Special Side Event:Visegrad Experience for the Western Balkans: NGO Support for Key Reforms
During negotiations the EU pays special attention to chapters 23 and 24: Justice and Home Affairs. Nevertheless, under political criteria, cooperation between the government and civil society of an aspiring country remains an important condition during the accession process. Numerous challenges face effective collaborations in the Western Balkans. The report presented during the panel focuses on the challenges posed by cooperation in policy areas related to the two above-mentioned chapters. It is the result of shared know-how between think tanks and CSOs from the Western Balkans and the Visegrad Group within the Thinking for Governance project.
The report is co-authored by twenty experts from the Balkans who work for the most active civil society organizations. It provides an analysis of chapters 23 and 24 within the EU accession agenda, and raises the question of how to increase cooperation between governments and civil society focusing in particular on monitoring during the EU integration process, human rights protection, the implementation of an effective migration policy, the impartiality of the judiciary, anti-corruption measures and solid civic education. It shows that many challenges regarding good governance are shared among the region’s governments and CSOs despite varying stages of advancement in their EU accession. The report offers a range of recommendations for governments, civil society, the international community and other subjects.
Speakers:
Marko Savković‚ Project Coordinator, Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence
Goce Kocevski‚ Macedonian Young Lawyers Association
Jovana Marović‚ Researcher, Institute Alternativa
Tomasz Żornaczuk‚ Thinking for Governance Project Coordinator, Polish Institute for International Affairs (Moderator)