Involvment of civil society is crucial now

Dr Prof Mirjam Van Reisen, director of EEPA, in latest briefing paper EU policy on Civil Society Organisations points out the importance of civil society in diplomacy following the overthrow of two regimes in the Middle East.

The strength of civil society as a non-violent force for change in Europe came to the fore in the uprisings of the former Central and Eastern European countries, a situation strikingly similar to that of Egypt and Tunisia.

Over the last decade, terminology in relation to civil society organisations has changed in the policy documents of the European Commission. This paper takes a quick look at the evolution of this terminology, followed by an examination of how civil society‟s right to organise is embedded in the legal framework as a core human right.

Click here to download Mirjam Van Reisen's briefing paper EU policy on Civil Society Organisations.

Click here to get more information on current Civil Society Policy and Practice in Donor Agencies (Report commissioned by the UK Department for International Development -DFID).