A Decade of Progress

The Rule of Law Forum

“Over the past decade, the Rule of Law Forum for South East Europe, established in 2014, has grown into a crucial platform for promoting the European Convention on Human Rights, encouraging regional judicial cooperation, and supporting the process of EU integration in South East Europe.Throughout this decade, the Rule of Law Forum has evolved, adapting to the ever-changing landscape of human rights and the rule of law. But, how did we get here? Join us on a journey through time as we celebrate a decade of promoting the rule of law in South East Europe.

Keynote Speech by Síofra O’Leary

Gender Equality and the Western Balkans Judicial Forum

“By casting light on the need to tackle bias, discrimination and even violence against women and girls in our societies, as the Gender Forum will do, we move closer to achieving gender equality. After all, you cannot change a reality without first having named and understood it. Progress depends not just on laws – although law is a powerful tool – but also on those who champion change and who seek to adapt traditions, attitudes and habits while developing and applying the law”, said Síofra O’Leary, President of the European Court of Human Rights at the opening of the Forum.

Opening Speech by Alicia Herbert OBE

Gender Equality and the Western Balkans Judicial Forum

“Gender-based violence threatens the lives and wellbeing of girls and women everywhere, preventing them from accessing opportunities that are fundamental to freedom and development: education, healthcare, and jobs. Advancing gender equality and ending gender-based violence is not only the right thing to do, but also a fundamental building block of all healthy democracies and economies. The focus of today’s Forum has been an important opportunity to develop our collective knowledge on accountability for gender-based violence, an important part of making the future safer for women and girls everywhere. (…)”, said Alicia Herbert OBE.

Advancing Asset Recovery in the Western Balkans

Over 100 judges, prosecutors, professors and other experts from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Italy gathered in Sarajevo on March 15th 2023, for the conference “Effective Asset Recovery in the Western Balkans” organised by the AIRE Centre and the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative, with the support from the UK Government. Corruption and organised crime continue to present one of the most widespread and intransigent challenges to the rule of law in the Western Balkans, and asset recovery, as part of the criminal process, is one of the most effective means of combating these crimes.

Robert Spano

Gender Equality and the Western Balkans Judicial Forum

The first Judicial Forum “Gender Equality and the Western Balkans”, took place in Budva (Montenegro) on 1-2 April 2022, that brought together judges of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and judges and experts from the region, who will discuss the key principles of gender equality developed in ECtHR’s jurisprudence. The Forum is organised by the AIRE Centre with the support of the UK Government and the GIZ.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) – The Future of Sustainable Business in the Western Balkans

Conference

Full video of the “Environmental, social and governance (ESG) – The Future of Sustainable Business in the Western Balkans” Conference organized by the AIRE Centre, Sustineri Partners and Foreign Investors Council of BiH. Event took place in Sarajevo (January 26, 2022), and gathered over 200 participants live and online from the entire region.

Publicity and Transparency of the Judicial System – European Standards and Practice in BiH

The Fourth Annual Conference of the Judicial Forum for Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Fourth Annual Conference of the Judicial Forum for Bosnia and Herzegovina, held in Sarajevo on 25 May 2021, was devoted to “Publicity and Transparency of the Judicial System – European Standards and Practice in BiH“. The Forum was organised by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the AIRE Centre’s Western Balkans Programme, in cooperation with the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) and with the support of the British Embassy in Sarajevo.

Combating Corruption in South East Europe: Strengthening Cooperation in the Field of Asset Recovery

Conference

The AIRE Centre’s Western Balkans Programme and the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) organised a regional event on 9th March 2021, held in seven locations across six Western Balkan jurisdictions, to close their two year joint anti-corruption project. European experts, project participants and representatives from other organisations and jurisdictions involved in the project presented their views on the state of anti-corruption work and asset recovery in the region and provided an insight into the impact of the project’s work and possibilities for future collaboration.