Civic Space Scan of Finland
At the global level, civic space is narrowing and thus efforts to protect and promote
it are more important than ever. The OECD defines Civic Space as the set of legal,
policy, institutional, and practical conditions necessary for non-governmental actors
to access information, express themselves, associate, organise, and participate in
public life. This document presents the Civic Space Scan of Finland, which was undertaken
at the request of the Finnish government and is the first OECD report of its kind.
OECD Civic Space Scans in particular assess how governments protect and promote civic
space in each national context and propose ways to strengthen existing frameworks
and practices. The Scan assesses four key dimensions of civic space: civic freedoms
and rights, media freedoms and digital rights, the enabling environment for civil
society organisations, and civic participation in policy and decision making. Each
respective chapter of the report contains actionable recommendations for the Government
of Finland. As part of the scan process, a citizens’ panel – also overseen by the
OECD – was held in February 2021 and generated a wide range of recommendations for
the government from a representative microcosm of Finnish society.
Published on June 16, 2021
In series:OECD Public Governance Reviewsview more titles