{"id":34571,"date":"2024-11-30T13:24:49","date_gmt":"2024-11-30T12:24:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/?p=34571"},"modified":"2025-05-20T11:09:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T09:09:47","slug":"highlights-from-the-belgrade-security-conference-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/en\/highlights-from-the-belgrade-security-conference-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Highlights from the Belgrade Security Conference 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

The event came at a time marked by international crises, which shaped the conference agenda. From the war in Ukraine and the escalating conflict in the Middle East to the complex Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, the discussions addressed some of the most urgent and difficult topics facing the world today.<\/p>\n

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Opening Remarks: A Call to Confront Modern Challenges<\/h4>\n

The conference was inaugurated by Sr\u0111an Cviji\u0107, President of the BCSP\u2019s International Advisory Committee. In his passionate opening speech, Cviji\u0107 warned against the \u201cmonsters of our time\u201d\u2014 Autocracy, Nationalism, and Polarisation\u2014which sow uncertainty for future generations. He emphasised the BCSP\u2019s enduring commitment to peace, democracy, and human rights, values that were deeply reflected in the conference\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n

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Day 1: Global Security and Rising Illiberalism<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The first day began with a high-profile panel featuring Federica Mogherini, among other eminent speakers, who addressed the global implications of upcoming U.S. and EU elections. The panel underscored how these events could reshape the international security landscape, already defined by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. A recurring theme emerged: the rise of the political right and its connection to global illiberalism.<\/p>\n

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The first day of the conference concluded with the Lighthouse<\/em> award ceremony. Established last year by the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, the award aims to recognise the exceptional courage of individuals who, through their professional work, uphold the true values of our society. This year\u2019s Lighthouse<\/em> award was presented to Police Major Katarina Petrovi\u0107.<\/p>\n

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Day 2: Geopolitical Challenges and Historical Reflections<\/strong><\/p>\n

The second day was filled with difficult, yet insightful panels, focusing on the European Union\u2019s role in the \u201cnew geopolitical age,\u201d ongoing efforts for Ukraine\u2019s victory, and the critical importance of fundamental human rights. A standout panel brought together experts from Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon, who discussed the possibility of peace through a two-state solution. Another session revisited the legacy of the Non-Aligned Movement, with Croatian historian Tvrtko Jakovina providing a compelling commemorative lecture about Budimir Lon\u010dar, Yugoslavia\u2019s last secretary for foreign affairs. The day concluded with a debate on Serbia\u2019s role in the EU\u2019s Green Deal, with discussions touching on controversial issues such as lithium mining and environmental protests.<\/p>\n

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Day 3: Democracy, Regional Cooperation, and Civil Society<\/strong><\/p>\n

The final day began with a discussion on democracy in Eastern Europe amidst Russian aggression. Panels explored a wide range of topics, including organised crime, violent extremism, bilateral disputes, human security, and cybersecurity threats, with experts offering nuanced insights.<\/p>\n

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A key highlight was the BSC Young Leaders panel, which fosters collaboration among promising young individuals from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. An all-female panel in this program stood out, as young leaders rejected past conflicts and advocated for a peaceful, united future for the region. The BSC Young Leaders, as an integral part of the conference, has a mission to empower young people in the Western Balkans and create new generations of decision-makers and opinion-dormers capable of bringing change.<\/p>\n

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The day concluded with three impactful panels. The first tackled the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, featuring a dynamic exchange between journalist Jeta Xharra and diplomat Borko Stefanovi\u0107. The second addressed the shrinking space for civil society and the right to protest in the region. The final session, prefaced by remarks from EU Ambassador Giaufret on the importance of rule of law, centered on EU accession. The discussion featured notable figures such as Montenegro\u2019s former Prime Minister, Dritan Abazovi\u0107, and Serbia\u2019s Minister for European Integration, Tanja Mi\u0161\u010devi\u0107, who urged citizens to support the path toward EU membership.<\/p>\n

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Closing Remarks<\/h4>\n

The conference concluded with a heartfelt speech by Igor Bandovi\u0107, Director of the BCSP. He reflected on the three days of intense and meaningful discussions, emphasising the importance of creating spaces for challenging conversations. Referencing the difficulty in organising such a large and complicated event, he expressed great gratitude to the BCSP\u2019s dedicated team, partners, and volunteers, whose efforts made the event a success.<\/p>\n

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The third Belgrade Security Conference BSC 2024 proved to be a crucial platform for addressing some of the most critical issues of our time. With its commitment to promoting dialogue and understanding, the BCSP continues to lead the way in advancing security policy in the region and beyond.<\/p>\n

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This November, the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) hosted the third annual Belgrade Security Conference, an event that has grown into a cornerstone for discussing pressing global and regional issues. This year\u2019s conference saw record participation, with over 600 attendees, 80 distinguished panelists, and representation from more than 40 regional and European media outlets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":34595,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11304,11175,11303,11174],"tags":[11305,11306],"vest_saopstenje":[9454],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-34571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-belgrade-security-conference","category-bsc","category-bsc-2024","category-the-belgrade-security-conference","tag-belgrade-security-conference-2024","tag-bsc-2024","vest_saopstenje-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34571"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34571\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34630,"href":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34571\/revisions\/34630"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34571"},{"taxonomy":"vest_saopstenje","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vest_saopstenje?post=34571"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bezbednost.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=34571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}