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The undersigned, representing the consortium composed of the
Albanian Helsinki Committee, Kosova Rehabilitation Center for
Torture Victims (KRCT), Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in
Serbia, Macedonian Helsinki Committee in North Macedonia, Helsinki
Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Acknowledging the imperative of bolstering Civil Society Cooperation
within the OSCE region to fortify the human dimension, aiming to
address declining or shrinking civic space and countering the
erosion of common values and multilateral principles, we hereby
recommend that governmental actors take decisive action in the
following areas:
A. Creating an enabling environment for the entire civil society
sector by developing and implementing motivating policies that
foster an inclusive space via supporting informal groups as well.
B. Ensuring sustainable funding through state budget programs able
to ensure the sustainability of active civil society organizations
and prevent the contraction and suspension of their mission and
activities.
C. Formulating enable policies that empower Civil Society to
advocate for current initiatives aligned with their mission reducing
dependency on a donor'-driven approach.
D. Enhancing cooperation and opportunities for partnership among
civil society and institutional actors for exchanging information
and referring appropriate cases that require institutional
interventions.
E. Encouraging the cooperation of all political actors toward
finding joint solutions capable of ensuring stability and preventing
situations that compromise national democracy.
F. Implementing further legal measures and improving the national
legal framework on freedom of expression and media freedom in line
with the best practices and international standards. Taking
appropriate measures to prevent criminal proceedings against
journalists and media bodies, which may be used as attacks against
them, thereby safeguarding freedom of speech.
G. Establishing protective mechanisms against hate speech,
encompassing direct and indirect forms such as the use of
unappropriated narrative and certain opinions widespread by the
officials targeting different target groups, to ensure the effective
protection of activists and civil society representatives.
H. Reinforce legal mechanisms concerning threats from official
governments and public institutions directed at activists or civil
society organizations and guaranteeing their right to organize
protests or peaceful gatherings.
I. Full protection, in accordance with international standards, of
Russian and Belarusian citizens who are openly opposed to the war
and are currently in Serbia, and taking urgent legal actions to stop
their illegal and arbitrary persecution and denial of the right to
stay in Serbia.
Signatory Organizations:
Albanian Helsinki Committee
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia
Kosova Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims
Macedonian Helsinki Committee in North Macedonia
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