Celebrating 10 Years of CEF as an International Organization
In 2025, we proudly mark the 10th anniversary of our transition to an international organization. Originally founded in 2001 by the Government of Slovenia, in cooperation with the ministries of finance of countries of former Yugoslavia and Albania, we have grown from a regional training center into an international organization. Our mission is to support the capacity development of public officials and their institutions in South East and East Europe through learning and knowledge sharing. Together with our constituency, we support their public financial management and central banking reform efforts, helping to build more effective and resilient public institutions.
The CEF was born out of the idea to promote regional cooperation in South East Europe under the EU Stability Pact. After 14 years of successful operation as a regional training center, the CEF formally became an international organization in 2015, with seven founding member countries – Albania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, and Slovenia – ratifying the Agreement on Establishing the CEF. In 2023, Croatia joined as the eighth member. Today, CEF membership remains open to any country or international organization committed to promoting knowledge exchange, training delivery, and technical assistance in areas crucial for effective governance and sustainable development.
As an official channel for implementing international development cooperation, we are proud that our learning activities contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – specifically SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) and SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals). These goals reflect our commitment to building stronger institutions and fostering partnerships that drive sustainable progress.
Aligned with these efforts, we are pleased to link our 10th-anniversary celebrations with the Slovenian Development Days (October 13–17, 2025), the flagship event dedicated to raising awareness about development cooperation and humanitarian aid in Slovenia. This event brings together experts, government officials, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and academia to engage in meaningful dialogue on pressing global issues.
As a key part of this milestone, we will also host a Multi-Stakeholder Conference on October 15–16, focusing on the critical role of ministries of finance and related institutions in accelerating climate action. Achieving climate neutrality demands a collective effort, and ministries are central to shaping economic and fiscal policies that support sustainable transformation. The conference will foster collaboration among local, national, and regional climate change agents, along with representatives from the private sector and academia, to promote coordinated climate action.