Standing Strong in the Storm: an EU strategy to safeguard civic space worldwide
Civil society is at the heart of democracy and sustainable development. There
are many different forms of civil society made up of a wide diversity of actors,
with changing roles and mandates. Forming associations and organisations
is both a right and a means of making people’s participation and commitment
to change effective and sustainable. Civil society organisations play facilitating roles between people and their governments by amplifying the voices of those facing marginalisation and exclusion, by defending and asserting rights, and by demanding transparency and accountability.
are many different forms of civil society made up of a wide diversity of actors,
with changing roles and mandates. Forming associations and organisations
is both a right and a means of making people’s participation and commitment
to change effective and sustainable. Civil society organisations play facilitating roles between people and their governments by amplifying the voices of those facing marginalisation and exclusion, by defending and asserting rights, and by demanding transparency and accountability.
The growing restrictions of civic space in many countries around the world,
including in the European Union (EU), are linked to an anti-democratic development globally that questions the universality of human rights. The closing of civic space has severe negative impacts on inclusive and sustainable development.
This paper presents CONCORD’s recommendations to the EU and Member States to continue their support of civic space and an enabling environment for civil society around the world, through a structured and systemic strategy.