The Institute for Democracy on December 11, 2023, organised a closed workshop, under Chatham house rules, “Berlin Process after Tirana 2023? Redefining the role of civil society”, supported by the Open Society Foundation Western Balkans.
At the event ideas, experience and knowledge were shared amongst a selected group of civil society organizations and government representatives from the Western Balkan region (North Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo) and EU member states with relevant expertise and knowledge of the Berlin Process.
The workshop was opened with a kickoff panel discussing about the role that civil society has played and will play within the Berlin Process. The second panel delved into a detailed examination of a potential mechanism for monitoring the commitments made by governments. These sessions provided a platform for participants to delve into the outcomes of the Civil Society Forum to date and share their valuable perspectives on potential enhancements.
The gathering aimed to build upon the momentum generated by the 2023 Tirana Civil Society Forum, and explore challenges and opportunities for civil society within the Berlin Process. The topics discussed included recommendations for refining the role of civil society in the Berlin Process, potential mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of the commitments made by governments and the role of the parliaments.
This event was part of the “Berlin Process after Tirana 2023? Redefining the role of civil society” project which aims to critically evaluate the effectiveness of the entire CSF exercise to date and explore ways of redefining and strengthening the role of civil society in the context of the Berlin Process.
