The Western Balkans Peace Forum is an annual initiative designed to strengthen regional cooperation, promote reconciliation, and address identity-based violence and hate speech in the Western Balkans. The Forum brings together civil society organizations, international institutions, and policy actors to exchange perspectives, define recommendations, and explore practical strategies for building lasting peace.

The first edition of the Forum was successfully held on 3-4 March 2026 in Podgorica, Montenegro, with the support of Open Society Foundations Western Balkans and the European Union through the Global Initiative Against Impunity (#GIAI). Representatives of 25 regional and international organizations participated in discussions, expert workshops, and policy-focused sessions aimed at strengthening civil society’s role in reconciliation and peacebuilding processes.

The Forum provides a platform for participants to:

• Exchange practical methods for preventing hate speech and identity-based violence.
• Analyze strategies for more effective policy advocacy.
• Define concrete steps for regional civil society organizations to strengthen their impact.
• Explore opportunities for collaboration across borders to enhance democratic resilience.

Through its activities, the Forum encourages participants to take an active role in peacebuilding, fostering intercultural dialogue, and reinforcing European values across the region. Civil society voices, together with international experts and institutions, shape recommendations for reconciliation processes, dealing with the past, and preventing identity-based violence, making the Forum a key annual milestone in regional peacebuilding.