News and updates from BCSDN and the region
As part of the revised Regional Civil Society Development Hub Call for ad-hoc support, BCSDN is calling for informal or registered organizations from the Western Balkans that face pressure to the civic space, hate speech, hostile attacks, or that want to react towards the changes of a law that affects their work, etc. The call’s
Read more →Assessing the progress made by Albania, Kosovo, N. Macedonia, and Serbia in the last two years, in their reports, MEPs indicate the countries’ progress towards the EU depends on in-depth reforms across fundamental areas. MEPs welcome Albania’s commitment to the EU integration and call for a formal start of accession negotiations. The normalization of Kosovo
Read more →On 25 March 2021, Anja Bosilkova- Antovska, BCSDN Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, participated at the Regional Thematic Network Forum: “Role of CSOs and CSOs Thematic Networks- Structuring the Dialogue with Public Authorities for Policy Reforms (Local/ Regional Initiatives)”, organized by Local Democracy Agency Subotica, as a member of the Balkan Network for Local Democracy (BNLD).
Read more →On 18 March, BCSDN member Partners Albania, together with ECNL and BCSDN, organized the regional workshop: “NPO engagement in Anti-Money Laundry/ Combating Financing of Terrorism processes– lessons from the WBT”. Ms. Juliana Hoxha, the Executive Director of PA, opened the workshop introducing organization’s current projects on AML/CFT, and together with Ms. Klotilda Tavani Kosta, the
Read more →A smear campaign was launched against the investigative portal KRIK, emerging in Serbia’s major government-funded tabloids. The organization (a member of the Organised Crime and Corruption Research Network (OCCRP), was connected with an organized criminal group headed by a recently-arrested crime boss, under investigation for several murders. The campaign made unsupported and inaccurate claims that the criminal
Read more →European press freedom and journalists’ organizations expressed their concern about Slovenia’s state of media freedom and the Prime minister’s attacks on the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) independence. They state that journalists’ denigration, and the ruling party’s attempts to exercise greater control over the country’s public service media, generates a hostile climate for critical reporting. Moreover,
Read more →Thousands of protesters took to Istanbul’s streets after Turkey pulled out the Istanbul agreement designed to protect women from domestic violence, signed in 2011 to stop killing women and girls. Many national and international organizations condemned and, with joint actions, urged against the Turkish authorities’ decision that seriously affects women’s rights. BCSDN member from Turkey,
Read more →To maintain an independent, representative, and effective Council for Cooperation with and Development of the Civil Sector in the next three years in N. Macedonia, the General Secretariat of the Government announces a Public Call for the election of 16 members of the Council among associations and foundations. Organizations registered under the Law on Associations
Read more →Global counterterrorism is pursued through a closed institutional infrastructure. It includes UN entities, among which the Office of Counter-Terrorism (OCT). FATF recommendations are internationally endorsed global standards against money laundering and terrorist financing to enable countries to tackle illicit use of the financial systems. The FATF’s approach has been criticized as enabling governments to target civil society through repressive financial regulation.
Read more →On 30 March 2021, BCSDN held an online event to present the project results of 5 Macedonian CSO networks, which under the program “Sustainable Civil Society– State Financing of CSOs” enhanced their capacities, transparency, and accountability. The EU-funded program is implemented by MCIC in partnership with BCSDN and the CNVOS from Slovenia. The Executive Directors
Read more →In its latest newsletter, the Global Standard for CSO Accountability through the Cluster B commitments examines how different organizations approach to change; what kind of actions they implement to ensure that the people they cooperate have a key role in driving their work; how organizations are building strong, accountable, and respectful partnerships, and how they
Read more →In its recent blogpost, Accountable Now presents how CSOs practicing a different kind of accountability towards their stakeholders is at the heart of the Global Standard’s mission. According to GS’ dynamic accountability, CSOs are not only accountable to their donors and governments but primarily to their constituents and stakeholders. Through implementing dynamic accountability practices like
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