Project Summary

The Project aims to increase accountability for war crimes in the Western Balkans region, strengthen the public's overall support for these processes and foster dialogue within societies and ethnic groups about crimes committed during the 1990s, leaving more resilient communities. This will strengthen the rule of law, helping the EU accession process and establishing a favorable environment for solidarity, reconciliation, and sustainable peace in the region.

What we want to achieve

• Better equip judicial and law enforcement authorities in handling war crimes cases at the domestic level including through a multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral approach.

• Improve conditions for regional cooperation in handling war crimes cases through bilateral and multilateral high and technical level peer-to-peer meetings and policy dialogue.

• Provide expertise and support to enhance a stronger victim-centered and gender-sensitive approach in the handling of domestic war crime cases with a focus on increasing the delivery of support services to victims and witnesses and strengthening the capacities of CSOs through the rolling out of a sub-granting scheme.

• Support grassroot actors through provision of grants to better raise public awareness of past crimes, including dialogue and exchanges amongst and between a wide range of stakeholders (judicial sector, journalists, historians, professors and students, local community actors), especially youth and future opinion leaders.

Expected Results

• Improved capacity and regional cooperation amongst key judicial services in the Western Balkans, resulting in improved efficiency and effectiveness in the investigation and prosecution of war crimes.
• Increased shared understanding of crimes committed during the 1990s in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. 
• Increased accountability for war crimes in the region with enhanced public support for the accountability and fact-based dialogues within societies and between ethnic groups about crimes committed during the 1990s).


Status:
Active

Time Frame: 
1 January 2023 to 31 December 2026

Where:
Western Balkans: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

Focus Area:
Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.

Main Beneficiaries:
Judicial institutions in the Western Balkans, local CSOs, victims’ associations, academia, journalists.

Implementing Partners:
UNDP BiH, UNDP Kosovo, UNDP Montenegro, UNDP North Macedonia, UNDP Serbia

Donor(s): 
European Commission

Budget:
7,000,000 EUR

Contact: 
Marta K. Gazideda 
Governance and Peacebuilding Portfolio Manager/ Deputy Programme Coordinator
marta.gazideda@undp.org
Tel: +383 38 249 066; 
Mob: +383 49 785 895

Valza Sadriu
Project Manager
valza.sadriu@undp.org
Mobile: + 383 44 909 773


Results of the 1st Public call for civil society organizations to submit project proposals.

Results of the 2nd Public call for civil society organizations to submit project proposals.