Donor Coordination Meeting Strengthens Cybersecurity Support in the Western Balkans

03.07.2025

On the margins of the CyberPulse 2025 conference hosted by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) jointly with Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre, DG ENEST convened its regular Donor Coordination Meeting.

The meeting gathered senior officials, donors, beneficiaries, international organizations and regional experts to align cyber capacity-building efforts in the Western Balkans, ensuring that support is coordinated, complementary and responsive to regional needs.

Key Highlights

Launch of the IISG Cybersecurity Database – a new mapping tool that identifies ongoing projects, donor contributions and unmet needs in the region. The database will serve as a practical resource for avoiding duplication and guiding the allocation of resources.
Priority alignment – open exchanges between donors and beneficiaries helped to harmonize priorities and optimize international support across key areas such as cybersecurity, cybercrime and cyber diplomacy.
Strategic coordination – participants emphasized the need for regular use of the IISG Cybersecurity Database to track initiatives, identify gaps and ensure that new projects respond to real needs.

Way Forward

Donor monitoring: keep track of active contributors (EU, Council of Europe, OSCE, USA, the Netherlands and others) and their respective areas of intervention.
Internal follow-up: establish a register of donor projects based on the IISG Database and synchronize future initiatives with RCC and WB3C coordination efforts.
Visibility and synergies: ensure WB3C projects are included in the IISG Database to enhance regional cooperation.

The Donor Coordination Meeting underlined the importance of structured collaboration and transparency, setting the stage for stronger, better aligned and more impactful cyber capacity-building initiatives in the Western Balkans.

Following the broader Donor Coordination Meeting, DG ENEST convened a focused session with leading implementing partners in the region—including WB3C, ENISA, the e-Governance Academy, the Council of Europe and RCC—to explore how to maximize impact through closer collaboration and coordination. WB3C used this opportunity to present its comprehensive multi-year training programme across its three pillars, several of which are delivered jointly with partners. In parallel, WB3C is leading ongoing negotiations with DG ENEST on funding our regional programmes, reinforcing our role as a central hub for cyber capacity building in the Western Balkans.

Other news and events

Regional Workshop for Young Women Entering Cybersecurity Workforce

This week, the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Center (WB3C) is buzzing with energy and ambition! In a powerful collaboration with our partners DCAF - Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, FIRST, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the British Council, WB3C is hosting a two-day regional workshop dedicated to 70 inspiring young women in ICT entering the cybersecurity workforce from across the Western Balkans. The journey began with inspiring opening remarks that set the tone for the days ahead given by:

Her Majesty's Ambassador Dawn McKen of the British Embassy Montenegro
Béatrice Godefroy, Deputy Director DCAF, who address the participants online from Geneva,
Gilles Schwoerer, Head of WB3C
Nina Lukic, Senior Programme Manager at the British Council

The event's host is Franziska Klopfer, DCAF Programme Director for Western Balkans and the mastermind behind the event.

These 70 ambitious young women are members of the British Council's #CybHER project network, and for the next two days, they are diving deep into the world of cybersecurity. Why does this matter?

Because the digital frontier needs their talent, perspective and skill. Cybersecurity isn't just about code and firewalls, it's about building a safer, more resilient world for everyone. And to do that effectively, we need diverse teams that reflect the society they protect.

Over these two days, the agenda is packed with action and inspiration:

✨ A motivating keynote from Mona Elisabeth Østvang of FIRST.

✨ Hands-on "Capture the Flag" challenges to test their technical skills.

✨ Inspirational presentations and testimonials from female cyber experts, showing them the incredible career paths that lie ahead.

✨ A panel on the "Meaningful Participation of Women in the Cybersecurity Workforce," turning discussion into action.

This is more than a workshop - it's a catalyst. It's about building a regional network of support, sparking curiosity and empowering the next generation of cyber defenders. These young women are not just the future; they are the urgently needed present of cybersecurity. Western Balkans needs these women leaders across technical and non-technical fields of cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity Awareness Program

We are continuing our good cooperation with URSIV - Republic of Slovenia Government Information Security Office and today, we launch a three-day Cybersecurity Awareness Program. This intensive training (3-6 November 2025) is intended for government officials, policy makers, cybersecurity officers in public institutions and critical infrastructure and IT and security managers across Western Balkans.

The program will provide practical knowledge on:
🔒 Building & evaluating internal cybersecurity awareness programs.
🤝 Establishing a national Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure (CVD) ecosystem.
📜 Understanding the key aspects of the NIS2 Directive transposition.

The participants were welcomed by Gilles Schwoerer, Head of WB3C and Igor Kovač, representing the Republic of Slovenia Government Information Security Office (URSIV).

A special thank you to our expert trainers from the Romanian National Cyber Security Directorate: Alina U., Diana-Alexandra Morea, Mihai Marica, Cristian Driga and Daniel I. for sharing their invaluable expertise.

Meeting with European partners

The Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C) had the privilege of hosting a productive meeting with key European partners to discuss enhancing synergy in our collective efforts.

We were honored to be joined by:
• Ivan Leković, Cyber Ambassador at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro
• Ms. Manon Le Blanc, Coordinator for Cyber Issues and Deputy Head of the Hybrid Threats and Cyber Division at the European External Action Service (EEAS)
• Mr. Hein Dries, Cyber Security Expert from the Council of Europe (CoE) / CILC
• Ms. Emily von Rheenen, Senior Project Manager at CILC, NL

The meeting was hosted by Gilles Schwoerer, Head of WB3C, and Vanja Madzgalj, Senior Project Manager, focusing on exchanging information on various cybersecurity initiatives across the region. The shared goal is to explore optimal models for cooperation and coordination, ensuring we maximize our collective impact in strengthening cyber resilience.

A sincere thank you to all participants for their valuable insights and commitment to a more secure and collaborative digital future for the Western Balkans.