The Western Balkans Coalition for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Crimes Prevention, the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC), and Impunity Watch organized a High-Level Conference on “Building a Common Agenda for Prevention in the Western Balkans” in Podgorica from 21-22 March 2024.
The High-Level Conference on “Building a Common Agenda for Prevention in the Western Balkans” held in Podgorica on March 21-22, 2024, brought together key stakeholders and experts to address pressing issues related to dealing with the past in the region. Led by prominent figures such as Dunja Mijatović, Commissioner on Human Rights of the Council of Europe, and featuring panels with representatives from civil society organizations and governmental institutions across the Western Balkans, the conference aimed to tackle challenges in preventing atrocities in the Balkans such as increased denial and revisionism, grassroots perspectives on victims and reparations, and the importance of psychosocial support and education in healing from the past.
The event also highlighted the crucial role of civil society and media in navigating the challenges posed by new technologies and social media platforms in shaping narratives about the past, while exploring strategies for countering misinformation and spreading truth for accountability, peacebuilding, and preventing atrocities in the Western Balkans. It included special video messages from international stakeholders working in prevention and justice globally, including Ms. Alice Wairimu Nderitu, Under-Secretary-General and UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and Ambassador Christian Guillermet-Fernández, Chair of the Global Action Against Mass Atrocity Crimes (GAAMAC).
The conference was organized by the Western Balkans Coalition for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Crimes Prevention, the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC), and Impunity Watch, the latter two being GAAMAC Partners working in preventing atrocities and fighting impunity across the Western Balkans, Europe and the world.
