On Friday 6 March, the British Council formally handed over responsibility for the Civil Society Forum of the Berlin Process to the Government of Montenegro, which will host the Berlin Process in 2026. The handover marked an important milestone in preparations for Montenegro’s hosting year and reaffirmed the shared commitment to ensuring meaningful civil society participation within the process.
During the meeting, participants heard from the Forum’s rapporteurs, who reflected on their lessons learned from this year’s Civil Society Forum and outlined practical recommendations for 2026.
Discussions focused on how to best secure and amplify the voice of civil society throughout the Berlin Process, including effective engagement mechanisms, coordination with institutional actors, and timely integration of civil society inputs into policy discussions. The rapporteurs also provided an update on progress made against the recommendations agreed in the previous year, highlighting areas where advances have been achieved as well as issues that will require continued attention during Montenegro’s hosting of the process.