Civil Society Forum 2024
As the 10th anniversary of the Berlin Process Summit draws near, stakeholders from the Western Balkans, EU, and UK convened for the Civil Society & Think Tank Forum 2024. Culminating with a large-scale conference on the sidelines of the Berlin Process Summit, the Civil Society & Think Tank Forum 2024 shined a spotlight on the perspectives and ideas of Western Balkan civil society, strengthening their visibility and equipping decision-makers with their insights. The Aspen Institute Germany organized the Civil Society & Think Tank Forum 2024 in collaboration with the Southeast Europe Association and with generous support from the German Federal Foreign Office for the third time in four years.
Since the second Berlin Process Summit in 2015, the Civil Society & Think Tank Forum has aimed to formulate, present, and discuss policy recommendations on topics crucial to the Western Balkans. As we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Berlin Process, this year’s Civil Society & Think Tank Forum will not only shine a spotlight on civil society recommendations, but also put forward ideas on the future of the Berlin Process.
“With every passing year, it becomes more important to ensure that all stakeholders feel represented and heard in the Berlin Process,” explained Dr. Christian Hagemann, the Executive Director of the Southeast Europe Association. “The Civil Society and Think Tank Forum provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity by offering civil society the opportunity to reach out with their policy recommendations directly to key decision-makers from the Western Balkans.”
“The Civil Society Forum’s approach is unique and particularly effective because it is rooted in local actors’ expertise and experience,” said Dr. Stormy-Annika Mildner, the Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Germany. “This ensures that the recommendations remain relevant and build on existing regional initiatives and capacities in the Western Balkans.”
The forum began with a Preparatory Forum on July 9-11 in Skopje, which convened over 130 civil society leaders from the Western Balkans and the EU to formulate policy recommendations. In advance of public exchanges hosted by the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum, the Preparatory Forum sparked new ideas through confidential discussions across seven thematic working groups. Thanks to the diversity of participants’ experiences and fields of expertise, the discussions resulted in policy recommendations which address urgent challenges and opportunities to the Western Balkans.
The thematic areas addressed by the civil society leaders ranged from EU integration, the energy transition, and dealing with the past/reconciliation to crosscutting issues such as rule of law, youth, minorities, and local issues. For the first time, the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum featured a working group on “Gender and Diversity,” including grassroots organizations from across the Western Balkans and the EU. In addition, working groups covered topics including common regional market and mobility, environmental protection, and disinformation and cyber threats.
In a significant moment, civil society attended the Berlin Process Summit on October 14, 2024, and had the opportunity to discuss and present policy recommendations with leaders. This unique opportunity elevated the voices of civil society directly to the leader-level and allowed for the inclusion of civil society’s perspective in the summit. Civil society’s recommendations were also referenced in the communiqué released at the summit by leaders.
Throughout the forum, advocacy meetings were organized between civil society representatives from the Western Balkans and key stakeholders from German federal ministries and the Chancellery, the European Commission, and regional institutions. A highlight of these meetings was the presentation by civil society to the Berlin Process Foreign Ministers Meeting on October 1 in Berlin. The forum has been characterized by longstanding engagement by the German Federal Foreign Office, including through the advocacy process.
Finally, the project concluded with a conference, the Multi-Stakeholder Evaluation Dialogue, held in Berlin on June 2-3, 2025. Included were stakeholders from the German and UK governments, civil society, and the next organizers of the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum 2025: the British Council.
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