SELDI is thus intended to multiply the effect of public-private coalition building for development throughout the region. It provides a forum for cooperation among the most active civil society institutions, public figures and government and international agencies in Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYROM, Greece, Romania, Turkey and, when possible, Serbia and Montenegro. SELDI will be actively seeking the cooperation of other international initiatives for the region - the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI), Central European Initiative (CEI), the Royaumont Process, as well as with international organizations and multilateral agencies. SELDI is intended to serve as a permanent framework under which the founding organizations and other organizations and individuals seek to promote programs and projects in the legal field.

The first SELDI conference was held Rome on April 7, 2000