Representatives from The Coordination Center for Countering Violent Extremism and the Ministry of Internal Affairs participated in the regional activity “Strengthening Early Warning Mechanisms and National-Local Cooperation”, organized by the EU Knowledge Hub, held in Skopje, North Macedonia, on 31 March – 1 April 2026.

The event brought together representatives from the relevant institutions from the Western Balkan countries, as well as representatives from local government units, with the aim of exchanging experiences and good practices on the functioning of early warning mechanisms and the referral of cases at risk of radicalization.

Discussions focused on enhancing inter-institutional cooperation, the role of local structures in the early identification of at-risk cases, and improving coordinated approaches between the central and local levels. A dedicated part of the agenda addressed “Early Warning within the New Joint Action Plan (JAP)” and the use of operational tools to support Western Balkan partners in implementing the Early Warning Protocol.

The meeting also included a presentation on the transition “From Protocol to Practice”, highlighting how early detection and signaling mechanisms can be operationalized at both institutional and local levels. An important segment of the agenda was devoted to the presentation of the new Strategic P/CVE Protocol for the early detection and signaling, developed by EUKH analysts and expected to be launched soon.

Participants shared concrete examples from their field work, innovative approaches to case management, as well as common challenges faced across the region in preventing radicalization and violent extremism.

The participation of The CVE Center in this activity represents an important opportunity to strengthen regional cooperation and exchange knowledge that supports the enhancement of institutional capacities in the areas of prevention, early intervention, and coordinated action between the national and local levels.