Since 2017, ECNL has worked with partners in the six Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine) on the CSO Meter project. The project has created a unique monitoring system of the civil society environment, from the region, for the region. It enables continuous monitoring of both the legal and the practical environment for civil society in the countries. Each year, a comprehensive report is created for each country, as well as the region as a whole, highlighting the negative and positive changes on a 7-point scale. This system allows for comparisons across time, tracking positive developments and alerting to negative changes. Additionally, the Early Warning Updates allows interested institutions to stay on top of important developments.
Recommendations as a path towards reform:
The project monitors developments in 11 different areas (Freedom of Association, Equal Treatment, Access to Funding, Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, Right to Participation in Decision Making, Freedom of Expression, Right to Privacy, State Duty to Protect, State Support, State-CSO Cooperation and Digital Rights). In each country, recommendations are given every year for each area, marking the path towards an improved civil society environment. These recommendations inform governments, international institutions, and serve as a basis for partner's advocacy actions on the ground. To this day, at least 60 advocacy actions in the region have taken place based on the CSO Meter recommendations.
As a result, the CSO Meter has facilitated:
- More transparent state funding procedures in Armenia;
- A comprehensive volunteering law in Armenia;
- Supporting philanthropy in Moldova;
- A new civil society development strategy in Ukraine;
- Pushing back against COVID-19 bans on assemblies in Moldova;
- Challenging the Foreign Agents Law in Georgia;
- And adjusting an unfavourable draft lobby law in Ukraine.
Third phase: Empowered for Action
From 2024 to 2027, the project continues in its third phase. ECNL and partners will focus on empowering the CSO Meter Hub to pursue advocacy actions for an improved civil society environment. These actions will be based on a participatory assessment of advocacy priorities in each country in the country's CSO Meter Hub. Priorities are formed from long-term assessments and recommendations of the CSO Meter reports, taking into account urgent developments or new windows of opportunity. ECNL will support the partners in their advocacy actions through mentorship and guidance, as well as financial support in the form of grants specifically dedicated for advocacy.
For more information on the project methodology and partners, see the project website.