Bashkëpunimi i shoqërise civile dhe Qeverisë së Maqedonisë Saradnja izmedgu GD i Vlade u Makedoniji

Cooperation between CS and the Government in Macedonia

Prishtinë , 21.10.2010 1

Sasho Klekovski, MCMS / MCIC

Cooperation between Civil Society and the Government in the European Integration Process

Prishtina, 21 October 2010

Content• Definitions

• Parliament

• Government

• Municipalities

• Characteristics of the cooperation

• Recommendations

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Definitions• Civil Society is “the arena – outside of the

family, the state, and the market – which is created by individual and collective actions, organisations and institutions to advance shared interests” (Civicus, 2009)

• Social capital is “the aggregate of the actual or potential resources which are linked to possession of a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance or recognition” ( Pierre Bourdieu, 1986)

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Parliament• Rules of Procedure of the Parliament - the

opportunity to participate in the working bodies of the Parliament (art. 122)

• 2000 - Macedonian Women's Lobby

• 2003 - Interparty parliamentary lobby group for people with disabilities

• 2004 - Office for contact between CSOs and Parliament

• 2007 – National Council for European Integration (NCEI)

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Parliament / NCEI• NCEI consist of 17 members, led by the opposition

(art 3 & 4)

– Seven MPs (three-ruling parties, four-opposition)

– Chairperson of CEA and JPC EU/MK

– Vice PM for EU, Cabinet of the PM

– Academy, Association of municipalities and Association of journalists of Macedonia

• NCEI participants (art. 5) are

– Chambers of commerce and trade unions

– Religious communities (five)

– Civic Platform of Macedonia (one)

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Government • 2004 - Department for Cooperation with NGOs

in General Secretariat

• 2007 - Strategy for Cooperation between the Government and Civil society– Public policy: Amended Rules of the Government –

laws are available on the websites, representatives of CSOs are involved in working groups in several ministries)

– Legal Framework: new Law on Associations and Foundations, 2010 – further liberalization, public benefit status

– Sustainability: Government funding for CSO

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Government / EU Integration• Secretariat for European affairs (SEA)

• Government Committee for EU integration

• National Programme for Adoption of acquis communautaire (NPAA)

• Committee of heads of working groups

• 35 working groups

• http://www.sep.gov.mk/Default.aspx?ContentID=43

• Sector IPA monitoring committees

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Municipalities• 52% of municipalities have appointed a person for

cooperation with CSOs,

• 22% have confirmed co-operation with a certain act, and

• 66% provide support (MCIC, 2009)

• Urban municipalities with greater capacity have a more positive approach to institutionalize cooperation:

– City of Skopje - A Strategy for Cooperation with NGOs and established department for cooperation and support of associations and foundations

– Municipality Karposh - Strategic Action Plan for Cooperation

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Characteristics • Partnerships (permanent networks) with the state and

the private sector (and among ourselves) is an essential element for effective civil society (CSOs)

• Dislocated focus - CSOs in the past gave more attention to building social capital with (foreign) donors than with state and private sector

• Emphasis on legal framework - CS focuses on the legal framework that enables cooperation -something that has already been achieved

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Characteristics • Mutual acquaintance and recognition -

the missing factor - socio-cultural constraints, the short period, the previous mentioned issues, make visible the problem of lack of mutual acquaintance and recognition

• From a legal framework to mutual acquaintance and recognition

• Government to see the benefits of CSO as “free outsourcing” – “crowd sourcing”

• CSO to accept its own consultative status and the final responsibilities of the politicians

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Recommendations• Agreement between the Parlament and civil society - for

areas (committees) and organizations that will be involved

• Council of NGOs - an advisory body to Government, related to GenSec – Dep. for cooperation with CSOs

• Agreement between SEA and CS - for involvement of the civil society in the European integration

• National strategy for cooperation of municipalities and CSOs

• Strengthening of sectoral and national platforms and alliances - to further strengthen the credibility of CSOs

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