BCSP during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This pandemic is probably one of the biggest challenges for our generation and for the entire planet. With that in mind, as the fundamental questions of humanism, cooperation, solidarity and the survival of mankind are raising and all the concepts and systems we have had so far are being re-examined, I think that it is worth remembering BCSP guiding ideas and values we stand for. For today, more than ever, these values are guiding us through these challenging times.

Therefore, we would like to address you and reaffirm that our organization, recognizing the dangers and all potential consequences of the global pandemic, is even more committed to democratic civilian oversight of the security sector, fighting for the transparency and accountability of elected political representatives, the state administration and its services.

BCSP continues to analyze and monitor violations of human rights of citizens, including members of the security sector, but also to document abuse of the security sector and other security threats, risks and challenges. The geopolitics and changed picture of the world order in the recent years has exposed and raised many questions in this crisis, including the foreign policy orientation of our country and the influence of major and third powers on it. Fake news, misinformation, and an autocratic model of government call into question the separation of powers, the rights of citizens to be informed and democracy as such. All of this affects our understanding of security, both broadly and narrowly. It also affects the work of civil society, of which we are an integral and indispensable part in Serbia and the Western Balkans. These are all topics that BCBP addresses today. We will deal with them by introducing new methodologies and new cognitive models for processing these phenomena. Seeking adequate answers to these questions, we want to be even more active and more present in the public of Serbia, but also in the region, by offering credible and reliable analyzes, opinions, reports and other content that are only biased toward the fundamental values ​​we strive for and which we defend.

We understand security as a public good, which is why we have reacted during this crisis pointing to violations of fundamental principles of democracy such as freedom of expression or lack of transparency in the security sector.

And we will continue to do so.

Today, precisely because of a crisis caused by a virus about we do not know much, we are ready to change, adapt and adopt new concepts and address new topics. While never leaving the core mission and vision of BCSP, we want to show resilience and adaptability with our openness and willingness to change. That is the only way for our values to live on and for our activities to make sense and to be timely in the unpredictable times ahead.

Igor Bandovic

Director of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy