CENTRE FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION

The Board of Governors of the IFB has received a report on the formation of a Committee for new regional cooperation. On 21 and 22 July 2002 this group of intellectuals from south-eastern Europe resolved to form a Committee for new regional cooperation. The majority of the Committee's members from Bosnia and Herzegovina are members of the IFB or participate in its activities. The IFB has facilitated much of the communication between its members to date and made a vital contribution to the adoption of its public news releases. The activities of the Committee for new regional cooperation are based on three documents: a Statement, a Decision and a Programme. These three documents are reproduced here, and form the programmatic and organizational basis of the IFB's Centre for Regional Cooperation. Statement of the Committee for new regional cooperation, Decision on organization and method of operation, Programme of the Committee for new regional cooperation

STATEMENT OF THE COMMITTEE FOR NEW REGIONAL COOPERATION

A group of independent intellectuals met on 21 and 22 July 2001 in Montenegro at a seminar entitled "Responsibility – causes and effects of events”. They came to the conclusion that existing individual, group and institutional approaches to legal, political and moral responsibility for the destructive events and grave breaches of human rights during the past decade are inadequate. The recent events in Macedonia, as well as circumstances in the region as a whole, heighten anxieties that armed conflicts will continue until the origins of tensions, mistrust and intolerance are clearly identified and eliminated. This indicates the need for regional links and approaches to all relevant issues, in particular those relating to peace, security and stability.

The group saw as the most important issues:
  1. an in-depth re-examination of existing views and understandings of the causes and consequences of the ravages of war, and the establishment of new understandings;
  2. the organization of a regional network of individuals, organizations and institutions on the principles of tolerance, confidence and cooperation;
  3. a recognition of the symptoms of future conflicts and the proposal of measures and means to prevent and eliminate them;
It was also concluded that the group should act as the inaugural committee for regional cooperation. Between now and the next meeting, material for its continued activities and institutional links will be drafted, and the participants charged Nataša Kandić with representing and coordinating the inaugural committee's work until that time. The Kosovo Open Society Foundation and the Kosovo Civil Society Foundation have provided funds in support of this initiative.

Members of the inaugural committee:
  • Duška Anastasijević, Belgrade
  • Teuta Arifi, Skoplje
  • Ivo Banac, Dubrovnik
  • Isuf Berisha, Priština
  • Sonja Biserko, Belgrade
  • Ivan Zvonimir Čičak, Zagreb
  • Srđan Darmanović, Podgorica
  • Jakob Finci, Sarajevo
  • Zdravko Grebo, Sarajevo
  • Enver Hoxhaj, Priština
  • Ylber Hysa, Priština
  • Nataša Kandić, Belgrade
  • Suada Kapić, Sarajevo
  • Peter Kuzmić, Osijek
  • Ivan Lovrenović, Sarajevo
  • Rusmir Mahmutćehajić, Sarajevo
  • Shkelzën Maliqi, Priština
  • Kim Mehmeti, Skoplje
  • Latinka Perović, Belgrade
  • Milan Popović, Podgorica
  • Olga Popović-Obradović, Belgrade
  • Iso Rusi, Skoplje
  • Obrad Savić, Belgrade
  • Veton Surroi, Priština
  • Milka Tadić, Podgorica

DECISION ON ORGANIZATION AND METHOD OF OPERATION

Pursuant to the Statement of the Committee for new regional cooperation, adopted on 22 July 2001 at the meeting of a group of intellectuals in Žabljak (Montenegro), the Committee hereby adopts this on the organization and method of operation.

DECISION

The members of the inaugural committee are the signatories of the Statement on new regional cooperation. The Committee will adopt all its resolutions by open vote of all its members, by show of hands or paper ballot. A resolution shall be considered as adopted when more than half the members vote for it. A list of the members who voted for each of the Committee's resolutions shall be accessible for public view. The Committee shall appoint a Coordinating Council of five members, from among whom a coordinator and his deputy shall be elected. The coordinator and his deputy shall hold office for one year. The coordinator shall represent the Committee, for which purpose he shall consult with members of the Coordinating Council. The organizational and administrative affairs of the Committee may be entrusted to one or more non-governmental organizations from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Slovenia and Serbia.

During his term of office the coordinator shall ensure that the administrative and organizational conditions are in place for the basic affairs of the Committee. Decisions on entrusting the conduct of the Committee's administrative and organizational affairs shall be issued by the Coordinating Committee. The Committee may initiate, form and manage its projects through one or more non-governmental organizations. Initial and concluding documents shall be drafted for all the Committee's projects. These documents shall include the following; Aims and objectives, manner of organization, duration and expected outcomes; Details of the organization to which the organization and administration of the project is to be entrusted; The basic terms of an contract between the Committee and the organization to which the running of the project is to be entrusted;

A budget setting out project expenditure and funding sources. The Committee may found one or more organizations in one or more of the countries named above. The Coordinating Council shall convene and organize the regular annual assembly of the Committee at which new members and bodies shall be elected and reports received and approved.
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