South East Europe and Black Sea Region Programme


Jun 2022
· Open Balkan Initiative: A Serbian-Led Project or a Platform for Multilateral Cooperation?
· Reporting from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s Spring Session
· Presidential Elections in Montenegro and the Question of National Identity
· Arresting Putin: Easier Said Than Done
· Cross-Country Survey on Civil Society Support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in South Eastern Europe and the Black Sea Region


Jun 2022
· Latest Developments on the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict and the EU’s Rising
· Potential in the Peace Process Reporting from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s Winter Session: Black Sea Concerns
· Violence in the Name of EU Border Control
· Serbian Ecology Discourse and Lithium Mining Controversy
· Croatia’s Kin State Policies in Western Bosnia-Herzegovina
· Family Game Night: The Western Balkans and the European Union
· The Security Triptych of Bosnia-Hercegovina

April 2022

· Latest from Nagorno-Karabakh: Shifting Geopolitical Power Dynamics
· Conviction for War Crimes in Štrpci Train Massacre
· Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in the Western Balkans: Q3 2022
Our team

Luke James
Programme Director

Sophia Zademack
Project Coordinator, The Peace and Security Monitor (South East Europe and Black Sea Region programme)

Peter Chilvers
Senior Researcher

Ilker Kalin
Researcher

Nia Chigogidze
Researcher


Ioannis Alexandris
Researcher

Stathis Giannidakis
Researcher

Lukas Herzog
Researcher

Luke Roux
Researcher

Esra Serim
Researcher

Ida Schumann
Researcher

Erekle Koplatadze
Researcher

Strahinja Karanović
Researcher
Latest activities

This report aims to depict how the social media landscape looked ahead of the 2022 Bosnia & Herzegovina general election and how the political environment manifests online. As part of the Election Observation Mission in Bosnia & Herzegovina carried out by the Danish NGO Silba – Initiative for Dialogue and Democracy, 60 social media posts were collected by the 39 international short term observers deployed by Silba, in the two weeks leading up to the election.
5 members of the South East Europe and Black Sea region programme of Platform for Peace and Humanity participated in the Election Observation Mission.
Events
Webinar: Revisiting Kosovo Specialist Chambers: Reflections and Outlook
The webinar titled “Revisiting Kosovo Specialist Chambers: Reflections and Outlook” reflects on the Court’s work so far, discusses why it was created and discusses its impact on transitional justice and domestic politics in Kosovo. With prosecutions stalling, the webinar assesses the short-mid term outlook of the Court.
Speakers:
- Abit Hoxha, Lecturer of Journalism and Researcher at the University of Agder
- Xhorxhina Bami, Kosovo Correspondent for Balkan Insight
- Gregory W. Kehoe, Defence Counsel, Kosovo Specialist Chambers
Moderator:
- Luke James, Director of the South East Europe and Black Sea Region Programme at Platform for Peace and Humanity

Webinar: War in Ukraine and Impact on Arms Trade and Militarism
On August 18, 2022, the Platform for Peace and Humanity and the Forum on the Arms Trade co-hosted an event examining the actions and dilemmas faced by countries in South East Europe and the Black Sea Region in part due to the war in Ukraine.
Speakers:
- Zaur Shiriyev, Analyst, South Caucasus, International Crisis Group
- A. Sencer Gözübenli, Balkan Studies and Foreign Policy Analyst (Croatia-based), Åbo Akademi University
- Esra Serim, Independent Researcher
Moderator:
- Luke James, Director of the South East Europe and Black Sea Region Programme at Platform for Peace and Humanity

Webinar: Bosnia and Herzegovina's 2 October Election: Opportunities, Threats and the Youth Vote
This event explodred the political, security and legal issues ahead of Bosnia’s 2 October election. This event, co-hosted by Platform for Peace and Humanity and Silba Initiative for Dialogue and Democracy, brings perspectives about Bosnia’s electoral and constitutional system, the candidates, parties, interest groups and stakeholders in the election, geopolitical influences, the use of technology in the implementation and administration of the election and the short-mid-term implications of some of foreseeable results.
Speakers:
- Jens Woelk, Professor of Law, University of Trento
- Adnan Ćerimagić, Analyst, European Stability Initiative
- Almasa Bečić, Executive Director, Omladinski Pokret REVOLT and Long Term Election Observer, Koalicija Pod lupom
- Grégoire Soria-Metais, Former Bluebook Trainee, European Commission and Silba for Dialogue and Democracy
- Jasmin Mujanović, Political Scientist, Kulin Initiative
Moderator:
- Luke James, Director of the South East Europe and Black Sea Region Programme at Platform for Peace and Humanity

We take deep dives into the South East Europe and Black Sea region, distilling actionable policy recommendations, providing clear analysis to decision makers and supporting the Platform for Peace and Humanity organisational objectives.
Latest blog post about the South East Europe and Black Sea region

Secessionist voices from Republika Srpska

Hackers v. NATO: Will A ‘Significant’ Cyber Attack Trigger Article 5?
