BSF 2016 Panels and Sessions Set!

The Sixth Belgrade Security Forum that will take place from October 12 – 14, 2016 under the title “Will Democracy Survive the Global Disorder?”

The threat of interstate conflict – lessened by the advent of security cooperation – has made its grand return in the backdrop of the resurgence of violence in the Middle East. The EU – a destination for thousands who had to leave their countries – has yet to reach an agreement to be endorsed by all its members on how to address the migrant crisis. Whether the agreement is reached or not, migrants will continue to traverse the region of South East Europe, which remains troubled by internal instability and a hostage to common recurrences of populism.

Faced with these challenges, democracy suffers. “Arab Spring” of broken promises has transitioned into permanent “winter of our discontent” as modern radicals collide with authoritarian regimes. The spillover effects of this conflict have spread across European soil, fostering discord between political elites and the citizens, with legitimacy gap growing ever wider. Thus, attacks on the freedom of the press and eroding of civil liberties have become a norm in transitional societies we thought were being transformed by the EU.

This year’s Belgrade Security Forum will have four plenary panels:The Great Migration of our times? The Balkans piece in the European puzzle, The New European Security Strategy: EU in a global world and its transatlantic partners, Addressing Political instability and Weak Institutions in South East Europe and Will Civil Society Save Democratic Values?; nine breakout sesssion: Democracy’s Responses to Populism and Internal Radicalization, Serbia-Kosovo Dialogue: Make or Break the European Perspective, Opening Democracy for Citizens:Open Government Partnership, Silk Road in Europe, What Choices for Countries in Between in an Increasingly Divided Europe?, Owners and Editors: the Role of Free Speech in Modern Democracy  and three special side events: Enlargement Moving beyond Europe’s Fatigue and Bilateral Disputes, The Future of Albanian-Serbian Relations and the Stability of South East Europe and The Follow us initiative – Dialogue of Prominent Women from Belgrade and Prishtina.

List of confirmed speakers is also available.

Updates on agenda you can follow here.