15.12.2011.

ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY NETWORKS
IN THE WESTERN BALKANS AND TURKEY

Bojana Mazarak Popovic, Secretary General of the Association CIVIS took part at the conferenceRegional Civil Society Organisations’ Networks in the IPA Countries, organized by TACSO Regional office in Sarajevo and Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from December 12th-14th  2011.

“Over 80 representatives of regional civil society organizations (CSOs) networks from the Western Balkans, Turkey and the EU, as well as Officials from governmental institutions responsible for cooperation with the civil society sector and representatives from EU’s Directorate General for Enlargement gathered in Sarajevo, for the regional conference on CSOs’ Networks in the Western Balkans and Turkey.

“This regional conference is a unique initiative in the wider mobilization of civil society organizations in the region. It is for the first time bringing together representatives from vital regional civil society organisation networks in the Western Balkans and Turkey as well as their constituencies and other stakeholders in order to initiate a dialogue on what they can actually supply in the EU accession context,” – said Palle Westergaard, Technical Assistance for Civil Society Organisations (TACSO) Team Leader. The two-day conference, 13-14 December 2011, included plenary sessions and time for participants to work in groups on different topics related to regional CSOs’ networks. The plenary sessions were on the topics: EU horizons for regional CSO networks, regional networks’ best practices and challenges as well as a session on CSO networks in regional cooperation, which was led by Jelica Minić, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat Deputy Secretary General.

“We believe that the framework of the RCC Strategy and Work Programme 2011-2013 provides a comprehensive platform for regional CSO networks and other relevant stakeholders to identify related actions to be undertaken regionally as well as in the individual countries, ” – stated Ms. Minić. “In this respect, we view civil society involvement as an important contribution to making Regional Cooperation Council efforts more efficient and closer to the needs of the people in our region.”

Part of the article is taken from the TACSO Newsletter

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