EU Support to Confidence Building in the Western Balkans

Project Description

The 'EU Support to Confidence Building in the Western Balkans' is a regional project aimed at strengthening transitional justice processes, promoting reconciliation, and fostering social cohesion in this region. Through targeted support to institutions, civil society, and local communities, the project helps them address the legacy of the conflicts in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, including cases of war crimes and missing persons.

The project promotes and facilitates inclusive and fact-based dialogue about the past and the future, as well as cooperation within societies and between communities and ethnic groups. It also improves access to justice and services for victims and survivors. By reinforcing the rule of law, promoting regional cooperation, and strengthening civil society, the project contributes to building trust in democratic governance, supports EU integration, and helps create a more resilient environment for long-term peace and stability in the Western Balkans.
Specific Objective

• Strengthen judicial, law enforcement, and other institutions' capacities to address the remaining cases of war crimes, account for missing persons, provide victim support, and enhance their cross-border and cross-boundary cooperation.
• Improve access to justice and support services for victims and survivors, including survivors of conflict-related sexual violence crimes, with a focus on gender-responsive and victim-centred approaches.
• Empower civil society organisations, including survivors associations, through i.a. sub-granting and capacity building, to engage in addressing the legacy of the conflicts from the nineties, upholding victims' rights, and promoting inter-ethnic and inter-community cooperation.
• Support grassroots actors, youth, and academics to raise awareness and promote dialogue on the recent past and reconciliation.
Expected Results

• Authorities in the Western Balkans operate within improved legislative and policy frameworks and have enhanced capacity to address remaining war crimes cases and account for the missing persons.
• Improved regional and international cooperation in war crimes proceedings, search for and identification of missing persons and victim support, as well as bringing progress in the resolution of such cases in the Western Balkans.
• Improved fulfilment of rights and delivery of support services to victims and survivors, and stronger capacity of the institutional and civil society actors involved.
• Higher public support for accountability for war crimes and resolving cases of missing persons, and increased fact-based dialogues and reconciliation efforts within societies and between ethnic groups.
• New actors (activists, academics, researchers, artists, journalists and others), especially among the young population and women, empowered to engage in cross-border and inter-ethnic dialogues, memorialisation, education initiatives, to advocate for transitional justice and reconciliation, and to promote the rule of law and human rights.
Project map
EU Support to Confidence Building in the Western Balkans
PROJECT DETAILS
Priority Area:
Subsector:
Topic:
Civil society, Cross-Border Cooperation, Dialogue
EaP Countries:
Project Status:
Ongoing
Start Date:
01.01.2023
End Date:
31.12.2026
Social Media Links:

EU Project Number:
437-134

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