News and updates from BCSDN and the region
CIVICUS published its People Power Under Attack Report 2024, highlighting global and regional threats to civic space. Alarmingly, only 40 out of 198 countries maintain an open civic space rating, while 72.4% of the world’s population lives under repressive conditions, with nearly 30% experiencing completely closed civic spaces. In Europe and Eurasia, civic freedoms face
Read more →The Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) 2024 report on SLAPPs reveals that the use of SLAPP lawsuits to silence those speaking out in the interest of the public good shows no sign of slowing down. The 2024 report found 166 new SLAPPs initiated in 2023. Although there has been progress, with the EU adopting
Read more →BCSDN member Partners Albania for Change and Development announced the launch of the Resilient Balkans Fund, a transformative sub-granting initiative supporting individual activists and social movements in the Western Balkans. As part of the Powered by the People (PxP) initiative (2023–2028), led by Partners Global and funded by USAID, the fund aims to address critical
Read more →The EU TACSO 3 team has launched its 2024 annual impact survey to gather feedback from civil society and other stakeholders about the project’s effectiveness. The survey aims to assess the reach and impact of EU TACSO 3 activities. The feedback collected will help shape future planning for 2025 and beyond. Participation ensures that diverse
Read more →We are excited to invite you to the online launch of the 10th edition of our annual Monitoring Matrix Report, taking place on December 6 at 13h CET, where we will showcase key developments in the Western Balkans during 2023. The event will also feature an overview of recent civil society challenges in the region.
Read more →We are pleased to present BCSDN’s 15th analysis of the European Commission’s reports on civil society development and its dialogue with public institutions. Although the European Commission provides an analysis of the civil society environment, some critical aspects are overlooked and are addressed in our findings. Based on the BCSDN Monitoring Matrix, this year’s analysis
Read more →The Regional Conference on SLAPPs, held in Belgrade on 28 November, brought together activists, journalists, legal experts, and civil society to address the misuse of SLAPPs in the Western Balkans. During the panel “Protection Mechanisms: Can We Rely on Our Legal Systems for Protection?” BCSDN ED Biljana Spasovska spoke about aligning regional efforts with international
Read more →The Practical Guide for Policymakers builds on the OECD’s 2022 global report on civic space, offering actionable steps to protect and promote it as a cornerstone of democracy. Drawing from insights across 52 countries, it outlines 10 key recommendations, addressing freedoms of association, expression, and assembly, alongside online and media protections. The guide emphasizes the
Read more →The latest global analysis reveals a growing freedom of expression crisis, with over half the world’s population—4.2 billion people in 39 countries—now living under severe restrictions. In 2023, India’s downgrade to “Crisis” significantly contributed to this increase. Despite some positive shifts in countries like Brazil and Fiji, declines outnumber improvements. Key trends highlight worsening conditions
Read more →The BCSDN virtual event “Weaponizing Accountability: Countering Foreign Agents’ Laws and Narratives” convened experts from Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and the Western Balkans on November 6-8 to address restrictive foreign agents’ laws stigmatizing CSOs. Day 1 highlighted strategies to counter government-imposed narratives labeling CSOs as foreign threats, while Day 2 focused on building civil society
Read more →Our member organization from Serbia, Civic Initiatives, is launching the first SLAPP competition for the Western Balkans, starting with a social media campaign and concluding with an award ceremony in Belgrade on November 28. BCSDN contributes through participation in the Jury and as a panel speaker. The competition aims to highlight the chilling effects of
Read more →During her European Parliament hearing, Commissioner-designate for Enlargement Marta Kos outlined her plans for EU enlargement. She emphasized that despite new geopolitical pressures, the process will remain merit-based. Kos stressed the importance of political commitment, especially in areas like justice reform and anti-corruption, while warning against stagnation or backsliding. She also highlighted the EU’s role
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