News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The Expert Council on NGO Law of the Council of Europe published a review that analyzes the practices on NGOs’ participation in policy development in CoE member states. It presents the good practices and challenges of NGOs’ participation, providing an additional guide for the member states to ensure relevant application of the CoE standards and
Read more →On 29 January 2021, the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) held a meeting with the Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) representatives working on Western Balkans. The discussion was followed by more than 30 representatives, including countries’ EUDs and TACSO representatives. The aim of the meeting was BCSDN to present its
Read more →On 1 February, BCSDN participated at the FRP meeting 2021: Human Rights Work in Challenging Times– Ways Forward. The virtual event provided a platform on which the participants across Europe could share their opinion and lessons learned regarding the human rights challenges and opportunities they were faced in times of COVID-19. The event accented the
Read more →Economist Intelligence Unit presents its 13th edition of the Democracy Index, providing a snapshot of democracy in 165 independent states and two territories. The report’s main focus is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on democracy and freedom across the world. It reveals that besides Albania that improved its democratic status, the rest of the
Read more →EU TACSO 3 project has been mandated by the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) to facilitate the preparation of the Guidelines for EU Support to Civil Society in the Enlargement Region for the period 2021-2027. The first step was a preliminary discussion on the effects and lessons learned from the current Guidelines results
Read more →The publication is a collection of findings on hate and propaganda models of media and communication in the Western Balkans and Turkey. It is a result of the research conducted in the scope of a regional EU funded project Resilience: Civil Society for Media Free of Hate and Disinformation, implemented by eight media development organizations
Read more →In its latest publication, Aspen Institute Germany provides a summary of the topics covered in the framework of Aspen Germany’s Regional Dialog Western Balkans 2020, focusing on the effects of the pandemic in the Western Balkans as well as the current challenges of the enlargement process. The publication incorporates the following topics, with recommendations included:
Read more →BCSDN has been following the EU’s approach in supporting civil society in the enlargement countries and has advocated the civil society to be recognized and supported as a competent partner in the EU accession process. We present our early feedback on the First Draft of the new Guidelines for EU Support to Civil Society in
Read more →KCSF and BCSDN present the fifth report of the Monitoring Matrix on Enabling Environment for CSDev regarding Kosovo’s developments throughout 2019. Some of the findings, presented in the report are: The amendment of the Law on Freedom of Association in CSOs has introduced institutes as the third legal form to register an organization; The legislation
Read more →National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) are an essential part of the country-level human rights protection system and have a pivotal role in navigating the everyday human rights challenges. The report marks such bodies in the EU and North Macedonia, Serbia, and the UK. It explores crucial developments, challenges to their effectiveness, and ways to maximize
Read more →The 2021 ICSC Innovation Report will be a timely look at civil society’s progress in furthering people-centered and nature-positive digitalization. It will highlight the most promising innovations by CSOs in producing solutions for digital inclusion, impact, and rights at scale, promoting progressive people-centered, nature-positive approaches and outcomes, and putting digital rights, ethical and sustainability values
Read more →According to the newest Global Perceptions Corruption Index published by Transparency International, public corruption perceptions worsened in most Southeast and Central European countries. Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia were ranked worst in the Western Balkans, sharing 111th place within 180 countries. Serbia’s and Kosovo’s rankings also worsened compared to 2019. Croatia kept the same
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