Today, on 6 April 6, seminar on “Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), Spheres, Structures, Civil Society Participation” will be held in the framework of CSOs’ Incubators of “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” Project. Mr. Carl Ulbricht, the International Expert of the Project will conduct the seminar.
10 civil society organizations representatives attended the training.
The expert presented the experience gained by the European Union on how to create a platform for civil society, and pointed as an example the experience of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.
“The European Union wants a constructive dialogue with CSOs, and that all processes are organized on the basis of consensus,” Carl Ulbricht said.
According to Article 366 of the Agreement, a Civil Society Platform should be established in Armenia.
It shall be a forum to meet and exchange views for, and consist of representatives of civil society on the side of the European Union, including members of the European Economic and Social Committee, and representatives of civilsociety organisations, networks and platforms on the side of the Republic of Armenia, including the Eastern Partnership National Platform.
CSO representatives voiced a concern that several meetings with international and local experts had already met with CSO representatives to form a civil society platform but many CSOs were not informed about it.
Mr. Kamo Asatryan, Chairman of the Board of the National Center for Legal Researches NGO, pointed out that CSO representatives are unaware of how the decision on who can participate in those discussions were made, when and when they will be held, their agenda, etc. “We, as representatives of the civil society, would like to participate in these discussions, make decisions that are made transparent, participatory, and to inspire confidence to all, that the process takes place through a clear methodology, and there are standards,” Kamo Asatryan said in a conversation with us.
The training is organised in the framework of the “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project implemented with the financial support of the European Union by a Consortium of civil society organisations, which are the Armenian Lawyers’ Association (lead organisation), Agora Central Europe (NGO based in the Czech Republic), the Armenian Centre for Democratic Education-CIVITAS, the International Centre for Human Development, the SME Cooperation Association and the Union of Communities of Armenia.
The main objective of the Project is to enhance the influence of CSOs on the public policy process, and the specific objectives are to strengthen the ability of CSOs to build coalitions and to strengthen the ability of CSOs to focus on constructive and strategic policy engagement with local and central government partners. The Project has a grant component, which anticipates providing sub-grants to the civil society organizations and CSO Coalitions (Networks).
The project has 9 target areas: justice, education, business, public finance management, human rights, agriculture, economy, energy, social sphere including social inclusion of children with disabilities.
Alisa Chilingaryan
