11.7.2017
Caption 1. Sixth Western Balkans Civil Society Forum
Organized by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Monitoring Committee of the Western Balkan Countries, in the context of the Western Balkans Forum realized with the political leaders in Trieste, the Western Balkan trade unions and representatives of civil society, on 10 and 11 July 2017 held a meeting on several topics in the direction of EU and Western Balkan relations, the role of social partners and civil society in promoting sustainable development and employment, migration, freedom of speech, empowerment of women and their rights etc.
At the end of the Forum, the opinion and strategy on EU enlargement was also considered, and several bilateral meetings were held among the participants. The Western Balkans Forum was opened by George Dassis, EESC President and Andrej Zorko, President of the EESC’s Western Balkans Committee.
The participants at the Forum welcomed the need for realization of such sessions, where the principles of solidarity, validity of peace, cohesion and freedom of association, speech, media, etc. were discussed.
Caption 2. The President of CCM, PhD Zhivko Mitrevski at the Forum
The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia on this Forum was represented by the President of CCM, PhD Zhivko Mitrevski, who had a special address related to the significance, position and role of trade unions, as well as the utilization of the capacities of the unions in the European integration process. He also emphasized the importance of the need for an institutionalized position of the unions and the civil society in the EU integration process.
In particular, the President Mitrevski emphasized the need the representatives of the unions and civil society to participate in relevant forums in order to ensure greater inclusiveness in the EU integration process and also on Forums with the political leaders from the Western Balkans, given that topics related to economic and social policies are of great interest to workers in the region.
The representatives of the trade unions of RM, CCM and KSS and representatives of the employers, ORM and BCM, as well as part of the CSOs had a special meeting with the representatives of ECOSOC and the European Commission responsible for the operation of ECOSOC in the Republic of Macedonia, and agreed to initiate once again the operations of ECOSOC in Macedonia, since this process had been almost 2 years stopped due to the political crisis. It has been agreed that such meetings shall continue in intensity from October this year.
