SEESAC attends Third RCC Meeting on Donor Coordination in the Western Balkans

SEESAC took part in the Third Meeting on Donor Coordination in the Western Balkans, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) on 15 March 2017.  “Today’s meeting comes at a demanding time, plagued by a number of political, economic and social challenges, both in our region, but also in the wider European and global context”, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic said in his opening remarks.

Ms. Bojana Balon, SEESAC Coordinator briefed the participants about efforts to address the accumulation and proliferation of SALW, “SALW is not a new threat, but it is acute and it can only be successfully tackled through a regional approach, which is why SEESAC actively encourages coordination, information sharing and knowledge exchange, standardization and joint action in South East Europe”, Ms. Balon emphasized and informed the meeting about the new Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/2356 in support of SEESAC disarmament and arms control activities in South East Europe.

The meeting drew special attention to the issues of economic development as well as rule of law and security cooperation, through discussions including several high-level officials from the region.

The donor coordination conference has been held annually since 2015. It gathers together government representatives from the Western Balkans, major international donors, regional organizations, international financial institutions, civil society organizations and other stakeholders to discuss the needs and priorities of the region, ongoing trends, requirements and achievements in the areas of sustainable economic development, public administration reform, rule of law and freedom of expression and security challenges.