What's New

News and updates from BCSDN and the region

BCSDN Background Analysis of the Enlargement Package 2020: Should Civil Society Be Satisfied with Just Being Acknowledged?

BCSDN published its 11th consecutive analysis of the European Commission Enlargement Package 2020, assessing the progress made in the area of civil society development and dialogue with public institutions in Enlargement countries, and published recently, against BCSDN’s Monitoring Matrix on Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development. Regarding the overall progress in the enabling environment for

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Monitoring the Enabling Enviroment

Civil Society Role Amid COVID- 19 in the Balkans

During the COVID- 19 pandemic, governments in Southeast Europe have imposed significant restrictions on fundamental human rights and freedoms. The Associate Direction for programs at Human Rights Watch has suggested that government actions have been detrimental to human rights through excessive restrictions of movement, as well as, deepening discriminatory patterns to vulnerable groups, such as

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Monitoring the Enabling Enviroment

SEE Governments Continue to Undermine Right to Information Under Cover of COVID-19

The COVID-19 has had a chilling effect on people’s right to information in Central and Southeast Europe. A number of countries adopted legal measures that temporarily altered or suspended obligations about the right to information. Yet, with the COVID-19 measures eased, BIRN journalists presented that many countries are suspending or delaying freedom of information requests,

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Monitoring the Enabling Enviroment

Romanian NGOs Condemn Threat to Limit Access to Information

Five Romanian NGOs in an open letter have condemned legislation that would limit the state’s requirement to supply public information. They argue that the legislative change would make access to information a more financially costly process, restricting the exercise of a fundamental right, thus undermining the state’s transparency. While the Romanian Government installed temporary restrictions

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Monitoring the Enabling Enviroment

Turkey: Monitoring Committee Condemns New Crackdowns On Political Opposition and Civil Dissent

PACE’s Monitoring Committee has strongly condemned new crackdowns on political opposition and civil dissent, the Turkish authorities to improve the conditions for democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. In a draft resolution, PACE observed various concerns over Turkey’s external activities, including military operations, and urged the authorities to take action to better these

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Political and Economic Foundations of Disinformation and Hate Speech in North Macedonia, Analysis Published

The South East European Network for Professionalization of Media report looks at the patterns of disinformation, propaganda, and hate speech in North Macedonia. The research finds that the connection between the media with the political and business centers of power often is the reason for these three phenomena. Hate speech and disinformation on social media

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Promoting Dynamic Accountability as a Tool to Improved Trust and Legitimacy of the CSO Sector in the Balkans

BCSDN has established the Regional Civil Society Development Hub, which provides support and funding initiatives for CSOs in the Western Balkans. The Hub is financially assisted by SIDA and aims to advance the transparency and accountability of CSOs to establish a better environment for civil society. Regional grants through the Hub help to administer accountability

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MCIC/BCSDN Workshop: Rendir App- A Test for the Legitimacy, Transparency, and Accountability of Macedonian CSOs

During the Civica Mobilitas Festival “Day of the CSOs”, MCIC and BCSDN led a workshop, and as a part of Global Standard for CSO Accountability, presented the Rendir App, a self-assessment tool designed to improve CSO accountability to over 15 CSO representatives across North Macedonia. At the event, the CSOs had the chance through the

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Human Rights Grantmaking Principles Published

Ariadne has established a funders advisory committee as a part of a broader objective to address guiding principles for human rights grantmaking. They have published six Human Rights Grantmaking Principles, written and contributed by 300 human rights contributors from over 40 countries. The principles are aimed at helping organisations and foundations assess their internal practices

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