News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Following President of EC von der Leyen’s address at the State of the Union which reflected on various issues and broadly formulated proposals, often not detailed enough for immediate in-depth analysis, the European Civic Forum has published an editorial on the address. The document examines the narrative and the proposals to reinforce European democracy. It
Read more →Around 70 CSOs representatives and activists from 45 countries gathered in 3 days workshop in September 2022 to reconnect and reinforce their responses to AML/CFT civic freedoms restrictions. Activists discussed critical needs, lessons learned, and suggestions for the ongoing revision of the FATF standards, methodology, and guidance documents. They also analyzed emerging trends and issues
Read more →The Civil Society High-Level Conference on Youth policies in the Western Balkans took place on the 16th of September in Prague, bringing together EESC members, CSO representatives from the Western Balkans countries, as well as Czech officials and CSOs. BCSDN`s Executive Director, Ms. Biljana Spasovska, as one of the main speaker of the panel: “European
Read more →As a result of obstructing or repressing civic space, CIVICUS Monitor has recently published a new watchlist of countries. Due to the government’s attempts to ban the LGBTQI+ EuroPride march event, the constant attacks on human rights activists, SLAPPs, and omnipresent pro-right rhetoric, Serbia has joined the watchlist alongside Zimbabwe, Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Guatemala.
Read more →BCSDN member, the Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation (MCIC) organized the fifth edition of its Civica Mobilitas festival. More than 110 CSOs and social enterprises from all over the country presented their activities and obtained citizens’ interest. The event offered a rich and varied program, providing space for discussion on interactive topics such as environment
Read more →The Opinion Poll “Trust in Governance” is an annual exercise implemented by the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) to measure citizens’ trust in public institutions. It explores public perceptions regarding trust in institutions, transparency, and accountability, corruption, citizen engagement in policy and decision-making, satisfaction with public service delivery, management of natural disasters, and enforcement
Read more →The European Commission adopted the European Media Freedom Act to safeguard media pluralism and editorial independence in EU member states. European media has been facing a dual threat for over a decade. The proposed regulation includes safeguards against political interference in editorial decisions and surveillance. It will strengthen the independence and stable funding of public
Read more →The Serbian Interior Ministry has adopted a decision on formally banning the 2022 EuroPride as well as the “anti-globalists” family march, both scheduled to take place on September 17 in Belgrade. The reason behind this is the high-risk safety of the participants on the announced routes and other citizens. During the International Human Rights Conference, Serbian Prime Minister
Read more →CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) joins other CSOs at the Global People’s Assembly, which will take place virtually on 20-22 September 2022. The event is a self-organized space during the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level week, aiming to bring the people’s voices to the forefront in high-level debate with decision-makers. Activities include various sessions
Read more →Although regional cooperation exists on different levels in the Western Balkans, not everyone has benefited equally, and some problems remain. For example, BiH and Kosovo citizens undergo a burdensome procedure to obtain a visa to enter the other country. Besides the criticism, regional cooperation in the Western Balkans is still at the heart of EU
Read more →New research dips comprehensive data on the global diffusion of national human rights action plans since the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights. It reveals that at least 141 such plans have been adopted in 76 countries. Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights. The Conference was
Read more →In her State of the Union speech in the European Parliament, President von der Leyen introduced the first set of proposals that responded to the demands of the citizens participating in the Conference on the Future of Europe. Ms. von der Leyen’s statement to introduce regular citizens’ panels ahead of crucial legislative proposals demonstrates that
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