Expanding Digital Democracy: From E-Services to Civic Tech and Citizen Engagement

Despite increasing investments in digital transformation, civil society organizations across the region continue to highlight a gap between the availability of digital public services and their actual use by citizens.

In North Macedonia, limited awareness and low usage of the national e-services platform www.uslugi.gov.mk were identified as a key challenge. Similar concerns were shared across other countries, where digital literacy and public outreach remain insufficient to ensure inclusive access to digital governance tools.

Organizations from Moldova and Ukraine emphasized the importance of civic education, youth participation, electoral literacy, and innovative approaches such as gamification to strengthen democratic engagement. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan highlighted the role of civic technology, crowdfunding, digital inclusion, and community-based initiatives that support citizen participation and civil society sustainability.

Participants from Türkiye added an important perspective on the role of data accessibility and institutional transparency in enabling effective civic engagement. They also emphasized the importance of collaboration between civil society actors and shared communication channels for increasing visibility, data exchange, and public awareness. Follow-up discussions included opportunities for continued cooperation, joint advocacy planning, and targeted support for parliamentary and policy data access to strengthen research and advocacy efforts.

Across all regions, participants stressed that digital transformation must go beyond infrastructure and platforms. It must also empower citizens through education, inclusion, and accessible tools that enable meaningful participation in decision-making processes.

The group agreed to continue cooperation through joint initiatives, shared advocacy actions, and coordinated efforts to strengthen digital democracy across the region. The news is published as part of the Regional Support Mechanism EECA project, implemented by Metamorphosis Foundation and TechSoup, in partnership with CIVICUS and under the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) that covers the Global South.