News and updates from BCSDN and the region
At the United Nations General Assembly’s High-level Dialogue (HLD) on Financing for Development (FfD), CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) brings demands for urgent, radical change to aid architecture. The HLD FfD comes at a critical juncture in the pursuit of the SDGs, which the UN itself has described to be off-track at their midpoint,
Read more →In light of significant threats to the civic space in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the reintroduced criminalization of defamation and the draft “foreign agents’ law”, BCSDN and CPCD are organizing a hybrid event in Sarajevo. The gathering will bring together affected CSOs and relevant stakeholders for a comprehensive discussion on identifying potential threats and formulating
Read more →BCSDN published a Policy Brief on AML/CFT Regulations in the Western Balkans and Turkey, providing a comparative analysis of regional AML/CTF regulations and their implications on the CSO sector. The AML/CFT regulations in the WBT have been reflected in many areas: the reporting requirements by the state, the registration of CSOs and related administration requirements,
Read more →ECNL and The Good Lobby offered valuable feedback on the European Commission’s Defense of Democracy package, emphasizing the need for a precise and narrow definition of “interest representation.” They highlighted the importance of adopting risk-based regulatory initiatives that carefully assess the impact on fundamental rights such as freedom of association, expression, and participation. The measures
Read more →According to the Policy Brief published by WB2EU Network CSOs, small and medium-sized enterprises, academia, or other interest groups must be at the center of all policies to ensure democratic institutions. The brief discusses that there is a gap between the Western Balkans and EU member states in human capital, infrastructure quality, the structure of
Read more →The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), proposed by the European Commission in September 2022, is the first EU-level attempt to establish a binding common framework for media services. It introduces new rules on state advertising, transparency of ownership, audience measurement, and protection of journalistic sources and communications, as well as safeguards for public service media,
Read more →Civil Society Europe published the Civil Society State of the Union report which provides recommendations to EU institutions, member states, and other stakeholders, including some specific to funding or fundraising. The report’s first recommendation is the creation of a strategy to “defend a safe and enabling environment for civil society”. This would include measures to
Read more →Philea welcomes the importance given in the State of Union (SOTEU) to the annual rule of law reports, which now include a strand on enabling frameworks for civil society including philanthropy. However, more can be done to increase the engagement of CSOs, including public benefit foundations, in the dialogues leading up to, and following up
Read more →The inappropriate use of AI systems could jeopardize fundamental democratic principles. Regulatory gaps, including exemptions for national security and law enforcement, could be taken advantage of to undermine democratic structures and procedures, as well as the rule of law. It is essential for the AI Act to establish a strong and secure regulatory framework that
Read more →The media does not report enough about NPOs and their activities, and when they report it is rare, scathing, insufficient, on a small scale, and without going into substance. This is how most organizations in the region, and beyond, will describe their relationship with the media. To overcome this problem, it is necessary that organizations
Read more →The Ringo Project is a systems change initiative that seeks to transform global civil society to respond to today’s challenges. In partnership with systems change experts Reos, a unique ‘Social Lab’ of global innovators who represent ‘the system’ of INGOs (including southern partners, funders, and INGO leaders) is being convened. Eight prototypes have been launched
Read more →Target group: International or local NGOs, community-based organizations (CBOs), local authorities, health institutions, primary schools and vocational (VET) Schools, and other non-profit associations. Aim: The GGP provides non-refundable financial assistance to NGOs, hospitals, primary schools, and other nonprofit associations to help implement their development projects. The availability of GGP funding in each eligible country provides
Read more →