In response to civic space threats in Republika Srpska, BiH, including amendments re-criminalizing defamation and the adoption of the draft ‘foreign agents’ law,’ BCSDN conducted the online discussion ‘Defending Civic Space in the Balkans’ on November 9. The event put focus on several regional advocacy efforts aimed at drawing regional and international attention to the situation. One such effort, addressed in October, was our letter sent to the MONEYVAL Chairs, seeking an official response to the ongoing discussions regarding the draft “fara” law. MONEYVAL’s involvement in this matter would send a powerful message about the importance of striking the right balance between security concerns and democratic values, aligning with the ongoing FATF efforts to address unwanted restrictions on the civil society sector. The discussion concluded that the crisis in BiH should serve as a wake-up call prompting a stronger unity among CSOs, as well as a reflector on how to better promote the values of civil society and improve CSOs’ image to increase public support and civil society’s resistance to the challenges. Read the meeting report here.
Source: BCSDN