News and updates from BCSDN and the region
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
Read more →CIVICUS published the ninth edition of its annual report, tracking civil society action on the significant trends that impact civil society. The report presents findings from the CIVICUS Monitor, that follow the conditions for civil society in 196 countries. It reviews and analyses leading events of 2019, exploring activism on the climate crisis; civic action
Read more →Each year at the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF), several countries report to other Member States, UN Agencies, and the Major Groups, as well as other stakeholders on the status of implementation and achievement of the SDGs at the national level. This reporting is based on Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), where countries are expected
Read more →The Western Balkans are facing significant economic and social consequences due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The fragile economies, underdeveloped healthcare systems, and strained state-society relations struggle to cope with the effects of extended lockdowns. The article indicates that the region’s response to the Covid-19 crisis embodied two specific things. Firstly, the EU enlargement process has
Read more →After Freedom House “Nations in Transit” report placed Serbia in the category of a hybrid regime, 7 CSOs called on the Government to launch a severe societal dialogue on the state and the future of democracy in the country, as well as work hard towards ensuring the conditions for the improvement of democracy and media
Read more →To demonstrate transparent and accountable advocacy, BCSDN has prepared its Advocacy Platform towards the EU which outlines our key objectives, the reasoning, and the change we want to see in EU’s policy towards the civil society in the enlargement countries. The document is based on the extensive experience of the network on the issue and
Read more →