News and updates from BCSDN and the region
On 6 July 2021, CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) will hold an online event to launch a study on the Voluntary National Reviews for 2021. Produced in time for the United Nations High-Level Political Forum, the document presents CSOs’ reflections and recommendations on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the national level, based
Read more →The EU-funded Western Balkans Enabling Project for Civil Society Monitoring of Public Administration Reform (WeBER) delivered its PAR Monitor report 2019/2020. The publication results from Think for Europe Network members monitoring during 2020. It is a comparative collection of key findings from the WB in the six areas of PAR set by the Principles of
Read more →The European Parliament and the Council agreed on the 14 billion EUR budget for the new Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III) for the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework period. According to the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET), the upgraded pre-accession instrument strengthens conditionality regarding democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, envisaging the
Read more →The report provides a general overview of human rights and democracy. It marks the first phase of implementing the new EU Action Plan, presenting insight into EU action in 2020. It further monitors the implementation of the new EU Action Plan by presenting the progress achieved. The report focuses on how the COVID-19 pandemic has
Read more →In response to the new draft law “On the registration of non-profit organizations”, voted during the Parliament’s plenary session on 24 June 2021, the Albanian CSOs, in a public appeal, expressed their view on the issue, emphasizing the continuous engagement and collaborative CSOs’ efforts in the process. Since the draft law was made public by
Read more →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
Read more →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
Read more →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
Read more →The Rendir App for Networks, a civil society self-assessment tool against the Global Standard (GS) for CSO Accountability is now available in the French language. The tool is based on the GS self-assessment detailed questionnaire, in collaboration with the Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA), focused on the work and capacities of the civil society networks and whose Secretariat
Read more →On 21 June 2021, the Civica Mobilitas grantees followed a presentation on the First Draft of the Code of Ethics for the Macedonian CSOs. The 36 CSOs’ representatives learned that the Code of Ethics is a tool to strengthen the civil society self-regulation system and contribute to greater CSOs’ accountability, increasing the citizens’ and donors’
Read more →Catalyst Balkans delivered infographics, presenting data for helping prevent the consequences from COVID-19, as well as people’s reactions since the outbreak of the pandemic. In terms of the value of donations, from the beginning of the crisis to 31 May 2021, Catalyst processed data on 5,993 philanthropic instances in the Western Balkans and registered the total
Read more →In response to Covid 19, Trag Foundation in 2020, granted 63 organizations with 23,510,992 RSD in Serbia, BiH, and Montenegro, thus fulfilling its operational mission. Grants were delivered to organizations providing care for safe houses and housing programs; workshops; field visits and human packages distributions; institution monitoring and public advocacy; Internet services; information sharing to
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