News and updates from BCSDN and the region
At the FATF Plenary, which took place on 19-21 October, over 200 delegates of the Global Network, finalized work in a number of strategic initiatives, and discussed country-specific processes. Of the latter, jurisdictions under increased monitoring are actively working with the FATF to address strategic deficiencies in their regimes to counter money laundering, terrorist financing,
Read more →Civil society is a key component of any democratic system and continues to be recognized as such by state institutions, states the open call for contribution towards the consultation process on the draft strategy for cooperation with and development of civil society, issued by the government of North Macedonia. The Strategy of the Government of
Read more →The Turkish foreign ministry summoned ten Western ambassadors who signed a joint statement calling for the release of Turkish philanthropist and human rights activist Osman Kavala, who has been in jail for four years. The ambassadors of the United States, Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden were arrived at
Read more →In order to contribute to better future digital policies, Access Now and Liberties have published a policy brief. The COVID-19 pandemic came as a shock to all of us, especially governments, which had to act quickly and efficiently to save lives. In short order, almost all European Union Member States decided to implement contact tracing
Read more →The twenty-fourth edition of the CSO Sustainability Index (CSOSI) for Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia, covering developments during the unprecedented circumstances of 2020, during which the COVID-19 pandemic affected all aspects of society, has been published. This year’s CSOSI reports on the state of CSO sectors in twenty-four countries in the region, including eleven
Read more →CIVICUS’s Vuka! Coalition has developed new resources on supporting protest movements and the exercise of freedom of peaceful assembly, based on the recommendations from its Dialogue Series Report. In the support directory for protestors, the Protest Movement Support Phonebook, protesters can find various types of support from nearly 30 international and regional CSOs to protect
Read more →The UN Human Rights Council has adopted by consensus a resolution on equal participation in political and public affairs. The resolution puts an important focus on elections and on the impact of COVID-19 on participation. It underscores the importance of protecting civil society participation at every level as part of effective response to the pandemic,
Read more →New research commissioned by Dafne and EFC and published in a new report, maps the regulatory environment for fundraising across Europe, underlining the need for a single market for philanthropy and modernization of the legal framework around foundations. The report – a Philanthropy Advocacy initiative – recognizes that some countries have become more flexible when
Read more →Civil society organizations play a vital role in promoting fundamental rights, but they face diverse challenges across the European Union. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published a new report titled “Protecting Civic Space in the EU” that presents a range of such challenges. The report looks at recent developments in the EU regarding
Read more →The growing trends of numerous attacks on civil liberties in the past decade all over Europe, even countries outside of the “usual suspects“, have reached their peak during the restrictive COVID-19 measures. With the collapse of the public trust towards the institutions and the democratic practices, civil dissatisfaction channelized, once again, through its constructive form
Read more →Dissatisfaction with the officials’ response to the COVID-19 crisis culminated with mass violent protests in the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana. Two hours into the protest, during which the protestors were demanding resignation from the government, fire torches were thrown in the direction of the parliament. The police used tear gas and water cannons to break
Read more →“The 2020 Civil Society Sustainability Index for Bulgaria” report was published by the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL). The report marks the year 2020 as a “turbulent” one for the civil society, noting the impact of the state of emergency declared by the Parliament due to the COVID-19 spread. The report grades the Legal
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