Thematic session “Youth and employment policies in the Western Balkans”

Thematic session “Youth and employment policies in the Western Balkans”

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.

Održan treći i završni modul Akademije klimatskih akcija

Održan treći i završni modul Akademije klimatskih akcija

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.

Parliamentary conference “The role of the Parliaments in the Berlin Process” in Tirana, Albania

Parliamentary conference “The role of the Parliaments in the Berlin Process” in Tirana, Albania

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.

UNDP u BiH pokrenuo Akademiju klimatskih akcija

UNDP u BiH pokrenuo Akademiju klimatskih akcija

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).

THE ROLE OF THE PARLIAMENTS OF THE WESTERN BALKANS IN THE BERLIN PROCESS, TOPIC OF THE EVENT ORGANIZED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH MACEDONIA

THE ROLE OF THE PARLIAMENTS OF THE WESTERN BALKANS IN THE BERLIN PROCESS, TOPIC OF THE EVENT ORGANIZED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH MACEDONIA

On September 12 and 13, the Institute for Democracy hosted the regional event “Enhancing Berlin Process through Parliamentary Diplomacy” in which Members of Parliaments (MPs) and parliamentary staff from the Parliaments of the Western Balkans (WB), the German Bundestag and the European Parliament participated.

The purpose of the event is to bring the Berlin Process closer to the MPs and parliamentary staff and to initiate an interparliamentary and expert debate on the role of the parliaments of WB within the Berlin Process.

The event on the first day was opened by the President of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, Talat Xhaferi, the President of the Institute for Democracy, Marko Troshanovski, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Petra Drexler, and then the President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag, Michael Roth, delivered his key remarks.
Troshanovski explained that the Berlin process includes cooperation between the Balkan countries that brings them closer to each other while also bringing them closer to the EU.

“Free roaming in the Balkans, recognition of diplomas or professional qualifications or traveling only with an ID card are benefits encouraged by the Berlin process, which are also benefits of EU membership. The process has many policies in addition to these (in the area of innovation, green agenda, digital transformation of our societies, etc.) and has financial resources. Governments undertake commitments whose implementation requires dedication and efficiency. With this project, we want to involve the parliaments to give their contribution to speeding up these commitments”, says Troshanovski.

We are aware that geographically, strategically and with the majority will of the citizens, as a region we are predisposed to become members of the European Union, as soon as we fulfill the necessary conditions for membership, says Xhaferi.

“We are also aware that along the way, all of us individually and collectively face many challenges of a different nature. Experientially, from the previous enlargements, we must accept that we have to deal with and find acceptable solutions to all the issues that are treated as open and present an obstacle on the way. By putting the most painful and complex issues on the agenda, Germany has shown a clear proactive role in helping and supporting the region and an unequivocal message that our societies need final reconciliation and real projects in the areas detected by the European Commission,” said Xhaferi.

According to Roth, Russia’s war in Ukraine has made it clear that stabilization of candidate countries is in everyone’s interest. He added that in order to achieve that, the accession process must be reformed so that the citizens of the candidate countries have benefits even before the accession itself.

“I assure you that sometimes as parliamentarians you have more influence than if you were part of the government. I want to emphasize that your future is also our common future. The accession of North Macedonia will be of symbolic importance for the entire region because it is a multi-ethnic example for the entire Western Balkans. A large part of the citizens of the region see their future in the EU regardless of all the disappointment they had with the EU, but I am not sure that they are patient to wait another 20 years. Citizens need immediate tangibility of the benefits of joining the EU, and in order to achieve this, a reform of the accession process is needed,” he added.

At the panel discussion dedicated to the role of parliaments in the Berlin process, the chairman of the Commission for European Affairs in the Macedonian Assembly, Arber Ademi, the chairman of the Commission for European Affairs in the Albanian Parliament, Jorida Tabaku, MP Robert Kozma, member of the Commission for European Affairs in the Serbian Parliament, MP Semsudin Mehmedović, member of the Committee for Transport and Communications in the Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Arbreše Kryeziu-Hyseni, the chairwoman of the Committee for Foreign Affairs in the Assembly of Kosovo and Zdenka Popović, member of the Committee for Economy, Finance and Budget of the Montenegrin Assembly.

The adviser for political processes related to the Berlin process in the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, Marija Fileva, gave a short presentation on the achievements of the Republic of Macedonia in the Berlin process.

At the last panel of the first day “Lessons learned from the adoption of mobility agreements”, the keynote address was given by Manuel Sarrazin, Special Representative of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany for the Western Balkans, and the panelists were Amer Kapetanović, Head of Political Department of the Regional Cooperation Council, Vancho Uzunov, Berlin Process Sherpa from Macedonia and Jeton Zulfaj, Berlin Process Sherpa from from Kosovo and Lulzum Rafuna, President of the WB6 CIF Management Board.

The second day of the event started with an address by Viola Von Cramon from the European Parliament who addressed via video message and David Oberhuber, the director of GIZ North Macedonia.

The first session “Knowledge transfer and consultation on Berlin process” was addressed by Amer Kapetanović, Head of Political Department of the Regional Cooperation Council and Milica Cvorović, an expert in coordination and communication at the CEFTA Secretariat. At the second session “Knowledge transfer and consultation on Common Regional Market and Green Agenda”, Maja Handjinska Trendafilova, Director of ReSPA (Regional School of Public Administration) and Jasmina Petkovska, member of the regional working group for the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans at Regional Cooperation Council.

This 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.

MPI launches the new project – PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY: REGIONAL COOPERATION THROUGH ENHANCED PARLIAMENTARY DIALOGUE

MPI launches the new project – PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY: REGIONAL COOPERATION THROUGH ENHANCED PARLIAMENTARY DIALOGUE

This project will contribute to the overall efforts to preserve democratic principles of check and balances as well as to promote and advance democracy in the region through enhanced regional cooperation. It further contributes to the principles of the Belin Process, which has been working to strengthen and accelerate regional integration since 2014, as well as hasten the region’s overall alignment with the EU principles. In this framework, the project focuses on Berlin Process area such as infrastructure development, and connectivity, regional exchange at parliamentary level and the green agenda. However, it is through multi-level commitment that BP commitments can be taken further, and local ownership can be created. Thus, this project is expected to strengthen the involvement of the parliaments in pushing forward the regional agenda.

The inclusion of parliament in the BP commitments will be of added value for the Berlin process, and it will also strengthen parliament’s role in the EU integration process in each of the Western Balkan countries. By developing the capacity of parliamentarians and staff to conduct the oversight function of parliaments, the project will strengthen the system of checks and balances between the legislature and executive thus prompting greater coordination between the two branches regarding important national decisions and laws in the process of EU legislative harmonization. Therefore, the overall aim of the project is to enhance multi-level regional cooperation to consolidate and maintain the dynamics of the EU integration process.

Partners

The project is going to be 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.

Planned activities:

  • Partners meeting in Skopje
  • Stakeholder mapping of relevant (national and international) actors in the Berlin Process
  • Needs assessment of the Members of Parliaments and parliamentary staff
  • Interparliamentary topical meetings in: 1) Albania on Berlin Process, 2) Montenegro on Common Regional Market, and 3) Bosnia and Herzegovina on Green Agenda
  • Three national level events with MPs, staff and relevant stakeholders
  • Regional workshop to develop parliamentary oversight mechanisms of Berlin Process
  • Semi-annual monitoring reports on BP commitments and parliamentary engagement
  • Oversight activities conducted by MPs, with the support of partner think tanks

Duration: May 2023 – April 2025

Donor: German Federal Foreign Office

Approved funds: €349.410.66