News and updates from BCSDN and the region
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
Read more →CIVICUS Monitor has published its report that looks at regional improvements in civic space. Overall, the report found that there have been no significant improvements in civic space in Europe and Central Asia. While regimes in Central Asia have continued to repress civic space since the last report, there has been a decline in civic
Read more →The European Civic Forum (ECF) has published the Civic Space Watch Report for 2020. The publication contains a general analysis of EU trends of deterioration and expansion observed in 2020, seven interviews with inspiring activists that protected human rights during the lockdown, and six case studies. There is a particular focus on how COVID-19 pandemic
Read more →The European Democracy Action Plan (EDAP) is to be installed by the EU to improve European democracy by tackling issues such as disinformation and strengthening Europe’s media ecosystem. Without ensuring an enabling environment for civil society within the EU, the Action Plan cannot reach its full potential. As the Action Plan does not address the
Read more →The article looks at how the COVID-19 pandemic, and the following limitations, have restricted individual freedoms and seen governments use extraordinary powers in the Western Balkans. A question to consider for the future is how Western Balkan leaderships will potentially continue to exercise the use of these concentrated powers. It argues that COVID-19 has allowed
Read more →