EU System for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society (EU SEE)

Authorities worldwide, not only in authoritarian governments but also in established democracies, increasingly impose severe constraints on civil society to quiet their voices. Despite their valuable expertise and experiences, civil society organizations and individuals are often sidelined from decision-making processes, face restrictions to their establishment and operations and attacks in retaliation for their work holding power to account. Such restrictions and attacks not only jeopardize the rights and freedoms of marginalized groups but also reinforce negative perceptions of civil society, deepening existing power imbalances. The digital space faces challenges like unequal access and cyber threats, while emerging technologies like generative AI tools have the potential to exacerbate online misinformation, thereby compromising the integrity of digital civic spaces. Preserving civic space is essential for fighting corruption and holding power accountable. Therefore, it is imperative that safeguarding civic space becomes central to the anti-corruption agenda, requiring a concerted effort to address these restrictions.

Our efforts at Transparency International involve partnering with various organizations to address key challenges faced by civil society worldwide. Within the EU SEE project, funded by the EU and led by Hivos, we collaborate with global organizations such as CIVICUS, Democracy Reporting International, European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), and Forus. Our goal is to foster inclusive, participatory, empowered, and independent civil society and democratic spaces. Our aim is to enhance the capacity and ability of civil society at global, regional, and national levels to detect and respond to instances of deteriorating or improving enabling environments. Additionally, we work to address and contribute to the structural and systemic prerequisites necessary for such an environment.

The project, in collaboration with civil society partners across 86 countries, aims to support civil society to protect and expand civic space by:

• Developing the CSO-led EU SEE Monitoring and Early Warning mechanism to provide near-real-time information on positive and negative developments in the enabling environment for civil society. In particular, the Early Warning mechanism aims to alert on early indications of potential restrictions to enable more effective action to prevent them.
• Enhancing the capacity of civil society in key areas to protect and expand civic space and adjust to shifting civic space conditions.
• Facilitating knowledge exchange and peer-learning across countries, and facilitating engagement with decision-makers and stakeholders at all levels to better address enabling environment trends and risks.
• Empowering CSOs to engage in evidence-based dialogue and advocacy efforts with policymakers and key stakeholders to protect and promote an enabling environment for civil society.