The RWL SEE and UN Women organized the Regional Roundtable “Empowering Women for Regional Stability” on 9th December 2015 in Prishtina, Kosova. This roundtable was supported by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Swedish Embassy in Kosova through UN Women. 

The aim of the Roundtable was to discuss position of women and their empowerment in Kosovo with focus on minorities. The participants discussed on how to increase the role of women in the politics and decision making  and peace processes and, how to develop further interethnic dialogue for advancing women empowerment. The overarching goal was to empower women’s role in speeding up Euro-Atlantic integration for Kosovo and other Western Balkan countries. 

Participants were women politicians, government and parliament members  from Kosovo, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia  as well as representatives of CSO’, minority community representatives from Kosovo and representatives of international community in Kosovo.

After a dynamic, constructive and creative debate among the participants and, the meaningful discussions and new ideas as how to empower women for advancing regional stability and Euro-Atlantic integration for all countries in the region, the participants approved a joint declaration and recommendations as follows:   

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT:

1. Participants call for more support for gender equality and women empowerment in decision making and peace processes in all countries in the Western Balkans in compliance with the UNSC Resolution 1244 and EU policies on gender balance. We note with concern not sustainable progress on women empowerment that could be observed in ups and downs of women representation in national governments and hardly seen women mayors in countries in the region. 
2. We support quota and quality for women participation in government at central and local level, all decision making bodies. It was the quota, though an artificial mechanism, that brought women in parliaments in countries in region. We consider that use of quota for representation of women in governmental institutions is a necessary interim mechanisms until the successful democratic transformation of society. 
3. We urge for more women in political parties and leadership (including 30% of all quota). We strongly believe the more democracy and multi-ethnicity in political parties, means more opportunities for women empowerment.  
4. We call for more support for women from minority communities, to ensure their participation in politics and decision making, and to help them overcome multiple barriers in their path to politics. 
5. Women should take pro-active approach and leadership in dialogue for political, ethnic and society concerns. Women can gain more political legitimacy and power, using their comparative advantages in society as being promoters of dialogue and peaceful resolution of differences. This in particular by engaging actively in helping overcome different political crisis in their countries.   

KOSOVA 

1. We congratulate Kosova for signing the Stabilization Association Agreement with the EU in October 2015, which marks a historical moment for Kosova’s integration into EU. We call on EU to grant visa liberalization for Kosova citizens without delay. It is indeed unfair to prolong the isolation for citizens of Kosova. 
2. We support the Brussels Dialogue on the normalization of neighborly relations between Kosova and Serbia, facilitated by EU and supported by US. We urge all parties to work for genuine implementations of all agreements that will help advance both countries in their path to European integration.  
3. Women in Kosova should and can be agents of change for overcoming current difficult political situation. We support democracy and freedom of expression of opinions of all individuals and groups including opposition but using violence for political goals is not justified. Democracy and rule of law must prevail. We would also like to see latest consequent arrests to end for those who used violence in the Kosova Parliament, in accordance with law. We condemn use of violence by women parliamentarians in the Kosova parliament, which has harmed the image of women politician.
4. We support empowerment of women from minorities in Kosova, the RWLSEE interethnic dialogues including this one serve the purpose of building support for them as well. 
5. We call for support for women of civil society organization in northern Kosova which are contributing for democracy, dialogue and integration of Serbs in Kosova system and society. 
6. We note with concern not attendance to this conference by women assembly members of four northern municipalities in Kosova that were prevented by inappropriate political intervention by mayors of those municipalities. We emphasize that women should go beyond the political agendas for helping the common agenda of empowerment of women. 
7. We condemn incidents against Serbs in Gorazhdevac and call on Kosova institutions to create climate of security, to undertake necessary measures to shed the light in this case and bring the perpetrators to justice.
8. We call on returns of Albanian and Serbian in their homes, in North and South Mitrovica, while support the free movement in bridge and normalizing the house construction for both Albanians and Serbs in the village Kroi i Vitakut and elsewhere. 

COUNTRIES IN REGION 

1. We praise the progress achieved by countries in the region in the Euro-Atlantic integration. Kosova signing SAA with EU, Montenegro invitation to NATO, EU accession talks for Serbia, candidate status to Albania, and progress for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia.
2. We note with concern the still remaining open issues in the neighborly relations among the Balkans, which has to be resolved without delay to ensure sustainable peace and stability in the region.
3. We call for consolidation of democracy, rule of law, economy and employment and strong fight against corruption and organized crime,  which will speed up of euro Atlantic integration for all countries
4. We note with concern difficult political situation in Kosova, Macedonia, Albania and earlier in Montenegro. We consider that democratic means and dialogue can help resolve crisis and ensure better future and prosperity.

MINORITIES 

1. We support democracy and development and inclusive integration of minorities not only in institution but also integration in society of countries. We are against any ethnocentric, authoritarian and segregation policies in countries in region. 

EUROPEAN UNION

1. We call on the EU to speed up the integration of the Western Balkan countries in the EU as a way of ensuring sustainable stability and peace, particularly in this new context of radicalism and extremism and geopolitical dynamics of non-western countries that Balkan countries cannot cope themselves with it. 

RWL SEE

1. We support the unique work and contribution of the RWL SEE on women empowerment and their increased role in helping democratic state building and peacebuilding in the region. We call on RWLSEE to continue to stay committed and active for democracy, dialogue and Euro – Atlantic integration where women’s role should be central.