Country visits of the Conference of INGOs

The Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe visits member States to meet local NGOs and public authorities to introduce them to the Conference of INGOs, to examine the interactions between decision-makers and NGOs as well as civil society participation in the public decision-making process. Often, countries have put in place institutional arrangements and dedicated legal frameworks in order to support consultations with NGOs and to associate them in the design and/or evaluation of public policies.

The Conference hears the point of view of both NGOs and authorities to find out what use is made of these participatory tools. Each visit is followed by a report which highlights the important issues for the NGOs at that specific moment and socio-political context. Recommendations are formulated to improve the effectiveness of cooperation between NGOs and the public authorities. The findings of the visits also contribute to advancing the Council of Europe’s work in this field.

The participation of civil society in decision-making is one of the priorities of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and guidelines on civil society’s effective and meaningful participation in the political decision-making process are being developed for possible adoption by the Committee of Ministers.

The President of the Conference also sends letters to the national authorities of a given country, in relation to developments that CINGO sees as problematic from the viewpoint of Council of Europe standards and values. Such letters are sometimes cosigned by the Chair of the Expert Council on NGO Law, where the concerns are related to legal issues and the civic space.

VISITS and REPORTS

2022