News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Based on the findings covered in the ICNL’s COVID-19 Civic Freedom Tracker, the article suggests ways the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members could react to the governments’ responses to COVID-19 that seriously affected the civic space. OECD-DAC members could support efforts to counter the new restrictions on free speech and provide assistance to independent
Read more →The publication is a historical overview of the civic movements in Albania after the ’90s. By analyzing six current movements, it summarizes their current landscape in the country. It looks into their capacities, membership, activity level, and explores if they can mobilize support and initiate change into the democratization process. An essential part of the
Read more →In December 2020, the Slovenian government tried to introduce an amendment abolishing the state’s fund for NGOs in the 7th anti-corona stimulus package. It strived to cut the access to development grants and sustainability of jobs for humanitarian, volunteer, sports, cultural, human rights, and other NGOs, which was introduced in 2018 to provide a systemic
Read more →The European Recovery Package strives to help repair the economic and social damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic and engage the EU in a long-term, sustainable and inclusive recovery that promotes green and digital transitions. Considering that the EU Member States will have to present their National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) by the end
Read more →Several countries have adopted artificial intelligence (AI) policies or “strategies” to manage algorithm-driven processes on how they will support innovation and education in the AI sector and direct the impact of AI systems’ design and deployment on people’s lives. The safeguards for fundamental rights and freedoms need to be streamlined into their structure, and CSOs
Read more →In a blogpost, ECNL presents the key points from the conference organised with BCSDN on participatory and multi-stakeholder approaches in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. It argues that some of the states in the Balkans imposed various limitations over the right to participation. They closed existing formal avenues for inclusion, disabling CSOs to participate in
Read more →Protests were held in Tirana after the murder of 25-year-old Klodian Rasha by the police. During the demonstrations, 268 people have been prosecuted, 89 have been arrested, while 8 people are wanted. The government and the opposition responded with mutual accusations. The opposition blames the government for the lack of responsibility for the security forces’
Read more →In a statement, the Serbian CSOs expressed their dissatisfaction because of the country’s insufficient progress within EU accession negotiations. They claim that the EU did not open a single negotiating chapter with Serbia in 2020, while in 2019, it only opened 2. This resulted from the deterioration of the rule of law and the lack
Read more →Civil society and media in Albania have played an essential role in providing relief aid to the affected population in managing devastating earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic. The organizations experienced a rapid evolution and innovation process in terms of self-organizing, learning from one crisis to inform the other’s response, creating platforms to match needs and
Read more →Media Freedom Rapid Response, MFRR, the Southeast Europe Media Organization, SEEMO, published a report, calling the new Montenegrin government to commit to reforms to develop and maintain media freedom. The report asks for an end to impunity for crimes against journalists and media workers by ensuring police and prosecutors investigations. It also calls for establishing
Read more →Turkey’s Parliament approved a controversial law authorizing the oversight of associations and foundations, which will bring to the closure of NGOs and overall damage of civil society. The law predicts NGOs’ boards to be replaced with trustees, and civil servants to conduct annual NGOs monitoring. The critics claim that NGOs’ assets and online donation campaigns
Read more →OSCE presents the second edition of its practical tool to help monitors collect reliable information by observing public gatherings and assessing the findings in line with international human rights standards. Based on ODIHR’s methodology, it provides a conceptual framework to guide the independent monitoring of assemblies. It includes vital information gathered in ODIHR’s training programme
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