AIRE Centre Western Balkans

Despite progress made in recent years, lengthy court proceedings in the region and the need for more efficient domestic protection mechanisms remain a concern for investors. This is not only a need of the business sector, but also a matter that has a direct impact on the process of accession to the European Union, as highlighted by the requirements concerning the obligation to improve the overall efficiency of the judiciary. More and more, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms are emerging as a solution, allowing cases that would take years in court to be resolved within just a few months. For this reason, The AIRE Centre Western Balkans, CARS and GIZ, brought together leading legal experts, representatives of institutions and the business community at the conference “The Advantages of Resolving Commercial Disputes through Alternative Methods” in Podgorica. Various aspects of the perspectives and practices of alternative dispute resolution methods were discussed by Minister Bojan Božović, Maja Golović Vojinović, Biljana Braithwaite, Peter Felten, Sarah Pilbeam, Fahira Brodlija, Vanja Radević, Catriona Paterson, Tamas Kamarasi, Mladen Grdinić, Dijana Raickovic, Marija Sobat, Maja Stanivuković, Aleksandar Ćorsović, Renata Milutinović, Jadranka Osrecak, Aneta Spaic and Nedim Jahić. The event was supported by the United Kingdom Government and the British Embassy in Podgorica through the project aimed at improving the arbitration framework, implemented by the AIRE Centre, as well as by the Government of Germany and GIZ through the RegioTrade project.

Završni panel konferencije „Prednosti rješavanja privrednih sporova kroz alternativne metode“, koja se održava 24. oktobra u Podgorici, fokusira se na savremene pristupe rješavanju investicionih sporova. Pod nazivom „Od medijacije ka arbitraži: savremeni pristupi rješavanju investicionih sporova“, ovaj panel donosi pogled na trendove koji oblikuju budućnost poslovnog i pravnog okruženja u regionu. Učesnice panela su Renata Milutinović, vršiteljka dužnosti generalne direktorice Direktorata za razvoj industrije i zanatstva pri Ministarstvu ekonomskog razvoja, dr. sc. Jadranka Osrecak, zamjenica općinskog državnog odvjetnika u Zagrebu, i prof. dr Aneta Spaić, profesorka na Pravnom fakultetu Univerziteta Crne Gore. Diskusiju će otvoriti Fahira Brodlija, tehnička savjetnica u Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Na panelu razgovaramo o povezanosti medijacije i arbitraže, iskustvima iz prakse i mogućnostima jačanja institucionalnih kapaciteta za rješavanje investicionih sporova, s posebnim osvrtom na regionalnu saradnju i standarde međunarodnog prava.

Sutra smo u Podgorici, gdje se održava konferencija „Prednosti rješavanja privrednih sporova kroz alternativne metode“, koja će okupiti predstavnice i predstavnike pravosuđa, međunarodnih organizacija i poslovne zajednice. Događaj organizuje AIRE centar u saradnji sa Centrom za alternativno rješavanje sporova, uz podršku Vlade Ujedinjenog Kraljevstva i Britanske ambasade u Podgorici kroz projekat Enhancing the Arbitration Framework in Montenegro, kao i Vlade Njemačke i GIZ-a kroz RegioTrade projekat. Za početak, sigurno želite znati ko nas čeka u uvodnom segmentu agende, te će podijeliti sa nama svoje viđenje značaja ove teme za Crnu Goru. Uvod konferencije povjeren je Vanji Radević iz AIRE Centra, koja će pozdraviti učesnike i istaknuti rezultate, važnost dijaloga i saradnje u unapređenju pravnog okvira. Ključna obraćanja održaće Bojan Božović, ministar pravde Crne Gore, Nj. E. Peter Felten, ambasador Savezne Republike Njemačke, Sarah Pilbeam, otpravnica poslova Britanske ambasade u Podgorici, Maja Golović Vojinović, direktorica Centra za alternativno rješavanje sporova, Biljana Braithwaite, programska direktorica AIRE Centra za Zapadni Balkan, i Aleksandar Ćorsović, tehnički savjetnik u GIZ-u. Njihova izlaganja pružiće uvid u različite perspektive, od institucionalne i međunarodne podrške do konkretnih iskustava u praksi. Svaki od govornika i govornica će se osvrnuti na to šta unapređenje arbitraže i medijacije znači za Crnu Goru: od jačanja povjerenja investitora i smanjenja opterećenja sudova, do stvaranja efikasnijeg i predvidljivijeg poslovnog okruženja. Poslije uvoda, očekujemo odlične panel diskusije, a ubrzo dijelimo detalje o temama razgovora.

Sve je spremno za 24. oktobar i konferenciju „Prednosti rješavanja privrednih sporova kroz alternativne metode“, koja će okupiti predstavnike pravosuđa, međunarodnih organizacija i poslovne zajednice. Događaj je organizovan od strane Centra za alternativno rješavanje sporova u saradnji sa AIRE Centrom. Podršku skupu dali su Vlada Ujedinjenog Kraljevstva i Britanska ambasada u Podgorici kroz projekat Enhancing the Arbitration Framework in Montenegro, koji realizuje AIRE Centar, kao i Njemačka vlada i GIZ kroz RegioTrade projekat. Konferencija će biti posvećena promociji efikasnih modela alternativnog rješavanja privrednih sporova, s ciljem jačanja povjerenja investitora i unapređenja poslovnog okruženja u Crnoj Gori. Učesnici će razgovarati o ulozi institucija i investitora u stvaranju održivog poslovnog ambijenta, uz razmjenu iskustava o primjeni medijacije i arbitraže kao modernih mehanizama rješavanja sporova. Posebna pažnja biće posvećena savremenim pristupima u rješavanju investicionih sporova i jačanju institucionalnog okvira za arbitražu i medijaciju. Diskusija će rezultirati i sa usvajanjem preporuka koje će doprinijeti daljem razvoju i afirmaciji alternativnog rješavanja sporova u Crnoj Gori i regionu.

🇪🇺🇲🇪Investment Conference 📌KEYNOTE PANEL: Accelerating the WB Green & Smart Growth From energy to infrastructure to climate resilience - this keynote panel brings together game-changers shaping the region's future. Moderated by @BB_Braithwaite

The Commercial Court of Montenegro, in cooperation with the AIRE Centre, with the support of the Government of the United Kingdom and the British Embassy in Podgorica, and the RegioTrade project, implemented by GIZ with the support of the Government of Germany, today organised a regional round table on the topic “Efficient management of civil proceedings and legal certainty in commercial disputes”. The event brought together judges and legal experts from Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia and the wider region, with the aim of exchanging experiences and improving practice in conducting commercial litigation. Opening remarks were delivered by the President of the Commercial Court of Montenegro, Mladen Grdinić, the Deputy President of the Court of Appeal, Danijela Vukčević, as well as AIRE Centre representative Vanja Radević and GIZ representative Fahira Brodlija. During the day, lectures will be delivered by Judge Duška Ilić (Serbia), Judges Tina Jakupak and Ksenija Flack-Makitan (Croatia), and Lawyer Armela Ramić (Bosnia and Herzegovina). @UKinMontenegro

Women on Boards Adria (WOBA) will host a live online conversation with Ilijana Vavan, an internationally recognised executive and cybersecurity expert with over three decades of experience in the global tech sector. Register at: bit.ly/ilijanavavan

Women are nearly invisible in data on illicit finance cases — but not in reality. The summary of our new regional study, Women and Illicit Finance in the Western Balkans, is now available in Albanian, Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian, English, and Macedonian! The study explores: → How gender stereotypes shield women’s roles in criminal networks → Why justice systems fail to detect or prosecute these dynamics → How the lack of gendered data leads to weak responses and missed risks Produced by the AIRE Centre, with support from the UK Government, the report calls for urgent, gender-sensitive reforms. 📘 Read the summary: airewb.org/women-and-illi…

Analiza prakse tužilaštava Bosne i Hercegovine u predmetima organizovanog kriminala i korupcije predstavljena je preko 200 tužilaca i pravnih profesionalaca iz cijele zemlje! Kroz otvoren dijalog o svakodnevnim izazovima u procesuiranju najtežih krivičnih djela, učesnici su istakli da analiza ne samo da doprinosi ujednačavanju prakse, već se njeni nalazi već koriste u istragama, planiranju i međuinstitucionalnoj saradnji. 🗣️ Zlatko M. Knežević, sudija Ustavnog suda BiH u penzciji i saradnik AIRE Centra: „Ono što ovo istraživanje izdvaja jeste što je tužiocima omogućena prilika da pruže neposredan uvid u pravosudnu borbu protiv organizovanog kriminala i korupcije, odnosno da predstave praksu i probleme s kojima se suočavaju u procesuiranju ovih predmeta, te da predlože sistemske promjene koje je neophodno napraviti." Publikaciju preuzmite 👉 airewb.org/analysis-of-th…

Iako je Bosna i Hercegovina poduzele određene korake, zakonske praznine i neefikasna praksa ostavljaju prostor kriminalnim mrežama da nastave skrivati nezakonito stečenu dobit, pokazao je posljednji izvještaj MONEYVAL-a. Jedan od mehanizama? Prepisivanje imovine na ženske članove porodice – supruge, sestre, kćeri – kako bi se izbjegla pažnja institucija. Upravo o toj, često zanemarenoj dimenziji, ispred AIRE centra govorile su Sanja Dakić Petrović, istraživačica, i Martina Raguž, projektna menadžerica, u emisiji Novi dan na @N1_BiH. Predstavile su novo regionalno istraživanje koje po prvi put detaljno analizira ulogu žena u finansijskim kriminalnim mrežama – bilo kao paravan, bilo kao akterke pod pritiskom, manipulacijom, ili čak iz pozicije moći. 📌 Koje su uloge žena – od "paravana" do ključnih akterki? 📌 Kako institucije (ne)prepoznaju rodnu dinamiku u kriminalnim mrežama? 📌 I šta sistem mora naučiti kako bi zaštitio – i procesuirao – na pravi način? ➡️ Pogledajte cijeli intervju i saznajte više o ulozi roda u finansijskim malverzacijama – temi koja ostaje ispod radara, ali ima ogroman uticaj na efikasnost borbe protiv korupcije i pranja novca u BiH: youtube.com/watch?v=7v7Iyx… Izvještaj o ulozi žena u ilegalnim finansijkim aktivnostima preuzmite: airewb.org/women-and-illi…

The Western Balkans is among the most polluted regions in Europe. From polluted rivers to deforestation, environmental harm is a daily reality. But how are our legal and institutional systems responding, and what more needs to be done? Join the AIRE Centre for a high-level webinar exploring how courts, regulators, and civil society can work together to protect both people and nature — featuring a keynote by Judge Tim Eicke of the European Court of Human Rights. Key topics: ▪️ Real-world cases from the region ▪️ New ECtHR-focused research ▪️ Legal, regulatory, and community-based tools ▪️ Enforcement challenges, and how to fix them 📢 No registration needed 🗣 Working language: English ➡️ Click here to join the webinar live: us02web.zoom.us/j/88153937489?…

The UK Government has published coverage of last week’s conference marking 80 years of the Supreme Court of Montenegro, co-hosted with the AIRE Centre and supported by the @UKinMontenegro and the @EUAmbME. 🔗 Read more: gov.uk/government/new… Lord Reed of Allermuir, President of the @UKSupremeCourt, shared the UK’s experience and reflections on judicial communication, media engagement, and public accessibility. His address offered practical, credible examples—from livestreaming judgments to outreach with young people. “If you ask why the public accept decisions made by the judiciary, the answer, I would suggest, depends on confidence or trust. And trust depends on openness and effective communication with all parts of the community we serve.” This comes at a critical point for Montenegro. Strengthening judicial independence, transparency, and efficiency is essential for closing EU Chapters 23 and 24, and remains a core requirement of the accession process. The AIRE Centre has been working with judicial institutions and supporting rule of law reform in Montenegro for over 20 years, with transparency and judicial communication as key areas of focus. This has included cooperation with institutions such as the Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, Appellate Court, as well as court spokespersons across the country.

The Court's President Lord Reed delivered the keynote speech at a conference in Montenegro "From Traditional to European Judiciary". Lord Reed was there at the invitation of the Supreme Court of Montenegro, with the support of @UKinMontenegro @airewb supremecourt.uk/news/lord-reed…

Judge Jelena Radović Ivanišević of Montenegro’s Commercial Court took part in the 5th Study and Observation Programme of the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts (SIFoCC), hosted in London with support from the UK Government. The week-long programme brought together judges from around the world to exchange experience on digitalisation, complex case management, and alternative dispute resolution—areas that align with Montenegro’s own judicial development goals. Her participation, supported by the The AIRE Centre Western Balkans Centre, reflects Montenegro’s growing international engagement in justice reform. “It was an honour to learn from colleagues in more established systems and bring back practical insights,” Judge Radović Ivanišević noted. With meetings across the UK judiciary—including with senior judges and legal professionals—the visit strengthened Montenegro’s ties to global legal networks and highlighted its ongoing commitment to a modern, transparent, and efficient justice system. “Judge Radović Ivanišević’s participation reflects Montenegro’s commitment to an open, modern judiciary and marks an important step in strengthening regional and international cooperation,” said Vanja Radević from the AIRE Centre. @UKinMontenegro

📌 Zajednički zaključak: Vladavina prava nije samo uslov za članstvo u EU — već temelj demokratskog društva i odgovornost svih institucija.

🇬🇧 Ambasadorka @UKinMontenegro, @DawnMcKenUK: 🗣 “Kako 🇲🇪 sprovodi reforme neophodne za pristupanje EU, pravosuđe ima ključnu ulogu. Ujedinjeno Kraljevstvo, sa našim partnerom AIRE centrom, godinama blisko sarađuje sa institucijama — i nastavićemo da radimo zajedno.”

Sudstvo 🇲🇪 nalazi se na prelomnoj tački – između institucionalnog nasljeđa i evropskih očekivanja. Na svečanoj akademiji Vrhovnog suda 🇲🇪 preko 170 učesnika razgovaralo je o pravcu pravosudnih reformi. Događaj je organizovan uz podršku 🇪🇺 @EUAmbME i 🇬🇧 @UKinMontenegro