24/09/2025
On 18 September 2025, the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) proudly took part online in the REACH Transnational Consultation held in Belgrade. This important regional gathering brought together citizen delegates, policymakers, and partner organizations from across Europe, with the shared aim of strengthening civic participation and democratic engagement. The consultation created a space for dialogue, collaboration, and reflection, where participants presented the outcomes of their national consultations and shared valuable lessons learned from engaging with citizens in their respective contexts.
Throughout the day, the consultation offered opportunities for an open exchange of perspectives and collaborative workshops designed to build concrete proposals for advancing democratic practices. Representatives from seven different countries worked side by side to develop recommendations that seek to ensure civic participation becomes a stronger and more sustainable foundation of democratic governance in Europe. This approach reflected the essence of the REACH initiative, which is to take insights and voices from the local level and connect them with regional and European policy discussions.
KCSS had the honor of representing the voices of citizens from Kosovo, bringing forward insights and experiences that emerged from the consultations conducted at the national level earlier this year. The organization ensured that the perspectives of Kosovo’s citizens were not only heard, but meaningfully incorporated into the broader regional conversation. By contributing in this way, we reaffirmed its commitment to bridging the gap between citizens and institutions, and to ensuring that democratic development in Kosovo is part of the larger European dialogue on participation and inclusion.
The Belgrade consultation was made possible through the joint efforts of a wide range of partner organizations working in close cooperation. The organization joined forces with the European Policy Centre in Serbia, the European Policy Centre in Brussels, the Foreign Policy Initiative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Center for the Study of Democracy in Bulgaria, SMART from North Macedonia, and ELIAMEP, the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy in Greece. Their collective contributions underscored the regional dimension of REACH and highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation in building stronger democratic practices and inclusive policymaking.
This initiative is supported by the European Union, whose role has been essential in enabling citizen voices to be heard beyond national boundaries and ensuring that participatory policymaking becomes an integral part of the European democratic landscape. The Belgrade consultation marked an important milestone in this process, bringing together diverse actors and perspectives in order to channel citizen input into meaningful regional and European-level proposals.
Our organization remains strongly committed to advancing democratic participation in Kosovo and contributing to initiatives that strengthen civic engagement in the region. The insights and outcomes from the Belgrade consultation will directly inform the next stages of the REACH project, ensuring that the ideas and recommendations developed collectively will continue to grow and evolve. Through its active role, we will keep working to ensure that citizens remain at the center of democratic life, both in Kosovo and as part of Europe’s shared future.
