PASOS welcomes new members from Albania, Czech Republic, and Moldova

The PASOS network now extends to 39 independent policy centres (35 members and four associate members) spanning 24 countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The PASOS Board has approved as new members of PASOS the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM), Albania, and the Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT, Moldova, while the Association for International Affairs (AMO), Czech Republic, since 2007 an Associate Member, has been approved as a full member of PASOS.

The Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM), Albania, founded in November 1999, is an independent, non-governmental organisation working to strengthen civil society, to analyse and improve Albania's integration processes, to assist reforms and the consolidation of good governance and inclusive policy-making processes through expertise, innovative policy research, analysis and assessment-based policy options.

IDM has three core programme areas, structure in the Center for Security Studies (CSS), Local Governance and Community Development, and Research and Innovation Initiative (RII).

For further information, see http://idmalbania.org/en/

The Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT, Moldova, is a non-governmental organisation registered in Moldova in 2000. ADEPT provides expert advice on electoral, political and socio-economic processes in the Republic of Moldova and in the wider region. Its mission is to support active citizens' participation in all spheres of public life. In pursuing its mission, ADEPT strives to ensure that citizens freely exercise their right to vote, that they make an informed choice in elections, and that their vote counts; encourages citizens to hold elected officials accountable and to this end informs citizens about the activities of public institutions; and mediates between citizens and political parties to ensure that the latter act in the interest of the former, and are able to address issues important to the people.

ADEPT carries out these activities within three key programmes: governance monitoring, elections, and political parties.

For further information, see http://www.e-democracy.md/en/

The Association for International Affairs (AMO), Czech Republic, is a non-governmental organisation that conducts research, and hosts educational programmes in the fields of international affairs, foreign policy and security studies. The Association's primary regional focus is on the Czech Republic and Europe.

The AMO agenda is based on two fundamental pillars - education and research - that create a framework for mutually supportive projects. The research pillar is represented by the AMO Research Center. Founded in October 2003, the AMO Research Center concentrates on activities dedicated to carrying out research into, and raising public awareness about, international affairs and Czech and European security and foreign policy. The Research Center has been built to conduct independent and expert research in the field of international relations and to extend co-operation with partner institutions abroad.

For further information, see http://www.amo.cz