Restrictions on civil society are justified by many reasons – but being in a situation of crisis is one of the most common ones. Whether it is because of counter-terrorism efforts, pandemic, national security or war, governments around the world as well as in the EaP region amend laws to limit individuals and group’s rights, including freedom of association. They often bypass international standards and rarely try to find ways to enable the exercise of civic freedoms.
The OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting this year focused on how we can ensure the functioning of our democratic institutions in times of crisis. The event took place in Vienna and online on May 16-17, and saw many prominent civil society activists and experts from the Eastern Partnership region.
ECNL shared learnings from responses to COVID-19, but also in Ukraine and in countries that host Ukrainian people and CSOs. States can facilitate freedom of association and inclusion of civil society in responses to emergency, war and other types of crisis:
- States should recognize that as with companies, civil society organisations also need relaxed procedures in times of crisis.
- The flow of funding, especially across the border, should not be limited. Channeling funding through civil society is critical in countries facing conflict.
- The core of democratic processes is ensuring participation in how decisions are made.
- Enabling the association online is key. Uninterrupted digital world is critical for exercising freedom of association.
To see the full speech of ECNL’s Executive Director, Katerina Hadzi-Miceva Evans, see video (1:49:17 mark): https://youtu.be/NcOCAU0idS0