Strong cooperation for a strong civil society

Civica Mobilitas organised the first meeting of some of its grantees with the Ambassador of Switzerland.

In addition to presenting the supported projects, the aim of the meeting was to foster dialogue on challenges, strengthen cooperation, and explore synergies with other projects supported by Switzerland, thereby increasing impact and support.

“We have been supporting and actively working to improve civil society for almost 20 years,” said Ambassador Hulmann, adding that civil society organisations must assert themselves as actors of good governance by advocating for transparency, accountability, and citizen participation.

Representatives of the civil society organisations discussed their ongoing projects, shared their achievements, and emphasised the need for increased collaboration with state institutions. They also addressed activities being implemented at the local level, the accountability of political parties, opportunities for digitisation, and the implementation of existing laws, particularly the use of information regarding actual ownership, among other topics.

The meeting was attended by representatives from four consortia working on good governance, anti-corruption, and education. These included representatives from: the Forum for Reasonable Policies, the Balkan Institute for Regional Cooperation, the Centre for Civil Communications, the Association of Tax Advisers of the Republic of Macedonia, the Metamorphosis Foundation, the Blink 42-21 Centre for Social Innovations, Finance Think, and the Macedonian Civic Education Centre.

The meeting took place on 24th September 2024 at the premises of MCMS. Ambassador Hulmann is expected to meet other grantees in upcoming thematic meetings.