What's New

News and updates from BCSDN and the region

SLOVENIA: Discriminating Criteria Risk Impeding NGOs’ access to Norway and European Economic Area (EEA) Grants

Slovenian CSOs have accused the right-wing prime minister and the government’s ministers of continuing a “crusade” against the NGO sector by introducing “discriminatory conditions” which could deter them from acquiring funding. BCSDN’s member from Slovenia, CNVOS, in a press release reflects that before announcing the calls under the Norway Grants and European Economic Area (EEA) Grants

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SERBIA: No Conditions for Serbian CSOs to Participate in the Development of the Strategy for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society

In a letter, Serbian CSOs, among which BCSDN member Civic Initiatives, once again emphasized their decision not to participate in the consultation process with the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue for drafting the National Strategy for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development. As reasons behind they indicate: the attacks on civil

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ECNL Statement at the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Week

On 29 June 2021, at the 2nd UN Counter-Terrorism Week, the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL) delivered a brief statement on the urgency of centering human rights in counter-terrorism (CT) policy and strategy implications for the use of biometrics and other emerging technologies. In the statement, they emphasized that: Emerging technologies have severe human rights impacts,

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SERBIA: Government Simulating a Dialogue with Civil Society on Preventing the Financing of Terrorism

The Serbian organizations targeted by the Directorate for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in the “List” case, and part of the “Three Freedoms” platform, among which BCSDN’s member Civic Initiatives, point out that Serbian authorities are simulating consultation with the civil society in the preparation of National assessments of the vulnerability of the

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TURKEY: Measures to Prevent Terrorism Financing Abusively Target Civil Society

Amnesty International’s publication provides a historical overview of how Turkish authorities targeted civil society using unconventional measures such as harassment, investigation, prosecution, and conviction on trumped-up terrorism charges, particularly the misuse of the 2019 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) assessment report as counterterrorism act. Among the number of similar laws enacted, Law No. 7262 is

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SLOVENIA Added to Civicus Monitor Watchlist

In the new CIVICUS Monitor watchlist, an online platform that tracks the latest developments to civic freedoms, including the freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, across 196 countries, Slovenia has been narrowed and added to the group of countries with a recent and rapid decline in fundamental civic freedoms. In the country, the Government undermined the

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Sharing Good practices of Collaboration Between Governments, Non-profits and Banks in AML/CFT Processes

The Regional Government & Civil Society Forum on AML/CTF processes co-organized by the Financial Intelligence Office of the Finance Ministry of R. Macedonia, ECNL, and the Association Konekt gathered 90 participants from 22 jurisdictions representing governments, the Financial Action Task Force regional body Moneyval, banks, and NPOs. The speakers and the participants pointed the impact

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ECNL Blog on Civic Space Restrictions Across Europe

In its latest blogpost, ECNL reflects that the COVID-19 has prompted CSOs’ solidarity and coordination. CSOs played a vital role in maintaining governments’ accountable responses, which have heightened the existing challenges to the civil society enabling environment under the pandemic pretext. In the name of public health protection, some European states adopted unbalanced emergency legislative

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