What's New

News and updates from BCSDN and the region

Civil Society Reflections on the Voluntary National Review Process and Sustainable Development Goals Implementation

The document presents the Key Findings and Recommendations of the reflection document on SDG national level implementation and the VNR process. The CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) conducted the study this May-June 2019 in countries whose governments presented their VNRs in the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). The objective/s of the study was to reflect

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NEW! Balkan Civic Practices: Resilience through Togetherness Published

The second Balkan Civic Practices edition, with eight contributions from our network and partners, shares stories of CSOs actions in times of shrinking civic space in the Balkans and the wider Europe. From joint action by building national and transnational, thematic and cross-sector alliances, to creating synergies between traditional civil society organizations and non-formal social

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First GPEDC Senior Level Meeting Held in New York

The First Senior Level Meeting (SLM) of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) was held from July 13 to 14 at the UN Headquarters in New York, on the margins of the UN HLFP on Sustainable Development, bringing together more than 500 key representatives from development actors around the world, including our Balkan

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There Can Be No Sustainable Development without Respect for Human Rights

Civil society groups across the globe make significant contributions to development and the Sustainable Development Goals cannot be fully realised if the onslaught on civil society and human rights defenders continues, concluded the FoAA consultations in May 2019 in Johanessburg. More than 60 representatives of civil society from 25 countries met in Johannesburg, South Africa

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Global Civil Society Report on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs

The Spotlight Report 2019 dives more deeply into the (global) governance arrangements and institutions that will be necessary to implement alternative policies and to unleash the transformative potential of the SDGs. It offers analysis and recommendations on how to strengthen inclusive and participatory governance and to overcome obstacles and gaps in the implementation of the

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ECF: A New EU-Way is Needed

After the intense election period, it is time to draw lessons from messages in the ballot boxes and think about the key responsibilities of the EU leaders in the time to come. The votes express fragmentation of our societies, as a consequence of past and current policies. The increased participation clearly indicates that voters mobilised

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Rule of Law Should Be on the Agenda of the Berlin Process

The rule of law has to be one of the main goals of the Berlin Process and it is necessary to bring the reforms closer to citizens in a less complicated way and improve regional cooperation – this was the conclusion of the panel discussion “The Berlin Process: Ahead of the Poznań Summit” organised by

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BCSDN Background Analysis of the Enlargement Package 2019: A Star Is Born, but the Region Is Not Shining

BCSDN published its 10th analysis of the annual Commission Enlargement Reports, assesing the progress made in the area of civil society development and dialogue with public institutions in 2019, set against BCSDN’s Monitoring Matrix. Along with the progess reports, the EC published a Communication on EU Enlargement Policy, noting with a remarkably positive tone the historic agreement on

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International Civil Society Forum 2019: For a Resilient Civil Society Able to Build on EU Values

On June 4th, 2019, BCSDN participated at the ‘International Civil Society Forum 2019’, in Bucharest, Romania. The Forum gathered more than 200 participants from 28 European countries, concerned that democracy, human rights or the rule of law are increasingly threatened throughout Europe. The event was organised by FDSC Romania and CNVOS in cooperation with the European

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The Impact of FoAA Restrictions on Sustainable Development: Consultations with UN Rapporteur Voule in Johannesburg

On the 30th and 31st of May, BCSDN participated at the consultation meeting with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association (FoAA), organized jointly by CIVICUS, ICNL and OHCHR in Johannesburg, South Africa. The consultations addressed the Special Rapporteur’s coming report to the UNGA where – following up on

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Freedom House: Widespread Corruption, Freedom of Expression Declining in the Western Balkans

Antidemocratic leaders in Central Europe and the Balkans—including some who have brazenly consolidated power beyond constitutional limits—continued undermining institutions that protect freedoms of expression and association and the rule of law, writes Freedom House in its latest report “Freedom In The World 2019“. This annual global report on political rights and civil liberties covers 195

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