News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Target group: Leaders in organisations in any societal sector working for societal transformation towards sustainability. Countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey etc. Short Description: Provide leaders motivated for systems innovation and transformative change with knowledge, tools, and a network for a sustainable future. Duration: N/A Link to more information (Uppsala University)
Read more →Target group: Organisations and individual artists registered as legal entities in one of the 40 Creative Europe countries. Countries: Europe Short Description: The call provides grants to organisations and individual artists registered as legal entities in one of the 40 Creative Europe countries, that want to host international artists and cultural professionals for a residency
Read more →BCSDN expresses deep concerns about the shrinking civic space in Bosnia and Herzegovina, urging authorities to reverse harmful policies against civic actors. The ongoing political crisis has heightened pressures on civil society, resulting in laws that jeopardize democracy, fundamental rights, and civic operations. Recent changes, like amendments to the Republika Srpska Criminal Code that re-criminalize
Read more →From October 30th to November 1st, BCSDN members’ representatives gathered for a productive workshop in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, addressing crucial developments in the civil society enabling environment in Western Balkans and Turkey. The workshop focused on revising the BCSDN Monitoring Matrix Toolkit, with discussions spanning key areas, standards, and indicators. The sessions explored critical
Read more →Civil Society Europe has filed a complaint against the European Commission for refusing public access to a study commissioned on the Defence of democracy package. The complaint, received by the European Ombudsman, outlines the EC denial of access to the study and related documents, citing the ongoing nature of the study. The complainant, a civil
Read more →Globally, governments are increasingly limiting civil society and suppressing dissent. A prevalent strategy employed by them involves introducing laws specifically aimed at CSOs receiving international funding. This brief outlines instances where the U.S. Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) has been cited to support such legislation. Although FARA has historically been narrowly applied within the United
Read more →BCSDN is actively addressing civic space threats in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, calling national authorities to reverse harmful policies, notably recent amendments to the Republika Srpska Criminal Code and the draft ‘foreign agents’ law. Emphasizing the need for protected civic space and fundamental rights, BCSDN’s advocacy towards the EU is evident in monitoring and
Read more →The report on Bulgaria from the Fifth Evaluation Round by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on Anti-Money Laundering Measures (MONEYVAL) evaluates the implementation of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations and assesses the effectiveness of Bulgaria’s AML/CFT system. Furthermore, the report offers recommendations for additional analysis and improvements in the country. Read more
Read more →On October 27, 2023, the FATF’s fourth Plenary, concluded in Paris. Delegates from the FATF’s Global Network and international organizations discussed key issues related to money laundering, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing. The Plenary addressed the Middle East situation, agreed to publish a report on Crowdfunding for Terrorism Financing, and made revisions to Recommendation 8.
Read more →The European Parliament adopted its position on the draft European Media Freedom Act. Ahead of the trilogues, Liberties reflects on the positive developments in the draft text, as well as some rejected amendments concerning media privilege and spyware. During the legislative process, multiple changes were made to the original text of the Act, and it
Read more →The Policy Brief advocates for increased financial support from governmental institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina at all levels to facilitate media creation and maintenance by minority groups. It underscores the imperative for mainstream and national media in the country to significantly amplify their production of content related to various minorities. It explains that this initiative
Read more →A blog that stems from insights obtained through interviews conducted with four distinct organizations actively implementing dynamic accountability. These interviews were initially featured as part of a six-week vlog series produced by Accountable Now, which is part of a growing movement of organizations that are promoting a dynamic approach to accountability – an approach that
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