News and updates from BCSDN and the region
An online conference was organized by BCSDN and ECNL on 13 July 2020, its goal being to facilitate a discussion about the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on public participation, also to explore how to promote participatory and multi-stakeholder approaches in the relief of the crisis. The conference aimed to explore the challenges for public participation
Read more →BCSDN invites CSOs form the Western Balkans to take part in the Regional Civil Society Development Hub activities. The Hub aims to support the effective, transparent, and accountable CSOs from the region in their continuous efforts to protect and promote civic space, by providing different funding opportunities and means of cooperation. The Hub will serve
Read more →The Sustainable Development Report 2020 presents the SDG Index and Dashboards for all UN member states, and frames the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation in terms of six broad transformations. The first part reviewed the early responses and identified short-term priorities for action by governments and their partners worldwide, including the international community. It also
Read more →To support the activities implemented by the Regional Hub, funded by SIDA an expert database will be established, comprising of individuals demonstrating a good understanding of current civic space trends in the WB region and experience on issues related to civil society (democracy, human rights, good governance and transparency, gender equality, social justice, environment and climate change, etc.). The
Read more →BCSDN is happy to inform you that we have developed a special section of our website dedicated to the Regional Civil Society Development Hub. BCSDN’s Regional Hub is established with the project “Protecting Civic Space- Regional Civil Society Development Hub”, financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), and implemented by BCSDN. The structure
Read more →The “Future of Europe CSO Network” urges European Institutions, Member States, and the upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU to ensure that the Conference on the Future of Europe will start promptly. The Conference’s scope should be broad and aimed at developing policy priorities that matter to citizens and institutional proposals, including proposals
Read more →More than 200 civil society groups from over 50 countries that operate internationally call on the United Nations and its member governments to establish the instrument of a World Citizens’ Initiative that would enable citizens to put items on the UN’s agenda. The campaign, coordinated under the slogan of “We the Peoples,” was initiated by
Read more →More than 500 political, civil leaders, Nobel Laureates, and pro-democracy institutions have signed an open letter to defend democracy, warning that the freedoms are under threat from governments who are using the crisis to tighten their grip on power. The coronavirus pandemic poses severe threats to democracy. Many governments worldwide have assembled emergency powers that
Read more →FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2020 reviews major developments in the field in 2019, identifying both achievements and areas of concern. It also presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, including a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions. The 2020 focus section of the annual report, “Ten years on: unlocking the Charter’s full potential”, outlines the
Read more →Marking the first year of the Reporting Democracy initiative, BIRN’s Democracy After Coronavirus report highlights the key “signals to watch” as the political and social consequences of the coronavirus crisis come screeching into view. Democracy After Coronavirus seeks to examine the political implications of the pandemic. The report presents 7 significant trends likely to have
Read more →A new policy brief, prepared by the regional WeBER initiative, explores the approaches of public administrations in the Western Balkans in regards to the COVID-19 crisis. The brief presents the quality of communication and implementation of the measures taken by the governments of the region in responding to the pandemic. It argues that streamlined and
Read more →The paper discusses the nexus between the EU pre-accession conditionality and membership obligations to guarantee respect for the rule of law as a founding value of the EU, common to the member states. It examines how the EU’s rule of law promotion in the accession process converges with and potentially inspires the progressive EU articulation
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