News and updates from BCSDN and the region
We, the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN), express our deepest sympathy to those affected by this devasting floods in Slovenia and who have experienced the loss of loved ones and homes. As a response, individuals, activists, and CSOs have come together to help those in need. Rescue teams have been mobilized, and donations of
Read more →CASE Coalition of which BCSDN member Civic Initiatives is a part, was involved in a public consultations on CoE Draft Recommendation to counter SLAPPs. They endorse the approval of the text by the Committee of Ministers and will continue to support CoE’s efforts in combating SLAPPs and ensuring the implementation of the draft by member states.
Read more →CPDE engaged in OECD DAC Civil Society Days, discussing local-led development, partnership changes, and CSO empowerment. Prioritizing community roles, attendees emphasized diverse perspectives for effective development. CPDE presented their equitable partnership report, addressing power imbalances. Challenges in funding relations were tackled, advocating for genuine partnerships. UNDP highlighted flexible modalities for local-led development. Communication strategies focused
Read more →The toolkit was developed to support different types of organizations (including for-profits), in their journey towards gender transformation. It contains a participatory gender self-assessment in 3 stages designed to assess organizations’ commitments and practices. It supports the process of self-reflection about how gender-transformative approaches are realized and practiced within organizations’ structures and networks. Last, it
Read more →BCSDN’s input on the IPA III Multi-Country Action Document 2024, submitted to TACSO on 11 July as part of the open consultations, emphasizes the significance of meaningfully consulting CSOs in these processes. We bring attention to the limitations of the current consultation process and urge EU for inclusive, structured, and effective collaboration, and the need
Read more →BCSDN successfully completed its strategic revisioning process. In a meeting in Podgorica, BCSDN members and Executive Office team redefined the network’s goals, mission, and vision. These revisions aim to enhance BCSDN advocacy role in providing more enabling civil society environment in the Balkans. Through dynamic dialogue, BCSDN member representatives agreed on priorities for the next
Read more →CPDE, together with Action for Sustainable Development (A4SD), Forus, Coalition 2030, Zambia Council for Social Development, Accion Chile, Center for Human Rights and Development Mongolia, and the governments of Ireland, Zambia, Switzerland, Chile, and Mongolia, held a side-event to the UN HLPF titled “Inclusive Partnerships for a Resilient Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic: Leaving No
Read more →Agenda 2030 has suffered a significant setback. Its engine, civil society, is being severely limited in its ability to affect positive change. Civil society’s role is vital, as it helps drive the action, cooperation, and innovation to realize the SDGs. The Global Goals are entering their most important development phase, at the halfway point to
Read more →Ahead of the 2024 EU elections, a broad coalition of CSOs led by Civil Society Europe and Social Platform have launched a campaign for better civic space and civil dialogue all over Europe. The Civil Society for EU campaign published its manifesto, outlining its key demands for a Civil Society Strategy and a Civil Dialogue
Read more →The assessment conducted by the National Resource Center for Civil Society in Albania aims to identify the current needs of organizations for capacity building in the field of organizational management, financial sustainability, participation in policy-making, and the European integration process. The identified needs will serve as a basis for the development of future capacity-building programs
Read more →The Freedom House Nations in Transit 2023 report reveals that democratic institutions in the Western Balkans continued to stagnate in 2022. The slight improvements in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia were balanced by declines in Montenegro and BiH, while Serbia’s score remained unchanged. The EU has granted BiH candidate status while Kosovo has submitted their
Read more →EC has released its fourth annual Rule of Law Report, assessing the rule of law situation in each EU Member State. The report focuses on national justice systems, anti-corruption frameworks, media pluralism, and institutional checks and balances. While some Member States still face Rule of Law concerns, the report has prompted positive changes and reforms.
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