UNDP and EU strengthen civil society’s voice on justice and peacebuilding

Through the European Union funded regional initiative EU Support to Confidence Building in the Western Balkans, today, UNDP signed agreements with six civil society organizations (CSOs). This milestone reinforces support for locally driven initiatives that promote accountability, advance transitional justice, foster inter-ethnic dialogue and empower survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).

Building on the impactful outcomes of previous EU funded support to CSOs and efforts to amplify the voices of the most affected, UNDP, through two rounds of competitive calls, selected five CSOs, including “Alternative Dispute Resolution Center” (ADRC) & NGO “Reconciliation Empowering Communities” (REC), “Integra”, “Kosovo Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims” (KRCT), “Medica Gjakova”, and “Prishtina Institute for Political Studies” (PIPS) to tackle the complex social challenges, champion peace, and foster reconciliation.

Through the selected initiatives, UNDP will work on the following key areas:

· Bridging inter-ethnic divides by institutionalizing spaces for dialogue, building youth capacities, raising public awareness, and fostering strategic partnerships.

· Addressing educational gaps in transitional justice through specialized training programmes and targeted awareness campaigns.

· Promoting survivor-centered approaches by providing psychosocial and legal assistance to CRSV survivors and working to reduce stigma surrounding their experiences.

· Challenging dominant and negative narratives by supporting artistic and creative expressions that foster reflection, empathy, and inclusive storytelling.

The signing ceremony was attended by Dudley Tarlton, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative and Jarmo Feliks Helppikangas, Head of Law and Legal Section, Human Rights, EU Special Representative Office in Kosovo, underscoring the importance of these partnerships.

Reflecting on the occasion, Mr. Tarlton highlighted, “Over the past two years, the Confidence Building project has supported a wide range of efforts — from legal and psychosocial assistance for survivors of conflict-related violence, to youth-led peacebuilding, to strengthening civil society’s role in transitional justice. These activities have reached thousands of people and helped build momentum for more sustained engagement. These efforts haven’t always been easy, and they haven’t always been visible but they’ve been consistent, and they’ve made a difference.”

Mr. Helppikangas, EU Special Representative Office in Kosovo emphasized that “The European Union remains firmly committed to supporting civil society and victims in Kosovo in their pursuit of truth, justice, and reconciliation. Through initiatives like this, we aim to address the past by documenting atrocities, promoting inter-ethnic dialogue, and ensuring victims’ voices are at the centre of transitional justice a moral imperative and a cornerstone for lasting peace and the region’s European future”.

The EU Support to Confidence Building in the Western Balkans is a four-year regional project implemented in partnership with the UNDP Offices in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia and with the financial support of the European Commission. The regional 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.