What's New

News and updates from BCSDN and the region

EFCSN Criticizes Meta’s Decision to End Fact-Checking Program and Condemns Censorship Claims

The European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) expressed disappointment over Meta’s decision to end its Third-Party Fact-Checking Program in the U.S., condemning CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s claims linking fact-checking to censorship. EFCSN argues that fact-checking adds valuable context to public discourse and counters misinformation, emphasizing that it is not censorship. The network criticizes Zuckerberg’s statement about political

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Thank You for Being Part of Our 2024 Journey – Happy Holidays!

BCSDN wishes you a successful and inspiring start to 2025! As we reflect on 2024, we celebrate key achievements that strengthened our mission to protect civic space and empower civil society. These include the updated Monitoring Matrix Tool-Kit 2.0, the 2023 Regional Report on Civil Society Environment, which shed light on challenges such as rising

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BCSDN at the Third Session of the Council for Coordination and Monitoring of the Open Government Partnership Process 2024-2026 in North Macedonia

BCSDN’s Head of Policy and Advocacy, Anja Bosilkova-Antovska, participated in the third session of the Council for Coordination and Monitoring of the Open Government Partnership Process 2024-2026 in North Macedonia on December 23, discussing updates and challenges in implementing the National Action Plan for Open Government 2024-2026. Insights from the Open Government Partnership Western Balkans

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The General Affairs Council of the European Union Adopts Enlargement Conclusions, Highlights Next Steps for Candidate Countries

The EU’s General Affairs Council (GAC) reaffirmed its commitment to enlargement, emphasizing the strategic importance of EU membership for the Western Balkans, Ukraine, and Moldova. Montenegro remains the most advanced candidate, with Member States ready to begin “in due time” preparations for the accession treaty of the country. The Council urged Serbia to show strong

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WeBER III Platform Policy Brief: Law on Senior Civil Service – Is the Government Hesitant to Adopt it?

The latest WeBER policy brief on the Law on Senior Civil Service emphasizes the need for a professional, impartial, and effective public administration as a cornerstone of democracy. Merit-based recruitment, especially for senior civil servants, ensures transparent selection processes, aligns decisions with ethical standards and government priorities, and strengthens institutional integrity. By prioritizing competencies over

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BCSDN 2023 Regional Report on Civil Society Environment: A Complex Reality for CSOs in the Western Balkans and Türkiye!

We gladly present our 10th Monitoring Matrix Regional Report, synthesizing insights from the BCSDN members country reports on the civil society environment in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Türkiye in 2023. Under revised methodology, the report evaluates 22 standards across three core areas: Basic Freedoms, Financial Viability, and State-CSO Relations.

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Partners Albania Announces the Launch of Resilient Balkans Fund

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

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EU TACSO 3 Launches Beneficiary Impact Survey 2024

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

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