ABOUT ICOB


INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE BALKANS: 

Good Governance and Sustainable Development

(In-Person and Online Conference)

International University of Sarajevo
Bosnia and Herzegovina
September
 27-29, 2022
 

The Scope of the Conference

Throughout the history, the Balkans as an image, metaphor and a discourse-geographical conception has produced different historical, cultural and socio-political perceptions. The Balkans as ‘a fracture zone’ ‘a clash-point’ ’a fault-line’ ‘the epicenter’ and ‘a powder-keg’ has been a challenge to the wider public, diplomats, policy-makers and researchers. The question of a change and transition from ‘a multiple marginality’ ‘nesting-orientalisms’ and ‘balkanism’ has become a major challenge in the face of the Balkans path towards the EU and NATO. Better governance becomes also a part of the story to improving further Balkans' global standing. The region is expected to be a good partner in shaping policies when issues of global security and sustainable development goals are so intimately linked to its own stability and development. More specifically, this conference aims to articulate the future prospects of the good governance as practiced in the Europe and the Balkans, and goes on to establish the link between these two approaches and sustainable development in the Balkans.  It does so to assess:

  • How the governments in the Balkans promote socio-economic management and public administration, civic education and media in developing more effective governance in the future;
  • How the leaders in the Balkans should strengthen governing institutions for people-centered development by promoting peace, order, stability and prosperity.
  • How the governments in the Balkans work in reaching the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

In the light of these three questions, the conference will explore the contemporary economic, state and good governance issues and challenges across the Balkans states. The conference will also deal with the concepts of the UN 2030 Agenda for SDGs with a particular focus on the role of business and industry in advancing sustainable development initiatives, and partnership with governments, civil society and other stakeholders. The EU perspective seems to be important for the Balkans that must promote the development of peace, stability, prosperity and freedom. In this regard, sustainable development and good governance are crucial in enhancing the political cooperation, institution building, to develop an effective government within a democratic system and to implement sustainable development principles through global partnerships. The conference will examine the subject of sustainable development and good government by using an interdisciplinary approach, which includes various interdisciplinary perspectives. We invite young researchers, academics, diplomats, policy-makers and practitioners to submit their abstracts.

Aims and Objectives of the Conference

The main aims and objectives of the conference are:

  • To put the Balkans into historical, socio-political, economic and cultural perspectives.
  • To provide a platform for exchange of views, experiences, findings and reviewing knowledge related to sustainable development and good government from interdisciplinary perspectives.
  • To determine the current state of sustainable development and good government in the Balkans.
  • To bring political scientists, economists, and policy-makers together from the EU, the Balkans, Russia and Turkey.
  • To promote the UN 2030 Agenda for SDGs for the Balkans.
  • To explore the role of domestic actors in promoting sustainable development and good governance.
  • To identify the major challenges in the Balkans region with regards to sustainable development and good governance.