February 15, 2025

The governing bodies of the Fund are:

• The Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs

• The Council of Senior Officials

• The Executive Director

• The Secretariat

The Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs

The Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs is the supreme body of the Fund. It meets once a year and is composed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Contracting Parties or their duly authorized representatives. The Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs approves the annual and long-term plans regarding activities of the Fund, the budget of the Fund, annual statements and clearance of budget presented by the Council of Senior Officials.

The Council of Senior Officials

The Council of Senior Officials consists of Senior Officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Contracting Parties or other duly appointed representatives and meets at least once every six months. The Council of Senior Officials prepares draft budgets of the Fund, reports on their utilization in the preceding year and submits them for approval to the Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. The Council of Senior Officials also lays down binding guidelines for the activities of the Executive Director and rules governing the preparation, acceptance and implementation of projects submitted to the Fund, taking into account the rules regulating the rights and duties of the Executive Director set forth by the Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

The Executive Director

The WBF Executive Director serves as chief executive officer of the Fund and is responsible for the implementation of the objectives of the Fund and its effective performance. The Executive Director is empowered by the Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs to represent the Fund and its interests, to sign the Agreement between the Republic of Albania and the Western Balkans Fund or any other relevant agreement for the functioning of the Fund. The Executive Director heads all fundraising efforts on behalf of the Western Balkans Fund, prepares reports and the budget for the relevant decision-making bodies, coordinates the launch of call for proposals, evaluations for project proposals and prepares the recommendations for grant actions to the Council of Senior Officials. The Executive Director frequently travels in the region contacting stakeholders and attending events related to the Fund’s activities.

The Secretariat

Secretariat of the Fund is the only structure responsible for the day to day activities and other specific tasks. Its performance can influence the overall implementation of the objectives and the achievement of the Fund’s mission. As the administrative body of the Fund, the Secretariat is responsible for implementing the decisions of its governing bodies.