From Dialogue to Action
The Gender Equality Forum, held within the framework of the Berlin Process and convened on behalf of the Government of the United Kingdom, the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Federal Government of Germany, implemented by GIZ, has reaffirmed its role as a permanent and visible pillar within regional cooperation efforts.
This year’s forum marked a turning point: moving from dialogue and recommendations toward concrete action and accountability.
The Forum consolidated its role as a permanent structure within the Berlin Process, confirming its central place in shaping regional cooperation. For the first time, participation expanded well beyond governments, parliaments, and local authorities to include civil society, journalists, and women from police forces across all WB6. This inclusiveness has made the Forum the most representative platform of the Berlin Process, bringing forward perspectives often absent from high-level diplomacy. Importantly, the Forum also generated strong political will to maintain gender equality as a priority on both the regional and European agendas.
The following commitments, set to be endorsed at Ministerial level, reflect the Forum’s shift from dialogue to implementation and define the concrete steps ahead:
• Regional Network of Women Diplomats: A new platform to strengthen women’s leadership, cooperation, and peer learning across the region, with the kick-off meeting to be hosted in Sarajevo at the end of October to define structure, priorities, and working methods.
• Renewal of the Joint Statement on Gender Equality Mechanisms and Protection against Discrimination: Ensuring continuity, shared benchmarks, and reinforced accountability among WB6 institutions, while guiding institutional cooperation and alignment with EU standards.
• Commitment to the Global Partnership on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse: Linking regional efforts with global initiatives to safeguard women’s rights in digital spaces, opening opportunities for joint projects, capacity-building, and greater international visibility.
• Continued Partner Support: Sustained engagement from Germany, the UK, and the EU will be crucial to maintain momentum and ensure implementation.
The 2025 Forum represents a decisive step forward - transforming the recommendations of 2024 into concrete action and government accountability. By building lasting structures and fostering collective commitments, the Forum ensures that gender equality is no longer a side issue but a core principle of regional cooperation and EU integration for the Western Balkans.