balkans”, each of the participants will have the opportunity, under the guidance of a mentor, to practice the acquired knowledge for the preparation and analysis of documents for public policies.The Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe Project is implementing by the Center for Democracy Foundation (CDF), Belgrade (as project coordinator) and partner organizations: Academy of European Integration and Negotiations from Tirana (AIEN); Kosovo Stability Initiative from Pristina (IKS); Association Network of Progressive Initiatives from Sarajevo (NPI); NGO Info Center from Skopje (NGO IC); Regional Academy for Democratic Development from Novi Sad (ADD); Youth Act Center from Tirana (YA). The project is funded by the European Union.
The Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe Project is implementing by the Center for Democracy Foundation (CDF), Belgrade (as project coordinator) and partner organizations: Academy of European Integration and Negotiations from Tirana (AIEN); Kosovo Stability Initiative from Pristina (IKS); Association Network of Progressive Initiatives from Sarajevo (NPI); NGO Info Center from Skopje (NGO IC); Regional Academy for Democratic Development from Novi Sad (ADD); Youth Act Center from Tirana (YA). The project is funded by the European Union.
U periodu od 03. do 05.11. 2023. godine, u Tuzli (hotel Salis) je održan treći modul Akademije klimatskih akcija na temu “Zaštita okoliša i EKO Pravda”.
Na trećem modulu Akademije je učestvovalo 18 donosilaca odluka, koji su izabrani zvaničnici iz Parlamentarne skupštine Bosne i Hercegovine, Parlamenta Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine, Narodne skupštine Republike Srpske, te kantonalnih skupština i lokalnih vijeća.
I drugi modul, kao i prethodni je bio koncipiran kroz predavanja relevantnih eksperata gdje su zastupnici i zastupnice imali priliku da se pobliže upoznaju sa ovom tematikom, ali da dobiju i informacije o projektima i primjerima dobre prakse koji su se, do sada, putem UNDP BiH projekata realizirali u ovom dijelu zemlje, ali i u drugim gradovima/općinama.
Na otvaranju trećeg modula (petak), na temu Pravna zaštita okoliša/životne sredine, govorio je zamjenik ministrice Ministarstva za prostorno uređenje i zaštitu okolice TK, gospodin Goran Mišić. Predavanje na ovu temu odradio je konsultant UNDP u BIH, Petar Pavlović, te je vođena interaktivna diskusija sa učesnicima i učesnicama.
Drugi dio Akademije (subota) je obilježila posjeta i obilazak nekadašnjeg fabrike “Hlor alkalni kombinat – HAK”, oblast koja je trenutno jedna od najvećih ekoloških žarišta u Bosni i Hercegovini.
Facilitatorica obilaska, ekspertica u oblasti zaštite okoliša i upravljanja otpadom Melina Džajić Valjevac je učesnicima približila dugogodišnju problematiku ove oblasti, te je učesnicima objasnila proces istraživanja i analiziranja uzoraka zemljišta i vode sa ove lokacije koji su pokazali višestruka zagađenja na određenim mjestima. Istaknula je kakve rizike za zdravlje ljudi i okoliš mogu predstavljati ove kontaminacije ukoliko se ne izvrši remedijacija i rekultivacija lokacije. Gdin Nijaz Brkić, dugogodišnji radnik fabrike HAK je također bio prisustvovao posjeti, te je učesnicima predstavio historijat rada u ovoj fabrici, te predstavio koje su se sve hemikalije koristile i kako je funkcionisala ova hemijska industrija, te je pojasnio kako je došlo do situacije u kojoj se lokacija sada nalazi. U nastavku dana, Melina je održala i predavanje na temu „Opasne hemikalije i otpad, i njihov utjecaj na okoliš“.
Marina Mujezinović, UNDP BIH, je predstavila Projekat „Okolinski prihvatljivo upravljanje postojanim organskim zagađujućim supstancama (POPs) u industrijskom i sektoru upravljanja opasnim otpadom“ -POPs, te je diskusijom i razmjenom iskustava učesnika završen je drugi dan III modula Akademije klimatskih akcija.
Fokus predavanja je bio na okolinski prihvatljivom upravljanju postojanim organskim zagađujućim supstancama u industrijskom i sektoru upravljanja otpadom u BiH, te smanjenja rizika po zdravlje ljudi i okoliša, kroz prevenciju nastanka nenamjerno ispuštenih postojanih organskih zagađujućih supstanci (U-POPs) ivažnosti izgradnje kapaciteta i uspostavljanja zakonskih okvira za upravljanje POPs susptancama u Bosni i Hercegovini,.Naglašeno je i da je Bosna i Hercegovina ratificirala Štokholmsku konvenciju 2010. godine, i time preuzela obavezu ispunjavanja njenih zahtjeva, uključujući ograničavanje upotrebe opasnih POPs supstanci, prelaskom na sigurnije alternative i uklanjanje starih zaliha i opreme koje sadrže ove supstance.Treći dan, ali i završetak trećeg modula je obilježilo predavanje prof. dr. Melisa Ljuša, koja je angažovana kao konsultant kroz UNDP POPs Projekat na aktivnostima izrade Programa za uvođenje sistema za upravljanje ambalažnim otpadom od pesticida u BiH. Profesora Ljuša je predstavila nacrt ovog Programa, te prodiskutovala sa učesnicima o uslovima koji su potrebni da bi se preporuke iz ovog programa primmjenile u Bosni I Hercegovini, te o važnosti primjene predloženih modela.
Sanja Ćorović ispred UNDP BIH projekta EKO Pravda je predstavila projekat “Jačanja vladavine okolišnog prava u Bosni i Hercegovini – Eko-pravda projekat”. UNDP u Bosni i Hercegovini je 2023. godine pokrenuo implementaciju ovog projekta sa ciljem jačanja institucionalnih kapaciteta za borbu protiv ekološkog kriminala u Bosni i Hercegovini. Pored usklađivanja nacionalnog zakonodavstva sa EU acquis-em i obuke nosilaca pravosudnih funkcija, projekat ima namjeru ovaj cilj postići tako što bi asistirao u procesu adekvatnog otkrivanja, prijavljivanja i istraživanja kršenja ekoloških ljudskih prava od strane nadležnih institucija i posljedičnog jačanja povjerenja javnosti.
Projekat podržava praćenje i izvještavanje o kršenju ekoloških ljudskih prava u cijeloj zemlji, podržavajući na taj način dijalog između istaknutih nevladinih organizacija za zaštitu životne sredine i nacionalnih institucija za ljudska prava. Rezultat ovih aktivnosti bi trebao biti bolje razumijevanje ekoloških ljudskih prava u zajednicama širom Bosne i Hercegovine, veće učešće javnosti u donošenju odluka o pitanjima životne sredine, te poboljšan pristup pravnim lijekovima u slučajevima kršenja zakona.
Od izazova kao što su mjesta za adekvatno odlaganje i tretman otpada od prazne ambalaže u kojoj su ostaci štetnih hemikalija, do procesuiranja slučajeva okolišne pravde, te planiranja budućih koraka, bile su samo neke od tema današnje radionice i konstruktivog razgovora sa učesnicima/cama Akademije.
Cilj Akademije je da se tokom iste pobliže upoznaju sa uticajima klimatskih promjena. Dodatni cilj je naglasiti važnost povezanosti i ujedinjenosti donosioca odluka sa svih nivoa vlasti da zajedno i ujedinjeno rade na zaštiti okoliša i očuvanju zdravlja.
On October 13, Institute for Political Studies in collaboration with the parliament of Albania, the Committee on European Affairs and the Institute for Democracy in collaboration organized the parliamentary conference “The Role of the Parliaments in the Berlin Process” in Tirana, Albania.
The conference built upon the discussions initiated during the conference “Enhancing Berlin Process through Parliamentary Dialogue” held on 12 and 13 September in Skopje. It aimed to foster a deeper sense of ownership of the Berlin Process within the Parliaments, facilitating an inter-parliamentary dialogue on their pivotal role in promoting the Berlin Process objectives and closely monitoring the commitments made by the governments, specifically within the Common Regional Market (CRM).
The conference was opened by the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Albania, Ms. Lindita Nikolla, the Chairwoman of the European Affairs Committee, Ms. Jorida Tabaku, the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Igli Hasani, the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council, Ms. Majlinda Bregu, the Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Albania, Luigi Soreca and the Executive Director of the Institute for Political Studies, Mr. Afrim Krasniqi.
Ms. Nikolla emphasized the role of Albania in the EU integration process, adding that for an integrated region we need an integrated society and the achievements from the Berlin process show the Western Balkans as a serious and committed region. “The Berlin Process will be a decade old and it has proven to be a remarkable success. The collaboration among the Western Balkan countries is a prime step. We need to shed a light on the future rather than dwell on the past. EU integration of Albania is a national objective and the Albania’s role as a stabilizing force is evident. The support for the EU in Albania is higher than any other country in the region, which shows that we are working hard to pave the way for our future within the EU” says Ms. Nikolla.
According to Ms. Bregu the responsibility for ratification of the commitments from the Berlin Process lies in the parliaments and the Western Balkan region need to work closely in order to move forward. “Since 2015 we advocated for the parliaments to become another forum as part of the Berlin process, and now we are very happy to see that through these meeting the parliaments are finally discussing among themselves. The parliaments will boost the process of implementation of the agreements that are defined in the Berlin Process. This has a symbolic meaning for us, it shows that with goodwill and collaboration, things are moving forward” stated Ms. Bregu.
In his statement, Mr. Hasani noted that the primary objective of the Berlin Process is to increase the collaboration among the Western Balkans countries. “These kinds of meetings will serve to the improvement and growth of the Berlin Process and contribute to the collaboration between the Western Balkan countries, speeding the EU integration process. Achieving the commitments from the Berlin process requires an active engagement and participation of every cell, both within the parliaments and the civil society organizations. We all know the history of the Balkans, but looking forward is the only way that this region will progress” stated Mr. Hasani.
Mr. Soreca emphasized the significance of this event, highlighting the imperative for regional cooperation and engagement. “It is important that people from the region meet and show their unity, especially in a period where the new geopolitical reality has focused all minds and made the case for EU enlargement stronger. In this context the Berlin Process plays an important role, because it is a platform to work on reform and regional integration to help prepare the region for the European Union. The EU integration will only be a reality with the support from the parliaments, through adopting the legislation but also giving active support and strategic direction” says Mr. Soreca.
Ms. Tabaku brought up the well-established tradition of debates in the region. She also emphasized the need for a more practical and central role of the parliaments in the Berlin Process. “This is not something new, our parliaments have a long tradition of debating, but the role of the parliaments in the regional integration process needs to be improved, focusing more on practicality. This should be the start of an integral process and we should be the key actors to change the situation in the region” says Ms. Tabaku.
Mr. Krasniqi mentioned the historical overview of the Berlin Process, adding that this event and the upcoming summit in Tirana will provide a positive turn to the initiative. “When the Berlin Process started, there was a great support for the initiative, but as the time passed there was a drastic decrease. The EU didn’t have a concrete strategy and the Berlin Process tried to fill in the gap. But these events and the upcoming summit in Tirana turn the initiative on a positive side. The relationship between the parliaments and civil society is also very important. Both sides benefit mutually, the parliamentary mechanisms on one side and the valuable contribution of civil society to discussions on the other side” stated Mr. Krasniqi.
The first session “The Role of the Parliaments in the Berlin process” addressed the current stance and challenges in the engagement of the Parliaments in the initiative. The session was opened by a video message from the Chairman of the European Affairs Committee in the German Bundestag, Mr. Anton Hofreiter. This was followed by a panel discussion that gathered the Chairwoman of Education and Means of Public Information Committee, Ms. Flutura Acka, the Ambassador of Spain to Albania, Mr. Alvaro Renedo Zalba, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Albania, Mr. Karl Bergner, the chairman of the Commission for European Affairs in the Macedonian Assembly, Mr. Arber Ademi, the deputy Chairwoman of the European Affairs Committee, Ms. Etilda Gjonaj and the Member of the Serbian Parliament, Ms. Jevrosima Pejovic,
The following panel discussion “Four freedoms and Berlin Process: Further challenges” discussed the Common Regional Market and the upcoming activities. The panel discussion featured a video message by the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the German Bundestag. The session was moderated by the Chairman of Economy and Finance Committee, Mr. Eduard Shalsi, and the panelists were the Ambassador of Austria to Albania, Mr. Christian Steiner, the Chairwoman of the Committee for EU Integration, Ms. Elvira Kovacs, the Chairwoman of the Committee for EU Integration, Ms. Rrezarta Krasniqi and the Chairman of the Joint Committee for EU Integration, Mr. Zdenko Cosic.
The event is part of the “Parliamentary Diplomacy: Regional Cooperation through Enhanced Parliamentary Dialogue” project, which aims to promote the laws and benefits of the Berlin Process through the promotion of parliamentary diplomacy and the use of oversight mechanisms by the parliaments of the Western Balkans.
The project is implemented by six project partners in each of the six Western Balkans countries. The lead partner is the Institute for Democracy (IDSCS) – North Macedonia. The other project partners are Institute Alternativa (IA) – Montenegro, Institute for Political Studies (ISP) – Albania, CRTA – Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability – Serbia, Kosova Democratic Institute (KDI)– Kosovo, and the Network of Progressive Initiatives (NPI) – Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Razvojni program Ujedinjenih nacija (UNDP) u Bosni i Hercegovini pokrenuo je Akademiju klimatskih akcija, tematsku edukaciju za izabrane zvaničnike i zvaničnice parlamenata, skupština, općinskih vijeća u Bosni i Hercegovini, s ciljem da im se omogući bolji uvid u klimatske teme, posebno o konkretnim mjerama i politikama za ublažavanje i prilagođavanje klimatskim promjenama. Akademija će polaznicima predstaviti i primjere dobre prakse ostvarene kroz projekte koje implementira UNDP u BiH uz podršku različitih međunarodnih i domaćih partnera u zemlji.
Prvi od tri modula Akademije održan je od 15. do 17. septembra 2023. godine u Sarajevu. Akademiju su otvorili Raduška Cupać, rukovoditeljica Sektora za energetiku i okoliš u UNDP-u i Saša Magazinović, poslanik u Predstavničkom domu Parlamentarne skupštine BiH i predsjedavajući Zelenog kluba koga čine poslanici/zastupnici iz parlamenata na svim nivoima vlasti u BiH. U svojim uvodnim obraćanjima, istakli su važnost saradnje i zajedničkog djelovanja na zelenim politikama na svim nivoima vlasti u zemlji, kako bi se što bolje pripremili i odgovorili na izazove klimatskih promjena.
Tema prvog modula Akademije bila je biodiverzitet i zaštićena područja. Učesnici su imali priliku saznati više o adekvatnim mjerama potrebnim za rješavanje uticaja klimatskih promjena na biodiverzitet i zaštićena područja u zemlji, kroz predavanja stručnjaka iz ove oblasti, među kojima i prof. dr.sc. Dragojla Goluba sa Prirodno-matematičkog fakulteta u Banjoj Luci, Mehmeda Cere, pomoćnika ministra u Sektoru za okoliš Federalnog ministarstva okoliša i turizma, kao i gostujuće predavačice, dr. Golda Edwin, vanredne profesorice na Odsjeku za okoliš na Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology (MVIT) u Puducherryju, Indija i izvršne direktorice Udruženja za promicanje održivosti u kampusima i zajednicama (Association for Promoting Sustainability in Campuses & Communities – APSCC), koja je također predstavila primjere dobre prakse u svijetu.
U okviru ovog modula organizovana je posjeta i obilazak Zaštićenog pejzaža „Bijambare“, gdje su učesnike ugostili predstavnici Kantonalne javne uprave za zaštićena područja kao i Adla Kahrić, stručnjakinja za ovu oblast na projektu „Održivost zaštićenih područja u BiH“(SPA) koji implementira UNDP, a finansira Globalni fond za okoliš (GEF). Senka Mutabdžija Bećirović, voditeljica SPA projekta u UNDP-u, predstavila je aktivnosti i napore ovog projekta koji će u naredne tri godine raditi na smanjenju uticaja novonastalih klimatskih prijetnji na biološke raznolikosti u BiH, osiguravanjem mogućnosti za održivo upravljanje i finansiranje zaštićenih područja, uključujući kroz razvoj održivog turizma.
Učesnici su istakli značaj Akademije klimatskih akcija, koja im pruža mogućnost da u svojim predstavničkim i parlamentarnim aktivnostima snažnije djeluju u ovoj oblasti, kako bi se spriječila ranjivost prirodnih i društvenih procesa na klimatske promjene.
Kroz naredna dva modula koja će se održati u Trebinju i Tuzli, fokus će biti na temama energetske efikasnosti, obnovljivih izvora energije, energetske tranzicije i zaštite životne sredine.
Akademija se realizuje u okviru UNDP-ovog projekta „Inicijativa za izgradnju kapaciteta za transparentnost“ (CBIT), koji finansira GEF, a za organizaciju Akademije je zadužena nevladina organizacija iz Sarajeva, Mreža progresivnih inicijativa (MPI).
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