This report is a summary of developments in the countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia) and Turkey from January until December 2018. 
This report has been prepared by ERA’s executive staff, Amarildo Fecanji, Dragana Todorović and Vuk Raičević. and has been reviewed and proofread by ERA’s member organisations and partners in the region. We would like to thank for their contributions and proofreading the report: Antonio Mihajlov (Subversive Front, North Macedonia), Elena Petrovska (HERA and LezFem, North Macedonia), Arbër Nuhiu (CSGD, Kosovo), Jernej Skof, (Škuc Magnus, Slovenia), Dragana Drndarevska, (Coalition Margins, North Macedonia), Daniel Martinović (Rainbow Families, Croatia), Lana Gobec (Legebitra, Slovenia), Ajna Jusic (CURE Foundation, Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Maja Šenk, (Labris, Serbia). The report is the result of two months of research and review of reports, research materials, publications, articles and other resources
The report covers a comprehensive list of areas: protection from discrimination, hate crimes and hate speech, access to justice, family rights, position of trans persons, position of intersex persons, freedom of assembly and expression, access to health, regional cooperation and dialogue and provides extensive information on the developments in the region as well as concrete follow-up recommendations. 
A part of this report focuses on ERA’s activities for 2018 with an overview of our work, achievements, challenges and upcoming plans. 
We would like to thank the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany and Hirchfeld-Eddy Foundation for supporting the publication of this report. 
Any error found in this report is the sole responsibility of the ERA team and they do not represent the position of ERA as an organization or our member organisations. 
For any inquires, feedback or conversations on this report please send an Email to office@lgbti-era.org