“Building a common safe and democratic future”
The 8th annual Assembly of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society in Brussels on November 28-29, 2016 was under this name. The event was attended by the coordinator of the working group 2 “Economic integration and coordination with the EU policy” of the Ukrainian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society forum, Chairman of the Council of the Polissya Fund of International and Regional Studies Maxim Koryavets.
This year’s Assembly, which was attended by about two hundred fifty representatives of NGOs, EU institutions and governments of the Eastern Partnership countries, began with the Greetings of the EU Commissioner on the expansion and policy of neighborhood, Johannes Khan, as well as the co -organs of the FGS SPSPA Vladimichi.
During the opening ceremony, a presentation of the FGS SHP award dedicated to Pavel Sheremet also took place. This year, this award was awarded to the Crimean journalist Nicholas Semen as a symbol of “support, admiration and gratitude” for loyalty of freedom of speech from civil society by the Eastern Partnership countries.
This year’s annual Assembly envisaged panel discussions (more than 15 sessions), devoted to discussing the role of the EU Eastern Partnership in EU policy and possible directions of initiative development. In parallel sessions, participants discussed the topics of the priorities of the Eastern Partnership. Also, members of the Civil Society forum were presented by projects and publications over which they worked over the previous year, including the results of 18 regimental projects (more detailed information on separate projects in English – in the annex). The best project ideas embodied in 2016 were awarded the FGS HPS honors.
The General Assembly, the highest decision -making body of FGS CHP, adopted 12 resolutions on the most relevant topics of the forum, including the political situation in the region and conditions for civil society in the countries of the Eastern Partnership:
1. A resolution on a mandate for negotiation on a comprehensive agreement between the European Union and Azerbaijan;
2. A resolution calling on the Eastern Partnership Member States to join the International Criminal Court;
3. A resolution on gender policy of FGS SHP;
4. The resolution on regular non -compliance with the Eastern Partnership by the Convention on the Rights of People with Special Needs;
5. Resolution on the role of civil society in planning, implementation and assessment of bilateral and multilateral programs;
6. A resolution on review by the European Commission for exceptions for the OPAL gas pipeline;
7. Crimea resolution;
8. A resolution on the creation of an Eastern Partnership Platform on Joint Security and Defense Policy;
9. Resolution on prisoners of conscience in Armenia;
10. Stepan Grigoryan’s resolution;
11. Resolution on the situation in the Dniester River Basin;
12. Resolution on effective monitoring of human rights in conflict zones by strengthening the protection of human rights defenders in the Eastern Partnership countries.
The eighth annual Assembly of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum of the new executive committee of FGS CEP 2016-2017, which received from the civil society of the Eastern Partnership and EU Member States, a mandate for a one-year forum.
Yuri Vdovenko was elected a member of the head of the head of the Civil Society forum of the Eastern Partnership forum.
Recall that the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum was founded in 2009. It unites representatives of non-governmental organizations in partner countries and in the European Union. The Forum actively supports the development of civil society in the countries of the Eastern Partnership, working on the creation of constructive dialogue between representatives of non-governmental organizations and authorities and in the field of intensification of cooperation between civil society organizations, partner countries and the European Union.
According to the materials of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Forumhttp://eap-csf.org.ua/