Prishtina, April 3, 2025 – A regional conference held today in Prishtina, organized by the Ombudsperson Institution (OI) and the Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR KS), gathered representatives from National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), activists, and experts from the Western Balkans region. The event served as a platform for sharing experiences and discussing further steps to protect and promote human rights, with a particular focus on the protection of human rights defenders.

Participants from peer institutions, including the People’s Advocate of Albania, the Ombudsman of Montenegro, the Deputy Ombudswoman of Croatia, and representatives from the Ombudsperson of North Macedonia, along with civil society representatives from the region, emphasized the importance of structured and strategic cooperation among these actors. They highlighted this collaboration as a necessity in line with the Paris Principles and stressed the need for joint actions in monitoring human rights violations, protecting human rights defenders, and promoting a more favorable environment for civil society.

Discussions at the conference underscored that effective human rights protection cannot be achieved without strong cooperation between national human rights institutions and civil society, making partnership essential. In his opening remarks, the Ombudsperson of Kosovo, Mr. Naim Qelaj, highlighted the significance of this partnership, stating that “Ombudsperson institutions and civil society share a common goal – to protect the rights of citizens. In order to fulfill this mission, we must act together, support each other, and be the voice of those who cannot be heard.”

Conference participants shared experiences and challenges from their respective countries, emphasizing the need for greater commitment to protecting human rights defenders, strengthening monitoring mechanisms, increasing engagement with civil society, and raising public awareness about the role and importance of Ombudsperson institutions.

This conference marks an important step toward closer and more effective collaboration, ensuring that institutions and organizations working in the field of human rights can have a greater impact on improving respect for human rights.

Through this regional conference, participants reaffirmed their joint commitment to enhancing human rights protection mechanisms and fostering stronger cooperation between human rights institutions and civil society.