In the next period EU will continue providing financial support for the civil sector in Serbia through IPA programmes, but it will also help strengthening the cooperation between civil sector and national authorities; this could be heard in the Define the Civil Society You Want Conference. Minister Selaković noted that more transparent work and funding of civil society organisations is needed.

There is neither substantial progress without the strong civil society nor success in the accession negotiations, noted the participants of the Conference which was organised through the cooperation of EU Delegation to Serbia and Government’s Office for Cooperation with Civil Society.

Minister of Justice and Public Administration, Nikola Selaković, said at the beginning of the Define the Civil Society You Want Conference that increased level of transparency is needed, both in the work of national authorities as well as in the work of civil society organisations.

Object of the Conference was obtaining civil society organisations’ opinion on the civil sector development strategy which is planned for adoption by the Government of Serbia. The Conference was attended by more than 400 representatives of civil sector as well as the ambassadors of EU, USA and Norway, Michael Davenport, Michael Kirby and Nils Ragnar Kamsvåg.

Necessary transparency

Selaković noted that transparency in work and funding of the civil society organisations is needed, as well as defining their aims and objectives.

Minister of Justice underlined the role of the civil society organisations in the EU integration process, and he mentioned the chapters about judiciary and human rights that are in jurisdiction of his department.

“Fighting against corruption is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Justice and the society as a whole, and importance of civil society organisations in this process is huge”, said Selaković.

Head of the Negotiating Team for Accession, Tanja Miščević, noted that civil society is one of the controllers of the executive power, which is in possession of all the tools needed in order to influence on decisions made by the executive power.

Reforms keeper

Role of the civil society is initiating and keeping the reforms, Miščević said.

“That is the kind of civil society I want to see in Serbia”, she pointed out and added that executive power has the biggest responsibility in accession negotiations, but there is also a responsibility of the society when it comes to success of the negotiations.

Director of the Office for Cooperation with Civil Society Ivana Ćirković, said that there are 22,000 civil society organisations registered in Serbia.

Ćirković emphasized that today’s Conference was organised with an objective of obtaining the CSO’s opinion on the strategy for development of civil sector which is planned for adoption by the Government of Serbia.

“Neither substantial progress of the society nor the development of Serbia is possible without the strong civil society”, Ćirković assessed, and pointed out that the Government is willing to cooperate with civil sector.

EU support to the civil sector

Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Michael Davenport, said at the beginning of the Conference that without involving this sector, Serbia’s progress towards EU integration is unimaginable.

“It is important to emphasise that the strategy for cooperation with civil society gives you an opportunity to shape it, and incorporate your objectives and priorities,” said Davenport.

He announced that In the next period EU will continue providing financial support to the civil sector in Serbia through IPA programmes, but it will also help strengthening the cooperation between civil sector and national authorities.

US ambassador Michael Kirby said that Government cannot solve all of the issues concerning its citizens, but it can enable environment in which citizens can achieve their goals.

Kirby assessed that the period in which the civil society Conference is being held is interesting, because the citizens of Serbia will soon vote in the parliamentary elections.

“Think big  – seize the opportunity”

“Civil society should define its objectives and priorities. Think big – seize the opportunity, because it does not knock twice,” Kirby said and pointed out that besides adopting strategy, its implementation is what matters too.

Kirby added that the US, along side with EU and Norway, is a donor for Office for Cooperation with Civil Society.

Ambassador of Kingdom of Norway to Serbia, Nils Ragnar Kamsvåg, said that Norwegian Government invested €4 million in projects concerning strengthening civil society in Serbia and announced a new support programme starting in May.

By February 13th 2014, 22.973 associations have been registered in Serbia; in the period of 2010-2012 civil sector employed 19.180 people, and total revenue of the SCOs in 2012 was RSD21,8 billion.