Funded by
French Agency of Development
The Western Balkans is an important region for peacekeeping in Europe. The countries in the area are recovering from major conflicts that have left significant scars. The end of communism allowed for some democratic progress, but the regimes remain predominantly authoritarian with fragile and often threatened civil societies. At the societal level, the rights of women and minorities are limited and fall short of Western standards. Furthermore, several countries in this area have taken steps to join the European Union for which an economic and social “upgrade” is necessary. For some countries in the region, such as Albania and Montenegro, the Mediterranean dimension also needs to be taken into account.
In this context, supporting local CSOs, in partnership with French CSOs who would strengthen their capacities, would make it possible to support democratic reforms and accompany the public authorities in their ecological and social transitions. AFD, in conjunction with the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, would like to carry out a study to determine one or more relevant tools for financing advocacy and public policy dialogue (which could be similar to a PCPA or multi-stakeholder concerted programme) for the benefit of local civil society actors and the possibility of cooperation with decentralised institutions.
The objective is to create a favourable environment for all civil society actors working in the region (NGOs, trade unions, media), to accompany and support them with appropriate tools. It is also to find a way of reaching very local CSOs (far from the big cities) who irrigate the country at a fine level. The study also aims to study the possibility of developing an inter-regional and multi-actor approach. This type of approach would in particular make it possible to support regional governance efforts.
The geographical scope will include the 6 Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia). In each of the selected countries, it will be necessary to propose one or more themes that can accompany a public policy dialogue with local actors.
Carried out by
