The School of Public Policy Mother Teresa together with Schools of Political Studies from the Western Balkans, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) organized the Western Balkan Environment Forum 2020 held in Hotel Hilton, Podgorica 8-11th November, 2020. The Forum was held the 9th edition of the World Forum for Democracy: Can Democracy save the environment? The following topics were discussed at the Forum:
- National governments, international organisations or the citizen: who is setting the pace?
- Public, private and nongovernmental: what role for which sector?
- Sustainable Use of Energy in the Western Balkans and climate protection
For each of these topics an introductory session with experts presenting was organised. Following their opening remarks, a discussion followed. After each of these sessions, participants were divided in groups according to their professional backgrounds. One group was made of MPs, another of civil servants/public administration and the last one was made of members of non-governmental organisations and the private sector. The working groups reflected on the ideas presented in the introductory panels and drew from their own experiences to present unified and coherent statements on the topic by regional sectors. A plenary discussion was held following the presentations of each group.
Overall, many issues were raised and elaborated including, without ordering them in regards of their significance: Are national and international authorities’ moving more slowly than public opinion, or is public opinion actually holding them back? What is preventing governments from taking more radical steps? How can democracies and international organisations manage such competing factors and demands? Has the public or private sector done the better job in the area of prevention and mitigation of environmental damage– and which is best placed to provide meaningful change in the future? If we need the best of both sectors to fix the problem, then what form might new public/private partnerships take? What is the role of the nongovernmental organisations here? Are they mediators between business and governments? Should they follow their own agenda and how? How should the Western Balkans countries tackle issues of reducing energy consumption in energy-intensive sectors in times of Covid-19? How can they meet the goals for climate protection and sustainable energy use of the Paris Climate Agreement?
All expert sessions and working groups presentations and discussions were held live at the premise and online. Interested participants from the Schools of Political Studies from the Western Balkans were invited to follow and participate at the Forum online. The Forum was an opportunity for policy makers, civil servants, NGO activists and experts, from the Western Balkan region to meet and exchange opinions and ideas. Despite the extreme difficulties in organising the event due to the covid-19 pandemic the Forum as a satellite event of the 9th edition of the World Forum for Democracy: Can Democracy save the environment? was successfully implemented.
Program of the Western Balkan Environment Forum 2020
Day 1: 8th November, 2020
From 9:00 Departure from respective countries, arrival in Podgorica
20:00-20:30 Official opening of the Forum
Jasna Sekulovic, Open Regional Fund for South East Europe, Energy, Transport and Climate Protection (ORF-ETC) Project Manager South East Europe/Coordinator for Montenegro, Prof. Zhidas Daskalovski, School of Public Policy Mother Teresa, Boris Raonić, Gradjanska Alijansa, Dr. Michael Remmert, Head of Education Policy Division, Co-ordinator of Schools of Political Studies, Council of Europe
20:30- 22:00 Networking Dinner.
Day 2: 9th November, 2020
10:00-12:00
Panel discussion: National governments, international organisations or the citizen: who is setting the pace?
Introduction: Mr. Srgjan Matovic, Arhus Center Kragujevac. What is the state of affairs in environment protection and how pollution influences health?
Panelists: Mimoza Kusari Lila, MP, Alternativa, Mr. Nikola Trajchevski, businessman, Prima Protect
12:00-12:45 Coffee break
12:45-14:00
Work in sectoral groups- brainstorming for new ideas on the topic: National governments, international organisations or the citizen: who is setting the pace? (groups for each sector: politics, business, NGOs, academia and journalism, and citizen-led initiatives)
14:00 – 15:30 Lunch
16:00-17:30
Topic: Presentation of working groups of new ideas on the topic National governments, international organisations or the citizen: who is setting the pace?
17:30-18:15 Coffee Break
18:30-20:00 Concluding debate on the first topic
Topic: Public, private and nongovernmental: what role for which sector?
Discussants: Mr. Sasa Magazinovic, MP, Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ms. Ray Koçi, Urban planner at Relationship Center, Tijana Knežević, Adviser at the Committee on Economy, Finance and Budget Secretariat Montenegro Parliament, Mr. Denis Sulic, MP, Deputy speaker of National Assembly of Republika Srpska and member of Green club
20:00-21:00 Dinner
Day 3: 10th November, 2020
10:00-12:00
Panel discussion: Sustainable Use of Energy in the Western Balkans and climate protection
Introductory Remarks by Tibor Schaffhauser: ‘National Plans for Energy and Climate in the Western Balkans’
Commentators: Ms. Beti Stamenkovska Trajkoska MP, VMRO-DPMNE, Hekuran Murati, MP, Lëvizja Vetëvendosje, Mr. Mirza Hulusic, Director, Building institute of Sarajevo Canton
12:00-12:45 Coffee break
12:45-14:00 Work in sectoral groups- brainstorming for new ideas on the topic: Sustainable Use of Energy in the Western Balkans and climate protection (groups for each sector: politics, business, NGOs, academia and journalism, and citizen-led initiatives)
14:00 – 15:30 Lunch
16:00-17:30 Presentation of working groups of new ideas on the topic Sustainable Use of Energy in the Western Balkans and climate protection
17:30-18:15 Coffee Break
20:30-22:00 Closing Dinner
Day 4: 11th November, 2020
Departure
List of Speakers/Experts
- Mimoza Kusari Lila, MP, Alternativa Committee on Economy, Employment, Trade, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Strategic Investments
- Hekuran Murati, MP, Lëvizja Vetëvendosje!, Committee on Economy, Employment, Trade, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Strategic Investments
- Tibor Schaffhauser, Governance Expert, Energy Community Secretariat
- Dritan Shutina, Executive Director of Co-PLAN and lecturer at Polis University Tirana with over 20 years of experience in matters of governance, strategic planning, participatory processes, and regional development.
- Halit Valteri, MP, Member of the Committee for Production Activities, Trade and Environment (Alumnus of the School)
- Klajdi Qama, MP, Committee for Production Activities, Trade and Environment
- Ray Koçi, Urban planner/ Program director at Relationship Center
- Beti Stamenkovska Trajkoska MP, VMRO-DPMNE
- Nikola Trajchevski, businessman, Prima Protect
- Jovan Altandzhiev, MOI, Chapter 24
- Zlatko Jankovski, Secretariat for European Integration
- Denis Dalladaku, a freelancer mainly on projects related to architecture and CAD visualization
- Mjellma Vula, YES Program Coordinator at the American Council for International Education
- Butrint Berisha works as a researcher and project coordinator at PIPS and directs the Foreign Policy Analysis Program.
- Saša Magazinović, MP, Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina and President of Green club
- Denis Sulic, MP, Deputy speaker of National Assembly of Republika Srpska and member of Green club
- Mirza Hulusic, Director, Building institute of Sarajevo Canton
- Aida Buljubasic, SPS BiH main board
- Srgjan Matovic, CSO “Aarhus Centre” Kragujevac
- Zenepa Lika, executive director, Martin Schneider Jacoby
- Tijana Knežević, Montenegro Parliament, Adviser at the Committee on Economy, Finance and Budget Secretariat
- Zenepa Lika, executive director of Dr Martin Schneider Jacoby Association (MSJA)
- Anesa Ramovic, Advisor of the Council for Economy, Finance and Budget. Odbora za ekonomiju, finansije i budžet.
- Angelina Šaranović, Councillor in the Council for tourism, agriculture, ecology and urban planning.
- Vladimir Dobričanin, MP, Ujedinjena Crna Gora
