From May 21 to 22, 2025, more than 86 participants from Albania, Kosovo, Romania, Moldova, and beyond gathered in Tirana for the International Conference on Best Practices and Challenges in Safeguarding within Civil Society Organizations in South-Eastern Europe. Organized by Nisma ARSIS and Terre des hommes, with the support of the NGO Academy, this regional Community-Led Event created an essential space for reflection, exchange, and action on safeguarding.
Why safeguarding matters more than ever
From education to technology, from civil society to local governance, participants reaffirmed a shared understanding:
Safeguarding is not just a policy, it is a mindset, a cultural commitment to safety, dignity, and inclusion.
Safeguarding is central to the credibility of civil society and the trust of the communities we serve. Yet across the region, organizations continue to face significant barriers: limited resources, fragmented systems, inconsistent training, and gaps in local-level coordination. The conference provided a space not only to explore these challenges but also to co-create actionable solutions.
Highlights from the Safeguarding Conference
Understanding challenges and mobilizing communities
Terre des hommes highlighted that safeguarding must grow “from the inside out” embedded in organizational culture but deeply rooted in community practices. Panel discussions brought diverse insights:
TDH Kosovo and the Ministries of Education showcased how safeguarding is being institutionalized in schools.
The State Agency for the Rights and Protection of the Child (Albania) stressed the need for a sustainable child protection culture, built through strong local governance and interinstitutional coordination.
The EU Delegation in Albania called for real dialogue with youth in policy-making and underlined the role of safeguarding in EU integration reforms.
Interactive group work generated powerful grassroots recommendations:
Formalize youth advisory structures;
Digitize child protection platforms for better service coordination;
Increase community awareness and interinstitutional trust;
Involve children meaningfully in design, monitoring, and feedback processes.
Safeguarding in the digital age, sports, and inclusion
Child protection in sports emerged as a priority, with practical examples on building safety protocols in sport federations and youth-led clubs.
Digital safeguarding took center stage, addressing growing online threats to children. AKSK and TDH presented actionable frameworks for prevention, reporting, and awareness-building.
Inclusive approaches were spotlighted by ARSIS, ADRF, and Roma-led organizations, ensuring that safeguarding also addresses systemic inequalities based on disability, ethnicity, and social exclusion.
Key findings from the professionals
Safeguarding cannot remain internal. Community participation, especially from youth, is essential to shaping safer practices. Young people should be seen not just as beneficiaries, but as co-leaders of safeguarding.
Systems exist, but they must speak to each other. The lack of integrated digital tools, overlapping mandates, and missing accountability mechanisms were echoed across institutional and civil society actors.
Frontline experience matters. Many safeguarding protocols remain top-down. Embedding insights from teachers, social workers, and community members is key to ensuring usability and effectiveness.
