The programme is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the network is governed by a board made up of the chairs of six parliamentary committees from the region.

HUGEN was established with the aim of enhancing existing and developing new mechanisms for regional parliamentary cooperation on human rights and gender issues in the Western Balkan region and for developing more robust parliamentary oversight of human rights and gender laws and policies. HUGEN is the only form of regional parliamentary initiative that brings together the parliamentary committees in charge of these issues in the Western Balkans region.

At the sixth meeting of HUGEN, held in Belgrade on 23 November 2021, Dr Muamer Bacevac, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, was elected chair. Thanking the attending for their trust, he emphasised the importance of regional cooperation and the network’s contribution to establishing post-legislative oversight. He suggested that one of the next meetings of HUGEN be held in Novi Pazar.