On behalf of RWLSEE, we thank all participants and their contribution to the Regional Conference, held on May 13th 2015 in Mitrovica.
This was the 5th Regional Women’s Lobby Conference in the series of dialogues among women we organized so far. The Conference theme was “Regional Dialogue between Women MPs from Serbia and Kosovo – with Women and Community Representatives from Four Northern Municipalities in Kosovo” We highly appreciated an open discussions among participants on the Brussels dialogue and its goals as well as process of implementation to which women contribution is relevant. The conference proceedings, atmosphere and recommendations showed once again importance of dialogue as a way of increasing understanding on important issues and as a way of having women’s voice heard in making positive changes.

We regret that some of invitees could not join this conference due to inconveniences created at last minute in change of venue, because the initial venue we agreed many days ago was cancelled in a strange way.

As you know, the Conference was planned to be held at the International Business College in Mitrovica North, but unfortunately the last minute cancelation was done via e-mail sent to RWL SEE on 12 May, at 17:27, not by the International Business College authorities but instead, by the mayors of four northern municipalities. The email was sent by Ksenija Božović, Chairperson of the Assembly of the Municipality of Mitrovica North, in which she said “based on the decision of the mayors of northern municipalities of Kosovo the meeting has to be postponed due to security reasons”. Such act, was really strange, because the decision to postpone a conference legally rests with the organizer of a conference and not by outside actors and, further interference of mayors in decisions of academic institutions which agreed to offer the venue for this important conference presents undemocratic act of governance by mayors – politics should not interfere in academic institutions.

Furthermore, we found as non-grounded the rejection by the Serbian women parliamentary delegation, to take part in the Conference due to the change of venue, though they arrived in time. RWL SEE strongly believes that the venue of the conference is rather less important than the dialogue itself foreseen to be realized through this conference. Furthermore, the venue was not changed by us organizers, but by others.

RWL SEE is looking forward to the next roundtable sessions and welcome cooperation with all of you.

Members of the Regional Women’s Lobby for Peace, Security and Justice in the Southeast Europe (RWL SEE):

Albania: Marieta Zace, , Eglantina Gjermeni, Majlinda Bregu

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Memnuna Zvizdić, Nada Tesanović, Meliha Alić, Ismeta Dervoz

Croatia: Grodana Sobol, Morana Paliković Gruden, Lovorka Marinović

Kosovo: Edita Tahiri, Teuta Sahatqija, Luljeta Vuniqi

Macedonia: Irina Pockova, Teuta Arifi, Savka Todorovska

Montenegro: Nada Drobnjak, Slavica Striković, Ljubomirka Mira Asović

Serbia: Sonja Biserko, Natasa Mičić, Liljana Radovanović, Stasa Zajović