Enabling civil society to respond to crises and development needs

Civil society is a core partner in the implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), as well as in the response to Covid-19 and recovery strategies. Yet it is facing ever-growing challenges, such as restrictions on civic space, effectiveness gaps, tensions in donor policies and practices, and shortcomings in civil society organisation’s (CSOs) accountability.

High-level event ‘A call to action: Enabling civil society in the context of Covid-19’

4 June 2021, 12:00 – 14:30 CET | Watch the replay on YouTube

Donors, partner country governments and civil society organisations (CSOs) gathered to assess the challenges faced by civil society, which the Covid-19 pandemic had exacerbated.

^{Sources: ICNL-ECNL Covid-19 Civic Freedom Tracker; CIVICUS Monitor & OECD}

The event –the public segment of the DAC Civil Society Days 2021- drew attention on the need to step up individual and collective donor efforts to enable civil society’s responses to crises and development needs. It called for new, more effective partnerships to promote sustainable development by:

1. respecting, protecting and promoting civic space;
2. supporting and engaging with civil society;
3. encouraging CSOs effectiveness, transparency and accountability.