The Stability Pact (SP) WT I has achieved a great deal in its efforts to promote the democratisation processes and the protection of human rights in the South Eastern European region.

The protection of human rights in SEE has taken tremendous steps forward. Likewise, democratic processes are becoming part of the new paradigm in SEE. Serious communal violence has sharply decreased and people from across frontiers have started to both speak and work together without the need for outside help. Despite the remaining lack of trust in many communities, the relationship between the state and its citizens and between the citizens themselves have improved considerably and continue to improve today.

The change of mentality and the evolution of the political culture are long-term processes, which can take years or even generations to transform. While they can be assisted from outside, such transformations can only take place effectively through continuous efforts from these societies themselves. Clearly, significant progress on issues such as fighting organised crime and corruption, increasing transparency and accountability, promoting economic development and the rule of law will not be possible unless strong and viable democratic institutions become a reality.

Today, WT I foresees the need for a new chapter of activities, one that is built upon previous efforts, but also has long-term goals with a particular emphasis on the resulting developments, national and regional ownership. Regional ownership is the hoped for result of all the Working Tables of the Stability Pact, emphasising both the new emerging abilities, and the immediate responsibilities of the region.

The participation and enhancement of networks of NGOs and local communities is becoming more and more important in the democratisation and reconciliation process. Therefore, dialogue and coordination between civil societies, the private sector and local and national authorities has been intensified.

Common regional problems will continue to be approached through regional dialogue. It has been increasingly evident that WT I needs to focus its activities on promoting citizens’ participation in local trans-frontier cooperation on different levels, enhancing parliamentary cooperation and dialogue, strengthening media’s independence, professionalism and responsibility, assisting the development of sustainable democratic institutions on local and national level, continuing to address the challenges of providing adequate education for children and youth. In addition, as all WT I Task Forces are process-oriented, WT I is deeply committed to ensuring and promoting cross-table communications throughout the Stability Pact.

A. Democratisation

Functioning and efficient democratic processes are a prerequisite for political stability, economic development and social cohesion, and in fact for the overall trust in democratic institutions. In promoting the democratic process of the countries of the Region Working Table I concentrates its efforts on strengthening the capacities of local, regional and national authorities, and the active participation of civil society.

Local Democracy

An important dimension of the democratisation process in SEE is the strengthening of the capacities of local and regional authorities in the Region. Therefore, the Stability Pact has been supportive of their legal and institutional reforms and capacity building. However, bearing in mind the necessity of an effective and viable central government, the Pact closely cooperates both with local authorities and their associations, as well as with national ministries responsible for local governance issues. Furthermore, it supports the active role of civil society and local communities and the inclusion of specific social groups, such as women and youth in the local development process.  

In October 2004 the Stability Pact, the Council of Europe and the Government of Croatia organised, in close consultation with the European Commission, a Regional Ministerial Conference on Effective Democratic Governance at Local and Regional Level. This resulted in the Ministers of the Region signing a Memorandum of Understanding and all the participants adopted a final declaration that gave a strong political message emphasising the importance of strengthening local democracy and the decentralisation process in the Region.

The Ministers committed themselves to finalising and implementing the national work programmes, and equally pledged themselves to encourage partnerships between central and local authorities and associations of local authorities for its implementation. The hoped for result is that dialogue between central government, local authorities and civil society will be institutionalized and become an integral part of the decision-making process on regional and local matters. The Pact is working closely with the Council of Europe with that goal in sight. An evaluation conference is envisaged for spring 2006 in Skopje.

The Network of Associations of Local Authorities in SEE (NALAS) and the Association of Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA) should play a significant role to that process.    This is in line with the Stability Pact’s vision to combine the two-dimensional approach, the involvement of the ministries responsible for local government and the representatives of local authorities and communities. The NALAS Secretariat is being transferred to the Region this year. The 1^st NALAS General Assembly was held on 6 September 2005 in Skopje. This represents a further step in the development of the network, as the President and Vice-Presidents have been elected, Executive organs have been formed and the priorities for future activities have been defined. New LDAs are establishing themselves in the Western Balkans, reinforcing regional ownership.

Under the auspices of the Stability Pact and the Organization for Cooperation and Development in Europe, the OSI-LGI has finalised the report on donor contributions to Local Democracy in SP Countries in April 2005.

It is also encouraging that the European Union is gradually more involved in local democracy issues in SEE, through the Committee of the Regions and the European Commission.

Cross-Border Cooperation

From the very early stages of the Stability Pact’s work, cross-border cooperation (CBC) has been one of its main objectives. Measures to overcome obstacles caused by new frontiers have been initiated using the Euroregions structures and in close cooperation with a number of international organisations and NGOs. To date, there are nine Euroregions in SEE, whose function, substance and effectiveness vary considerably. The most active are Danube-Drava-Sava, Niš–Sofia–Skopje, Prespa-Ohrid, and Southern AdriaticEuroregions, as well asthe micro-region Preshevo-Gjlan/Gnjilane-Kumanovo-Trgoviste.

As CBC issues cannot be successfully promoted through Working Table I contributions alone, the Stability Pact is in the process of identifying and initiating cross-table CBC projects in areas such as combating unemployment, strengthening SME networks, economic development, trade, environment, rule of law and fighting organised crime. The cross-border cooperation approach is supported by major international actors in the Region, particularly by the European Commission. The challenge remains how best to provide substance for the existing cooperation networks in the Region and to activate local partners more productively, especially when donor interest and direct contributions to the SEE Region are decreasing.    In addition, the challenge to enforce inter-ethnic cooperation networks remains a priority, especially in post-conflict areas. 

Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) issues have been incorporated within the framework of the Local Democracy / Cross-Border Cooperation (LODE/CBC) Task Force. LODE/CBC remains a core objective during 2005.

Parliamentary Cooperation

Despite the recognition that parliaments are an essential component in the democratic process, the international community has, in the past, focused most of its assistance towards the governments of SEE. A study (May 2004) developed by Petra Blass, senior SP consultant has confirmed that, in order to increase the efficiency and transparency of the governing structures of the Region, more attention should be paid to building the legislative capacity and enhancing parliamentary cooperation between countries. While the quality and the quantity of the work being accomplished by parliaments of the region in the past years is impressive, there remains a strong need to increase efficiency within parliamentary offices.

As all SEE national parliaments are facing similar problems, a long-term, regional approach in tackling these common challenges to achieve tangible changes is needed. Based on the request by parliamentarians from the SEE Region themselves, it is now foreseen that the SP programmes will target promoting the harmonisation of legislation with EU standards; developing links between committees of different parliaments dealing with similar issues; institutionalising structures as the Cetinje Parliamentary Forum; training programmes for newly elected MPs and parliamentary staff; and promoting twinning between parliaments (within the Region and between SEE and EU parliaments, especially new EU member states).

In June 2005, the SEE Parliaments gathered in Sarajevo and established a Conference of the Committees on European Integration of the Western Balkans Parliaments. In order to strengthen their links and cooperation with EU countries they are going to apply for a special guest status at the COSAC.

In addition, it is clear that the many current activities of various international organisations, NGOs (such as the National Democratic Institute), parliamentary assemblies and national governments should be coordinated on a regular basis, and emphasis should be placed on cooperation activities of a regional nature. To this end, the SP has elaborated in February 2005 a matrix which maps donors’ assistance to the Parliaments of the Region.  This exercise was presented  at the PCTF meeting in April 2005 and will be continuously updated.

The Parliamentary Cooperation Task Force (PCTF) is made up of the Parliamentary “Troika”   - European Parliament, and Parliamentary Assemblies of the OSCE and Council of Europe - as well as several NGOs and some international organisations.  Currently the Chairmanship of the Troika is held by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. The Task Force is lead by Ms Petra Bläss, Senior Consultant to the Stability Pact and a former Vice-President of the German Parliament.

B.    Human rights and civil participation

Given the progress of the SEE region in meeting the Copenhagen criteria, protection of human rights and national minorities, that are fundamental yardsticks for modern democracies, are integrated within the work of the three Working Table Task Forces. WT I deals specifically with the following issues: 

Education

The Task Force Education and Youth (TFEY), which in fact is an enhanced “Graz Process”, established by Austria in 1998, supports the incorporation of SEE into a European Area of Education and promotes educational cooperation projects in the
Region. Education and training are not only key to sustainable development and stability within and amongst countries, but they are also an indispensable means to helping SEE on its way to full integration into the EU.

The Education Reform Initiative of SEE (ERI SEE) that was launched in December 2002 gave a functional structure (Secretariat, Consultative Body, Governing Board) to the reform and in reviewing national legal frameworks and policies on education. Action Plan priorities include the decentralisation of education management and administration, curriculum reforms, access to quality education by ethnic and social minorities, use of information and communication technology and the promotion of citizenship education.   All SEE countries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Education that states the aim of the countries is to forge closer cooperation on education reform.

An Immediate priority for the ERI SEE is also to prepare and assist in building the capacity of the ministries of education of SEE countries to have access to information and to funds from the European Union, especially regarding the new integrated Lifelong Learning (LLL) programme 2007-2013. 

On education policy issues the TFEY promotes the dialogue on LLL strategy development and implementation in Europe, which is a precondition for reaching the aims of “Education and Training 2010” and also organises a series of expert workshops for the implementation of the Bologna Process and general investment in education. The Graz international education conference on “Governance and Education for Sustainable Development and European Integration”, in January 2005, examined and underlined the role of education for sustainable economic development, social cohesion, innovation, research, respect for cultural and ethnic diversities, and for modernisation of SEE societies, regional cooperation and regional ownership, and the strategies for achieving the Lisbon goals at a   European level. 

The ERI SEE Secretariat has been transferred to the Region (Zagreb), and has recently become fully operational. Dr Anton Dobart from the Austrian Ministry of Education currently chairs the TF. Mrs Luminita Matei has been the Executive Director for the ERI SEE Secretariat, since January 2005.

The Pact will give special emphasis to mobility and exchange programmes and research initiatives.    The new initiative on “building human capital”, which will include education, vocational training and research, will be presented at the Working Table I meeting in May 2006.

Media

Given the vital role that media does play in a democratic society, it is essential to strengthen the professionalism and independence of the media in SEE. The Media Task Force works on bringing the national media legislation in each of the SEE countries in line with international standards. Much still needs to be done, but it has been successful in various areas. To identify needs and    gaps, the MTF is carrying out a legal research project to provide clear information on the status of media legislation in SEE on a monthly basis. It focuses on three categories of media legislation: broadcasting, libel and access to information. In many SEE countries the debate on broadcast legislation continues, the management of public broadcasters remains vulnerable, and broadcast councils do not work properly.   In addition, greater progress is needed on the reform of media legislation both with regard to its adoption and implementation (in particular on licensing procedures, composition of regulatory bodies, independence of the public broadcaster, balance between private and public broadcasters, defamation, and access to information laws).

It has to be noted that lack of professionalism and lack of independent and responsible reporting still plague the media landscape in SEE. The Kosovo crisis of March 2004 and the media’s role there is an example of this, which was also discussed at the Regional Table of the SP in Portoroz in June 2004. To respond to this and other similar challenges the MTF is supporting the production of quality television programmes as well as local capacity training of journalists and media professionals.

The Videoletters project has contributed to the re-establishing the bonds between neighbours, friends and families who were separated during the war in the former Yugoslavia.

The Media Task Force works to address the above-mentioned challenges by facilitating cooperation and coordination amongst donors, international organisations and partners, by arranging support for media development projects, by determining priorities in conjunction with the national media working groups consisting of media professionals and national authorities, and finally, by coordinating actions amongst the European Commission, the Council of Europe and various NGOs in the field of media development. 

In order to assess the achievements and obstacles The MTF is now undertaking a study on the lessons learnt from 10 years of media assistance to SEE countries.

The Chairman of the Media Task Force is Mr. Radomir Diklic. The Executive Secretary    is Mr. Yasha Lange (Press Now based in Amsterdam) who leads nine regionally based Media Working Groups. 

Gender

The unequal access of women and men to resources and opportunities and discrimination based on gender are still a major challenge in the Region today. To address the existing inequality of opportunities, the SP has focused its efforts on promoting the political empowerment of women and inclusion of women’s issues within governmental policies at national and local levels.

The Gender Task Force (GTF) has helped to empower women from across the political spectrum through its work with elected officials at all levels of government and parliament, as well as within trade unions.   It has also focused on empowering Roma women through specifically targeted projects.  The GTF ensures regional ownership in all its projects by facilitating the creation of local implementation teams in each of the countries.

The efforts of the GTF are to strengthen the mechanisms available for women’s increased participation in political and public life in SEE have been successful on the whole. The GTF has been instrumental in increasing the percentage of women in the national parliaments of the Region, as well as at municipal level. Governments throughout SEE have established or upgraded their governmental and parliamentary structures for the promotion of gender equality. Specific legislation on gender equality is in place or is being prepared in all SEE countries. Quotas, or some form of affirmative action, to increase the women’s share of parliamentary or municipal council seats that exist in the election legislation in most SEE countries have been established. Therefore, the challenge is in making these mechanisms function effectively, ensuring that existing legislation and policies are implemented in practice and sufficient funds are allocated thereto.

Moreover, given the achievements in women’s political representation, now a major effort is being put on economic and social advancement.

The Gender Task Force is based in Zagreb and is chaired by Ms. Sonja Lokar, while Ms. Mary Ann Rukavina is its Associate Director. 

Ombudsman

Since its inception, citizens’ rights and freedoms and the work of the Ombudsman institutions have been of specific interest to the Stability Pact. In September 2004, WT I organised a Regional Conference of Ombudsman of the SEE region in Belgrade, together with the Eunomia Programme of the Greek Ombudsman, the OSCE Mission in Serbia and Montenegro, and the Government of Serbia. The purpose of the meeting was to give a chance to the ombudsmen and their staff to exchange views on their common challenges, to enforce independence of ombudsman institutions, to boost towards the adoption of an ombudsman law in Serbia, and to strengthen regional cooperation. In the future, Ombudsman issues will lay more on the responsibilities of WT III, in the framework of Rule of Law activities.

WTI TB/CT
26/9/2005