On January 15, 2016, on behalf of the civil society organizations from the region, representative of the Association for Democratic Initiatives participated at the Steering Committee meeting of the Balkans Regional Rule of Law Network (BRRLN) project. This three-year project was initiated in 2014, and implemented by the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI), with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This program seeks to strengthen the rule of law in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia, by building mechanisms for collaboration and sharing best practices, tools, and knowledge among the region’s bar associations and justice-sector civil society organizations (CSOs).

Some of the goals of the project are: to improve the capacity of the bars to better serve their members and citizens, to improve the social standing of the advocates in society through civic engagement and to promote pro bono and public service by the legal profession.

As a member of the working group Legal Aid, Ex Officio Defense, ADI has opportunity to address some of the deficiency of the existing system regarding the free legal aid and pro bono work of the lawyers in BiH. Our suggestions and recommendations are based on Country report “Access to information, advice and active help” and advocacy plan made under the Triple A project activities.