The “Antalya Declaration”, marking the adoption of the Statute of the Balkan Constitutional Courts Forum (“Forum”), was signed by the Forum members at the 3^rd Annual Conference of the Forum, hosted by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Türkiye.

The Conference, held in Antalya, was attended by members of the Balkan Constitutional Courts Forum, the Constitutional Courts of Albania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Kosovo, and North Macedonia, as well as observer members from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Romania. Presidents and judges of the constitutional/supreme courts of Azerbaijan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and Moldova also participated, along with the Permanent Secretary-General of the Conference of Constitutional Jurisdictions of Africa, and the distinguished judges of the European Court of Human Rights.

Forum Statute was unanimously adopted by all members

Following the sessions of the International Conference, a Board of Members meeting was convened, attended by the distinguished presidents and judges of six constitutional courts that are members of the Balkan Constitutional Courts Forum. At the meeting, the draft statute regulating the structure, objectives, and activities of the Forum, which was established on 20 October 2023, as well as issues such as the rotating presidency and membership, was deliberated.

Mr. Kadir Özkaya, President of the Turkish Constitutional Court, addressing the Board of Members, stated that the draft statute was prepared by drawing on models from other regional unions. He further noted: “Other regional mechanisms generally operate with a defined decision-making process and rotational representation. In fact, the process we have experienced also shows us that, for the Forum, a structure with a formal decision-making mechanism rather than an informal one would be more appropriate to ensure effective functioning. Therefore, it is evident that this cooperation, which is now in its third year, requires a concrete decision-making mechanism.”

After the deliberations, the Statute was adopted unanimously, recognising the Balkan Constitutional Courts Forum’s formal status. The “Antalya Declaration”, marking the adoption of the Statute, was signed by President of the Constitutional Court of Türkiye Mr. Kadir Özkaya; President of the Constitutional Court of Bulgaria Ms. Pavlina Panova; President of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo Mr. Nexhmi Rexhepi; President of the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia Dr. Darko Kostadinovski; President of the Constitutional Court of Montenegro Ms. Snežana Armenko; and Judge Ms. Sonila Bejtja, representing the Constitutional Court of Albania.

The Antalya Declaration, highlighting the instrumental role undertaken by the Constitutional and Supreme Courts/Councils and Equivalent Institutions within the framework of their constitutional competence, states: “As guardians of the constitutions and the aforementioned constitutional values, we, the Presidents and representatives of the Balkan constitutional jurisdictions, declare our commitment to ensuring the principles of the rule of law, democracy, and respect for, and promotion of, human rights in the Balkan countries. Reaffirming our commitment to building partnerships to promote the constitutional values and principles in the Balkan countries, we, the Presidents and representatives of the Balkan constitutional jurisdictions, believe that establishing a permanently functioning body in the field of constitutional justice would greatly enhance judicial dialogue, cooperation, and the exchange of experiences and knowledge.”

The Declaration also notes that the 4^th Annual Meeting of the Forum, scheduled to be held next year, will be hosted by the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia.

Click for the Antalya Declaration.

Click for the Statute.