Transboundary Governance

The Prespa Park Coordination Comittee (PPCC), though not a fully formally institutionalised structure has continued to operate based on the “general duty to cooperate” by the three littoral States. A range of challenges have continued to fall in the path of any formal signing of tri-lateral agreements between the three States.  However, despite these challenges, the PPCC with support from the GEF project has continued to explore possibilities of progressing towards formalised tri-lateral cooperation. The consultant report on the assessment of the operations of the PPCC (i.e. Bogdanovic 2008) below outlined a systematic process to move this process forward.

The primary concern expressed by several PPCC members on the Bogdanovic (2008) report is that, although sound, to a large extent proposed a process that might be very challenging given the political climate in the region. Concerns were also raised that the report did not provide any other substantial options on moving the process forward and to some extent did not comply with what was foreseen in the project document – i.e. immediate actions to formalising the pre-existing PPCC and also to further define the role of the Executive Secretary, an initial role meant to be undertaken by the International Transboundary Advisor but later deemed inappropriate by certain parties though envisaged in the project document.

Whilst the Bogdanovic (2008) report challenges the legal status of the current PPCC and proposes a way forward to for establishment of a tri-lateral institution, McIntyre (2008) provides an interesting perspective and insight on the status of the current PPCC and their role/ mandate in transboundary governance and tri-lateral cooperation issues.