Civica Mobilitas Thematic Forum: “State funding for greater sustainability of Civil Socity Organizations”

Civica Mobilitas is organizing the thematic forum “State Funding for Greater Sustainability of Civil Society Organizations.”

The event, which will take place on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at 11:00 AM at the Alexander Palace Hotel in Skopje, will also be available to follow online via live streaming on the official Civica Mobilitas Facebook page.

Improving the state funding system is a priority for civil society, and according to the Government of North Macedonia’s Work Program for 2022-2024, it is also a priority for the executive branch. However, recent restructuring and budget cuts for civil society organizations do not reflect the Government’s commitment to advancing the state funding system for CSOs. Why this is happening and what the next steps will be for both the Government and CSOs will be part of the discussion at the Civica Mobilitas thematic forum, where speakers will include: Rami Kerimi, State Secretary at the Ministry of Political System and Inter-Community Relations; Vesna Tasevska, Assistant Head of the Policy Analysis and Coordination Sector, General Secretariat of the Government; and Liljana Jonoski, member of the Working Group for State Funding Reform for CSOs.

The priorities of civil society organizations remain consistent over the years, including: increasing funds allocated for CSO funding; providing institutional support for CSOs; ensuring co-financing for activities supported by other donors; abandoning the practice of uncertain, one-year funding; establishing multi-year organizational and project support; increasing the size of individual grants; enhancing transparency, effectiveness, and accountability in fund distribution procedures; increasing accountability and transparency for state-funded expenditures and general operations of CSOs; and ensuring appropriate geographical distribution of state support for CSOs.

The Civica Mobilitas Thematic Forum provides a space for discussion among representatives of CSOs, national and local institutions, and other key stakeholders important for addressing these issues.

Civica Mobilitas is a civil society support program of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, implemented by NIRAS from Denmark, the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC), and FCG from Sweden.