civil society

Here be dragons: How the EU bank's development finance overlooks people at risk

The European Investment Bank’s failure in safeguarding the most vulnerable groups in its projects shows it is ill-equipped to help refugees and host communities in the European Union’s neighbourhood. A new report explains the bank’s weaknesses in identifying and responding to human rights risks.

Tags: civil society democracy development human rights overseas investments participation refugees safeguards transparency EU neighbourhood Global South

Institution: EIB

Theme: Social & economic impacts, Development

Azerbaijan's crackdown on civil society must not be tolerated, international NGOs tell industry transparency body

October 25, 2016

The Azerbaijani government’s relentless repression of civil society should disqualify the country from participating in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), 18 international groups wrote in a letter sent on Thursday (October 20) to members of the EITI board.

Institution: EBRD, EIB, World Bank Group

Theme: Social & economic impacts

Tags: civil society, EITI, extractive industries, freedom of speech, human rights, transparency, Caucasus, Central Asia

Ukraine needs European values and Europe's solidarity

Ahead of a referendum in the Netherlands on the association agreement between the European Union and Ukraine, Olexi Pasyuk from the National Ecological Centre of Ukraine discusses the agreement’s importance for Ukraine’s civil society and why Europe must still improve how it engages with the country.

Tags: association agreement civil society democracy EU Euromaidan nuclear safety Ukraine CEE EU EU neighbourhood

Institution: EBRD

Theme: Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts

Russian environmental organisation forced to choose between 'foreign agent' label and shutdown

September 11, 2015

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Environment Watch (SEW), Bankwatch member group in Russia's far east, has been ordered by the Russian authorities to register itself as a 'foreign agent'. The group rejects claims it is engaged in any political activity, and intends to contest the decision. If the decision is not repealed, the group will consider shutting down.

Theme: Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts

Tags: civil society, Dmitry Lisitsyn, Russia, Sakhalin, Central Asia

Better results and smoother uptake - guarantee partners' involvement during EU funds implementation and monitoring

Policy comments | June 1, 2015

Despite some shortcomings of partners’ involvement during the Programming of the EU funds for 2014-2020, environmental partners could significantly improve the mainstreaming of environmental protection requirements throughout Partnership Agreements and Operational Programmes. It is now all the more important to ensure partners can contribute during the implementation and monitoring of EU regional development funding.

This paper offers practical suggestions to strengthen the role of civil society:

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Institution: EU Funds

Time to stop shooting the messenger

Repression against civil society is on the rise, as the latest alarming case from Montenegro shows.

Tags: civil society corruption elections human rights MANS Montenegro Vanja Calovic Balkans

On Evgeny Vitishko, multilateral development banks and the criminalisation of public criticism

The recent rejection to release Evgeny Vitishko's, an imprisoned environmental activist in Russia, illustrates the backlash against fundamental rights and freedoms in some countries. Multilateral development banks need to take notice of this trend and be more wary of the risk that their lending may strengthen authoritarian regimes.

Tags: civil society democracy Environmental Watch on North Caucasus Evgeny Vitishko freedom human rights reprression Russia Sochi transition Caucasus Central Asia EU neighbourhood