Newsroom
Statement by the President of the Conference of INGOs
The proposed amendments to the Non-Profit Legal Entitites Act in Bulgaria give rise for concern
I am very concerned to learn about the proposed amendments to the Non-Profit Legal Entities Act under consideration, which would create a very hostile environment for those civil society organisations with public benefit status that are in receipt of foreign funding. In particular, I am concerned...
Expert Council on NGO Law of the Conference of INGOs
Amendments to Greek legislation on NGO registation
The Expert Council on NGO Law publishes its opinion on the recently adopted and planned measures that affect NGOs working in Greece on asylum, migration, and social inclusion. The Expert Council found the measures to be an excessive interference with the legitimate activities of NGOs working on...
Report published following the visit of the Conference of INGOs to Armenia
The Conference of INGOs is publishing a report on its official visit to Armenia held on 27-29 November 2019. During the visit, the hosting organisation, the Federation of Youth Clubs of Armenia (FYCA), organised two meetings with more than 50 NGOs: human and civil rights organisations, lawyers...
COVID-19 Thematic Webinars
June Special Session of the Conference of INGOs (22-23 June 2020)
Following the cancellation of the April Session of the Conference of INGOs due to COVID-19, the Conference is holding a special short Session in June with four COVID-19 related thematic webinars (English/French interpretation provided) chosen by the members of the Conference through a...
Statement by the Migration Task Force of the Conference of INGOs
What are the prospects for refugees and migrants locked in camps in the deconfinement period?
The Covid – 19 pandemic was indicative of the attitudes of national and international institutions. In such moments of crisis, the relevance and importance of the rules, that have been freely established by the parties concerned, have been observed. It is by taking into account the poorest and...
Statement by Anna Rurka, President of the Conference of INGOs and Jeremy McBride, President of the Expert Council on NGO Law
Call to the Parliament of Moldova to pass Draft Law No. 109 on Non-Commercial Organizations
"We are pleased to learn that the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova has now re-started the process of considering the draft Law No. 109 on Non-commercial organizations that was given a first reading in May 2018. The draft Law, if adopted in its current version, would be a welcome improvement...
International Conference on Civil Participation in Decision-Making
What are the challenges and innovative experiences in ensuring a meaningful civil participation in decision-making?
Increasing the level of input from civil society and citizens to guide public decisions can be one way of combating the new challenges that have been facing our representative democracies, such as the decorrelation between citizens’ preferences and decisions taken by public authorities, the...
Expert Council on NGO Law
New Guidelines on Protecting NGO Work in Support of Refugees and Other Migrants
The Expert Council on NGO Law has adopted Guidelines on Protecting NGO Work in Support of Refugees and Other Migrants. These guidelines have been developed to help Council of Europe Member States, the European Union and international organizations to ensure, when taking action against trafficking...
Expert Council on NGO Law of the Conference of INGOs
“Amendments to the Law on Associations of Turkey are problematic on both procedural and substantive accounts”
The Expert Council on NGO Law of the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe published an opinion that examines the compatibility with European standards of recently enacted amendments [1] to the Law on Associations of the Republic of Turkey (Law No. 5253, “Official Gazette”, No. 25649). The...
Statement of the Standing Committee of the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe adopted on 27 April 2020
Call on Hungarian Parliament to align legal gender recognition with internationally recognized human rights standards
The Standing Committee of the Conference of INGOs joins the concerns expressed by its members ILGA-Europe and Transgender Europe, many Hungarian human rights and LGBTI NGOs, national and international experts, as well as international institutions. The draft Omnibus Bill (T/9934), currently under...
Report published: Seminar “From the Past to the Future: A Living Civic Space for a Living Democracy”
The Conference of INGOs is eager to share with you the report with the recommendations that follow the seminar “From the Past to the Future: A Living Civic Space for a Living Democracy” organised on the occasion of the World NGO Day 2020. The diverse approaches and forms of activism help civil...
Statement by the Standing Committee of the Conference of INGOs
In the context of the fight against the pandemic, the Standing Committee of the Conference of INGOs is expressing its strong commitment to the construction of a diverse and open society, based on human rights, the rule of law and meaningful democratic participation. In the name of solidarity,...
Four yearly report: 2016-2019
Reminder to INGOs with participatory status to send in their report by 31 March
With two weeks to go before the deadline, there is still time for your INGO to submit its report on its co-operation with the Council of Europe for the period 2016-2019. Committee of Ministers’ Resolution (2016)3 on participatory status for INGOs with the Council of Europe requires INGOs to...
Spring session, 20-24 April
April Session of the Conference of INGOs cancelled
The session of the Conference of INGOs scheduled for 20-24 April is cancelled due to the COVID-19 epidemic. This decision follows the cancellation of the PACE session announced today. The President of the Conference will consult the Standing Committee and the Secretariat without delay to adapt...
Expert Council on NGO Law
New publication: Review of developments in standards, mechanisms and case law related to NGOs - 2017-2019
The Expert Council on NGO Law of the Conference of INGOs is publishing a review on developments relating to non-governmental organisations’ standards, the work of various mechanisms and case law between 30 September 2017 and 31 December 2019. The developments relating to standards involve the...
Participation of the President of the Conference of INGOs
High-level Conference on Environmental Protection and Human Rights
The Conference of INGOs contributed to the high-level Conference on Environmental Protection and Human Rights held on 27 February 2020 under the aegis of the Georgian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The President, Anna Rurka, presented the work carried out...
#WORLDNGODAY
World NGO Day - Seminar: “From the Past to the Future: A Living Civic Space for a Living Democracy”
The Conference of INGOs celebrated World NGO Day with the holding of a seminar in Brussels on 28 February entitled “From the Past to the Future : A Living Civic Space for a Living Democracy”. The emergence of spontaneous grassroots activism and effective, widespread bottom-up initiatives...
World NGO Day: Statement by Anna Rurka, President of the Conference of INGOs
February 27 is an important day for civil society. We mark World NGO Day during which we celebrate the various NGOs around the world, the people behind them, and the valuable contribution that they make to society. During the third Council of Europe Summit of Heads of State and Government in...
Participate in the Conference of INGOs' work in 2020
Call for applications "Youth delegate for a year"
In line with its “Roadmap for youth participation”, the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe will invite 2 young persons representing their member NGO to Strasbourg (France), to take an active part, as a youth delegate, in its coming April and October sessions. Being a youth delegate for...
Expert Council on NGO Law
New study: Using criminal law to restrict the work of NGOs supporting refugees and other migrants in Council of Europe Member States
The Expert Council on NGO Law is publishing a study entitled “Using Criminal Law to Restrict the Work of NGOs Supporting Refugees and Other Migrants in Council of Europe Member States”. The study considers the situation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) carrying out humanitarian assistance...
