RWLSEE compromises of a Steering Committee, Chair, Advisory Board, Members and Coordinator. The Steering Committee is composed of one member representative from each of the seven countries. The Steering Committee members serve for two years and are elected by members of her entity. One member of the Steering Committee serves as Chair. The Chair is elected by Steering Committee members. All members are working on a voluntary basis.

The Steering Committee is responsible for the overall leadership, strategic decision-making regarding priority areas of engagement, national and international representation, management and resource mobilization. The steering committee members contribute to the RWLSEE strategies, action plans, statements and, funding proposals. They also provide guidance to the Coordinator on programmatic and operational issues and devote time to conference calls and occasional strategic planning meetings. Individual Steering Committee members are expected to engage in a consultative process with other RWLSEE members in their respective countries to ensure that the views and positions of all members are reflected in the decision-making procedures and that the outcomes of Steering Committee meetings are communicated to other members. Members of the Steering Committee are elected by members of their countries, for a term of two years.

The Chair is elected among the Steering Committee members based on consensus, for a term of two years. The Chair is responsible for leading, conceptualizing the vision and strategy of the RWLSEE in consultation with Steering Committee members, and for sustaining the operation of the organization (most of the consultations are conducted online). The Chair represents RWLSEE in cooperation and networking with international organizations and initiatives of common interest, including regular and ongoing contact with the RWLSEE Coordinator. The Chair also drafts strategies, declarations, and statements due to the absence of the Secretariat because of budget constraints. Finally, the Chair has a specific role in building consensus among the Steering Committee members on sensitive issues.

The Members come from diverse backgrounds: they are politicians with leadership roles in movements for freedom, democracy and independence; parliamentarians; government officials and civil society leaders. Their work is dedicated to gender equality and increasing women’s participation, influencing political decision-making and peacebuilding, promoting cultural solidarity and mutual understanding between different national groups. The members come from seven countries of Western Balkans, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North  Macedonia and Serbia.

The Advisory Board comprises of international peace advocates and politicians who contribute with their knowledge and expertise to strengthen the work of RWLSEE. The decision to appoint the advisory board was made during the strategy meeting in Istanbul, Turkey (April 2008). Any member of the RWLSEE or the Advisory Board can suggest a new member to be included in the board. The nomination is to be agreed in consultation with all members, after agreement, the RWLSEE Chair will issue a letter of invitation. The Advisory Board members are mobilized in accordance with their spheres of influence and areas of expertise. Usually, Advisory Board members have had leadership engagements in Southeast Europe and through their prominent standing, rendered support to RWLSEE’s advocacy at various international forums.

The Coordinator and Secretariat facilitates regular communication and information exchange among RWLSEE members. The coordinator organizes implementation of the projects, develops common advocacy strategies, issues the RWLSEE members’ statements and press releases in reaction to political developments in the Western Balkans and globally. Since 2008, UN Women has provided RWLSEE with a Coordinator. However. The Coordinator’s work is assisted by a part time assistant, though the full Secretariat has not yet been established due to limited financial resources.

The RWLSEE is headquartered in Prishtina, Kosovo. The UNWomen in Kosovo provides offices for the RWLSEE within their premises.

The RWLSEE Organizational Chart