Governance and Democracy

Igor Munteanu, Executive Director of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) "Viitorul", Chisinau, Moldova, takes top diplomatic post after 17 years with the Moldovan think-tank.

Ilko Kucheriv, director and founder of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, Ukraine, passed away on 29 May 2010.

A new PASOS study into the effectiveness of European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) was presented at a seminar in Brussels on 1 June, including a debate on the quest for flexible EU democracy funding and into the impact of the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on European democracy assistance.

A PASOS study into the reform of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) was presented by the author, Věra Řiháčková, at the World Movement for Democracy Assembly in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In November 2009, the Council of the European Union approved a set of Council Conclusions on Democracy Support in the EU’s External Relations, including an Agenda for Action. With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, and the creation of an EU diplomatic service (European External Action Service), an opportunity now exists to provide a clear framework for democracy support in EU external relations.

CIVIL SOCIETY DEFENCE COMMITTEE STATEMENT
Civil society organizations in Azerbaijan are deeply concerned that application of the latest changes and amendments to the Law “On Grants” and to several Legislative Acts of the Azerbaijan Republic will create serious obstacles for the activity of non-governmental organizations.

According to these changes, it is mandatory to operate only on grant agreements that are registered in the relevant government organ. This means that permission should be received from the government organ for any grant activity.

Green Paper on a European Citizens’ Initiative

Recommendations in response to European Commission's Green Paper on a European Citizens' Initiative - by PASOS (Policy Association for an Open Society)

The plenaries and panel discussions from "Return to Europe – Reflections After 20 Years of Democratic Renewal", a PASOS international conference, held in Prague, Czech Republic, on 10 December 2009, are now online for those who could not join us to listen to the debates. The conference marked the occasion of International Human Rights Day to mark 20 years since the end of the cold war and the end of communist rule in Central Europe.

A majority of Czechs, Slovaks and Poles consider democracy-building to have been a success; a majority of Hungarians regard it as a failure.

The PASOS Annual Report 2007/2008 is now available in print and online, including contact details to hundreds of policy analysts in 40 independent think-tanks in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and details of joint cross-border projects by PASOS members, and a section highlighting where think-tanks are making a difference

The latest issue of Europe's World features a special report on "Overcoming the Crisis".

PASOS is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Europe's World

According to the Civil Society Defense Committee in Azerbaijan, the amendments “contradict the realisation of the right to freedom of association envisaged in the country’s Constitution, conventions on human rights that our country is party to, obligations undertaken before the Council of Europe and OSCE, the entire philosophy of civil society, and the goal of the ‘Non-governmental Organizations State Support Concept’ signed by President Ilham Aliyev on 13 December 2007.”

PASOS urges European Commission and forthcoming Swedish EU Presidency to strengthen the political mandate and technical expertise available to the EC delegation in Moldova and the office of the EU Special Representative to Moldova, and to make this a core element of the Eastern Partnership agreement between the EU and Moldova.

Roadmap launched by Moldovan think-tanks and human rights groups

The crisis in Moldova continues. To help the country, the EU must pay more attention – and sustain its attention.

By Igor Munteanu, in association with PASOS

European Voice - 01.05.2009 / 11:58 CET

The call, issued through letters to Javier Solana and the Czech presidency of the EU Council in response to the deteriorating political situation in Moldova, follows ultimata delivered to civil society groups in Moldova by tax authorities, demanding financial reports of all sources of revenue (the recipients of summons included Amnesty International Moldova as well as IDIS "Viitorul", Institute for Public Policy, and ADEPT, three PASOS members who took part in Coalition 2009, the coalition of non-governmental organisations that monitored the elections of 5 April 2009).

Igor Munteanu, member of the PASOS Board of Directors and Executive Director of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives Viitorul, Moldova, briefed a Brussels audience about the latest developments in the post-election crisis in Moldova.

PASOS urges European Commission, Council of EU, and Czech EU Presidency to work for peaceful, democratic solution to political and civil crisis in Moldova

Electoral process vitiated before the Election Day

- final statement of Coalition 2009, network of NGOs that monitored the parliamentary election

Experts from Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia presented in Brussels the main findings and recommendations of a PASOS/European Institute study on EC Roadmaps on visa liberalisation in the Western Balkans.

The presentation was hosted at the Open Society Institute Brussels on 5 March 2009. The leading expert of the project, Nadya Dimitrova (European Institute, Bulgaria), together with country reporters - Sanja Kostovska (Center for Research and Policy Making, Macedonia) and Ditmir Bushati (Institute for Contemporary Studies, Albania) - presented their findings to representatives of the European Commission Directorate of Enlargement, as well as to the representatives of the Western Balkans missions to the EU.

PASOS supports appeal by Czech non-governmental organisations dedicated to protecting human rights in the world to Czech authorities to reconsider the invitation of the Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to the EU Eastern Partnership Summit in Prague.

Leading US experts on democracy assistance debated with Jacek Kucharczyk, Olga Shumylo and Jeff Lovitt, co-authors of the PASOS publication, Democracy's New Champions. European Democracy Assistance after EU Enlargement, at a presentation hosted in Washington, D.C., by Tom Carothers, Vice President for Studies at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

A ground-breaking PASOS study into the democracy assistance policies of the Visegrad Four countries, with a focus on four target countries - Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cuba, and Ukraine

New PASOS Board members elected from Georgia, Latvia, Moldova, and Poland; Riinvest Institute for Development Research, Kosovo, becomes newest PASOS member

From 'Fortress Europe' to 'Europe without Barriers',
Priorities of the Czech Presidency in External Relations: Transatlantic Perspectives, Prague, Czech Repubic, 20 October 2008 - A trans-Atlantic think-tanks' meeting held under the auspices of the Czech Foreign Ministry, in conjunction with the PASOS annual meeting (19 October 2008)

(13.15-13.45: Launch of Democracy’s New Champions, a PASOS study into the democracy assistance policies, spending, and geographical priorities of the Visegrad Four countries, with focus target countries: Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cuba, and Ukraine)

a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kyiv, Ukraine,

No. 26 (418), 8 September 2008

(in English and in Ukrainian)

Considering the important changes appearing in the context of international relations, Moldova should thoroughly and comprehensively analyse the significance of these developments, assess their impact on its interests and make necessary adjustments to its foreign and domestic policies, argue represetnatives of the community of foreign and security policy experts from the Republic of Moldova. This statement results from a series of consultations among the undersigned experts.

Call of the civil society representatives upon the Governments in Ankara, Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan to open the Turkish-Armenian border at least for 10-15 days to address the urgency in the Caucasus

Without concerted political will to act strategically and decisively, even the Lisbon treaty's institutional reforms will not give the EU the coherence to contain, let alone confront, a resurgent Russia.

By Jacek Kucharczyk, in association with PASOS

European Voice - 21.08.2008 / 13:45 CET

Two PASOS policy briefs examine EU funding of democracy assistance - European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) - and the aspirations of the Visegrad Four countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovak Republic) to emerge as effective players in international democracy assistance

a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kyiv, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

On the 50th anniversary of the European Parliament, marked on 19 March 2008, the European institute, together with the Center for Policy Modernization and Europe Gateway, and other partners, including PASOS, launched a large-scale communications project to stimulate the inclusion of European citizens and NGOs from 20 EU member states in a common public European debate.

a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

A new study from the Institute of Public Affairs, Poland, examines to what extent Poland's foreign policy will change with the new government. The author of the study is Krzysztof Bobiñski.

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine

(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,
a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine

(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,

a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine

(in English and in Ukrainian)

ICPS Newsletter,

a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine

(in English and in Ukrainian)

A PASOS submission to the consultation on the EU Communication Policy White Paper (Brussels, 1.2.2006 COM (2006) 35 final)

by Liliana N. Proskuryakova, Head of the International Unit, Strategia - St. Petersburg Center for Humanities and Political Studies