Focusing on the welfare state issues in the six Western Balkan countries, a group of think-tank organizations and social policy researches has developed the Regional Platform with the aim to incite permanent discussion and act jointly in the areas of the welfare state at the regional level. The Initiative intends to create added value through influencing existing processes which promote a sustainable reform agenda in the region, such as economic governance and Economic Reform Programme, EU negotiation process. One of the goals is the improvement of the social dimension of the European integration in the Western Balkans.
The regional conference the Future of the Welfare State in the Western Balkans is the backbone of an initiative launched by a group of independent think tank organizations and researchers from the Western Balkan countries with the aim to achieve a common impact in the welfare state areas in the region. Under the informal title the Social Davos of the Western Balkans, the first regional event on the future of the welfare state will gather more than 150 researches, policymakers and advocacy groups from the EU and the Western Balkans in May 2018 in Belgrade.
As a move forward, the Position Paper on the Future of the Welfare State in the Western Balkans has been prepared. The study provides an overview against the key welfare state indicators and reviews challenges that the social welfare state faces globally. Specifically, the study focuses on the challenges which are additionally linked to Western Balkans economies and also defines some of the key strategies and options in dealing with these challenges that need to be tackled, discussed and agreed.
The Network comprises representatives of think tank organizations and social policy researches from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. All of them have a strong background in social policy and employment issues.
