As part of its dialogue with Council of Europe member States, the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (CINGO) is currently conducting combined country visits to the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic from 4 to 11 November 2026.
The visits aim to discuss the current environment in which civil society organisations (CSOs) in particular operate in both countries, with particular attention to opportunities for democratic participation in public decision-making processes, their dialogue and cooperation with public authorities, and the civic space situation in the light of experience of CSOs.
During the visits, the delegation is meeting with representatives of government institutions, local authorities, national human rights institutions, parliament members and a number of civil society organisations active in a variety of areas. These exchanges will provide an opportunity to hear different perspectives on the state of civil society, examine existing mechanisms for consultation and participation, and discuss the conditions necessary for NGOs to contribute effectively to democratic governance and public life.
The visits will also provide an opportunity to raise awareness about relevant Council of Europe standards and values in the field of democratic participation and civic space, and communicate about the dialogue and reciprocal engagement between the Conference of INGOs, the Council of Europe and national civil society actors.
The visits will lead to the preparation of country reports, to be presented at the next Spring session of the Conference of INGOs (in April 2027), reflecting the main findings of the discussions and identifying possible recommendations to strengthen cooperation between civil society and public authorities, and the enabling environment for civil society, in line with Council of Europe standards and principles.
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