Protecting civil society and civic spaces in Georgia
In March 2023, the Government of Georgia initiated work on a legislative proposal on “foreign agents” that would have forced civil society organisations (CSOs) to be registered as being under foreign influence should they be receiving funding from sources outside of the country. The legislation, which was clearly aimed at restricting the work of these organisations, led to massive protests that forced the government to withdraw the bill from consideration. Over the past few weeks, the situation has worsened due to the country’s government’s decision to push forward the legislative proposal again. The fact that a government is acting this way in a country that initiated negotiations for EU membership merely 6 months ago does nothing but underscore how fragile Democracy and the Rule of Law are in our societies and how civic spaces must be protected tirelessly every day, everywhere.
Read the motion to find out the European Youth Forum's position.
Related publications
Youth Progress Index: Youth Progress and Civic Space
Civil society organisations play a critical role in amplifying the voices of marginalised and vulnerable groups, highlighting the key challenges they face and ensuring that their concerns reach diverse audiences. However, recent years have been marked by a disturbing trend of shrinking civic spaces, including those of youth organisations.
Calling for access to education, civic space and funding for young people and youth organisations in Türkiye
The European Youth Forum and our member organisations urge the government to strengthen access to education and adequate housing, civic space and funding for young people and youth organisations in Türkiye.
