Launch: Protecting civic space to foster more meaningful citizen participation in Lithuania

On 1 June 2026, the OECD held the launch event of the Protecting civic space to foster meaningful citizen participation for Lithuania in Vilnius. The event offered an opportunity to introduce the objectives, scope, approach and timeline of the project to Lithuanian government institutions and civil society stakeholders.

Following the launch event, on 2-5 June, the OECD conducted fact-finding interviews with government officials and non-government stakeholders from civil society and academia, in order to build shared understanding of Lithuania's context and identify Lithuania's specific needs and priorities for this project.

The project Protecting civic space to foster more meaningful citizen participation provides tailored support to strengthen civic space and citizen participation across the EEA & Norway Grants beneficiary countries, drawing on OECD frameworks, data, and good practices. It combines country reviews, capacity-building guidance and trainings, and monitoring tools to improve legal frameworks, public policies, and institutional practices, fostering more participatory and resilient democratic governance.