News

CEB participates in Donors’ Conference for regional initiative in favour of refugees and displaced persons in the Western Balkans

25 April 2012

PARIS - The Governor of the CEB, Mr Rolf Wenzel, participated in an international Donors’ Conference held on 24 April 2012 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Conference was organised to raise funds for a regional initiative – backed notably by the European Commission, the UNHCR, the OSCE and the United States of America – aimed at providing durable solutions for refugees and displaced persons of the 1991-1995 conflict in the region. On this occasion, the international donor community pledged € 261 million in support of the Regional Housing Programme, of which € 230 million were pledged by the EU and $ 10 million by the United States.

The Regional Housing Programme will offer housing solutions to about 27 000 households or 74 000 refugees and internally displaced persons that are considered as the most vulnerable. The Programme will be implemented in parallel in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia – known as the Partner Countries – over an estimated five-year period, beginning in 2012/2013. According to initial estimates, the total investment cost of the Programme should amount to € 584 million, of which the Partner Countries have committed to providing € 83 million.

At the Conference, the Governor presented the Regional Housing Programme Fund which will channel donor contributions to the Partner Countries. The Fund will be managed by the CEB. In this capacity, the Bank will also supervise, under the oversight of the donors, the implementation of the Regional Housing Programme.

In his address, the Governor of the CEB stated the following:

Today marks the beginning of a new phase. A new phase during which the Partner Countries will provide durable solutions for the most vulnerable refugees and displaced persons. … The Regional Housing Programme is an ambitious but also highly welcome initiative. I particularly welcome the support and commitment of the international community to this initiative. But ultimately, the success of the Regional Housing Programme will depend on the Partner Countries. I am confident that they will be up to this great challengeˮ.

For more information:

Website of the Sarajevo Donors’ Conference
http://www.mhrr.gov.ba/izbjeglice/Donatorska_konferencija/?id=2637

CEB Contact:
Secretariat of the Regional Housing Programme (ceb-rhp@coebank.org).