Regional Youth Cooperation Office - RYCO

22/10/2026

From youth voices to concrete action. 🤝

At the Berlin Process Leaders’ Summit in Budva, Montenegro, our Secretary General Vladimir Obradović brought the Western Balkans Youth Forum 2026 recommendations to regional and 🇪🇺 leaders, calling for commitments to translate into better education, skills, mobility, employment and meaningful youth participation.

We presented the proposed RYCO Youth Trust Fund – RYCOncile, designed to secure sustainable, long-term support for youth-led initiatives, regional partnerships and trust-building.

Welcoming Germany’s commitment of €500,000 and Montenegro’s announced initial contribution of €25,000, we invited other Western Balkans Contracting Parties, Berlin Process partners and international donors to join the initiative.

This Summit also marked ten years since RYCO’s establishment within the Berlin Process. With more than 85,000 young people engaged and over €19 million invested, we enter our second decade committed to turning youth recommendations into concrete opportunities across the Western Balkans.

🔗 Read the full story on our website.

20/10/2026

Building Skills for Impact | Project Cycle Management & Media Literacy

How can young people turn ideas into action while navigating an increasingly complex information landscape?

In Tirana, RYCO LBO and festirana brought young participants together to strengthen practical skills, exchange perspectives, and explore new ways to engage in their communities.

🔗 Read the full story to learn more about the training!

Tirana – From 12 to 14 October, 12 participants came together in Tirana for a three-day training focused on Project Cycle Management (PCM) and Media Literacy. The training was opened by Ms. Jonida Smaja, Program Manager at Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Tirana, and Ms. Ensara Reçi, Local Program Offic

20/10/2026

📢 We're hiring!

RYCO is looking for an experienced Head of Local Branch Office in Serbia to lead our office in Belgrade and contribute to strengthening youth cooperation, mobility, and reconciliation across the Western Balkans.

🤝 Ready to take on a leadership role and make an impact across the region?

📍 Location: Belgrade, Serbia
📅 Application deadline: 17 November 2026

🔗 Apply now

Are you passionate about youth cooperation, regional development, and building strong partnerships that create meaningful opportunities for young people? The Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) is looking for an experienced Head of Local Branch Office (HLBO) in Serbia to lead its operations in

13/10/2026

🎉 52 schools. 26 partnerships. One connected region.

We are pleased to announce that the schools selected under the 5th Superschools Open Call will soon begin a new journey of learning, exchange, and cooperation across the Western Balkans.

Together, they will bring students, teachers, and communities closer through experiences that build dialogue, friendship, and lasting partnerships.

🌍 Superschools 3.0 is just getting started.
🔗 The selected list of schools is published on the website.

The Superschools program is part of the multi-donor project “Western Balkans School Exchange Scheme,” co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) together with the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO).

13/10/2026

🌱 We’re wrapping up our Youth Forum 2026 recommendations series with the third theme: Green & Sustainable Development!

From youth-led climate action and green skills to sustainable mobility and environmental decision-making, young people across the Western Balkans have put forward their priorities for a greener region.

What are they calling for? Swipe through to explore the recommendations.

12/10/2026

Next up in our Youth Forum 2026 recommendations series! 💬

This time, we’re exploring Peace, Security & Inclusive Societies, from youth participation in peacebuilding to mental health support, youth-led media and equal opportunities.

What are young people across the Western Balkans calling for?

Swipe through to find out. ➡️

09/10/2026

| Gen Z & Political Futures

What does the political future of the Western Balkans look like through the eyes of the generation that will shape it?

Co-designed with Open Society Foundations | Western Balkans , the session brought together young leaders and youth representatives from across the region to explore Gen Z’s role in political life, democratic participation and the region’s future.

RYCO’s Deputy Secretary General joined the discussion, moderated by Blendi Hodai of the Forum for Educational Change, alongside Milica Borjanic of the Youth Council of Serbia and Vladimir Perazic of the Youth Network of Montenegro.

As young people question institutions, political systems and their opportunities at home, the conversation goes beyond whether Gen Z will participate in politics. It asks what kind of future they want to build and how their voices can help shape it.

08/10/2026

As Berlin Process activities and discussions move forward, we’re taking a closer look at what young people across the Western Balkans are calling for through the Youth Forum 2026 recommendations.

Three thematic areas. Different priorities. One goal: turning youth recommendations into action.

🚀 Today, we’re starting with Skills, Opportunities & Innovation.

Swipe through to see what young people want to push forward. ➡️

06/10/2026

Three young people, three different ways of bringing people together. Meet the Harmony Heroes of 2026.

Organized by RYCO Local Branch Office in and German Embassy in Kosovo , the event honored Edona Bllaca, Ilir Kicmari and Butrint Avdyli for their work in inclusion, technology, education and journalism.

✨ Inspiring words from German Ambassador Rainer Rudolph, Youth Representative on the RYCO Governing Board Ismet Krasniqi, and Head of LBO Krenare Gashi-Krasniqi highlighted the power of young people to build trust, encourage dialogue and make space for others.

Guided by Harmony Hero 2024 Kimete Arifaj, guests added their own ideas of harmony to a collaborative painting, making connection part of the evening itself. 🎨

Shyret Hoxhaj and Miodrag Denic also received German language course scholarships in recognition of their commitment to their communities.

Congratulations to our Harmony Heroes of 2026! Your work gives others a reason to get involved.