Together with our member, Civic Initiatives, we present the 2023 Report on the Civil Society Environment in Serbia. As per report’s findings, fundamental freedoms of association, assembly and expression, continue to be violated, particularly during the pre- and post-election period. CSOs face targeted campaigns, intimidation and SLAPP lawsuits. Legal frameworks are insufficient to support volunteering, philanthropy, and transparent state funding, with political influence affecting decisions in funding distributions. Recommendations include enforcing laws to protect fundamental rights, establishing mechanisms for human rights defenders, protecting journalists from SLAPPs, and improving transparency in state funding. Further steps involve creating stronger incentives for corporate and individual giving, developing qualitative criteria for decision-making processes, and enhancing CSO involvement in public policy development. The report is part of a series of country reports covering civil society environments in six Western Balkan countries and Türkiye, which findings are synthetized into BCSDN 2023 Monitoring Regional Report. Find the full report here.
Source: BCSDN