Асамблея няўрадавых дэмакратычных арганізацыяў Беларусі
The Assembly Of Pro-Democratic NGOs Of Belarus
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Draft Concept on the Civil Society Development in Belarus
General statements
The development of civil society is one of the most important conditions for development of Belarus as a democratic, legal and social state.
By creating voluntary civil associations people provide themselves with opportunities to pursue their interests and goals, to discuss them in public, to solve their everyday problems and to help each other when necessary.
Citizens’ participation in the governance of the country should not be limited only by their regular voting at the elections. For the proper interaction between state authorities and civil society many other channels of communication should exist, so the public bodies can take into account opinions of citizens in their governing activities in between the elections. One of these channels is the work of the citizens within the frames of the civil community.
Taking into account the position of civil organizations and cooperation with them helps to improve the quality of the government’s work and it also contributes to the citizens’ belief in the legitimacy of public policy. When making decisions, public authorities should take into account specific interests, values and goals of many members of society and their associations. Authorities also should treat all interests equally seriously, even when a group represents a minority in society.
As the experience of democratic countries shows, activities initiated by citizens have a positive impact on the whole society, because they result in its more effective functioning based on self-regulation. The work of NGOs is not an alternative of the government’s work, local authorities or public administration. However, cooperation with non-governmental organizations and promoting their activities benefits to a long-term stability and rule of law, somewhat facilitates functioning of the State. Such kind of partnership is a realization of the idea of shared responsibility of public authorities and citizens for development and progress of society and for the living conditions in the country.
We note the importance of the participation of Belarus in the Eastern Partnership project and stress the importance of values as they outlined in the Declaration on the Eastern Partnership signed by all participating countries, including the Republic of Belarus. Those values are: democracy, rule of law, respect for human rights and freedoms, the principles of international law, market economy, sustainable development. Thus, we suggest this document as a means of achieving values which are mentioned above.
This concept affirms the willingness of citizens' associations and of public authorities to cooperate in the field of supporting initiatives and activities of citizens and their organizations. The legal basis of the document is the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on economic, social and cultural rights, as well as the international standards mentioned in the Recommendation of Council of Europe on the Legal Status of NGOs in Europe.
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For the purposes of this document, the term "non-governmental organization" means different types of organizations established within the principle of freedom of association, which don’t have the aim of getting profit: associations, foundations, cooperatives, etc.
The aims of the Concept:
The principles and values that underlie the cooperation.
4. Partnership.
Forms of Cooperation
Cooperation between government authorities and the representatives of civic society can take various forms, depending on goals and nature of activities, on their scope of responsibilities and on the level of cooperation (national or local):
Monitoring of the Concept’s Implementation
Monitoring of the Concept’s implementation will be performed either jointly or separately by the government and non-governmental organizations. Assessment of the concept’s implementation will be performed on the annual basis (for example, at the annual conference or at hearings.)
Action Plan
The Concept is a framework agreement, serving as a foundation for cooperation between the civic sector and the government. Detailed plan of the Concept’s implementation, containing a full range of activities and more specific problem solutions, will be additionally developed when discussed by the interested parties.
"Civil society" means self-initiated cooperation of people to pursue their interests, to discuss the problems of society and participation in decision-making process. By “civil society” there are also meant associations, business associations and institutions that make such cooperation possible.
1. Creating favorable conditions for strengthening and promoting civil society and democracy in Belarus.
2. Organizing communication between authorities and citizens.
3. Increasing levels of the civil culture in society, increasing citizens’ participation in the activities of civic organizations and in the process of decision-making and implementation of these decisions.
The main tasks of the Concept are:
1. Improving legal framework which regulates the establishment and functioning of civil society’s different institutions;
2. Developing and establishing effective communication mechanism between authorities and civic sector;
3. Creating appropriate conditions for the growth of public initiatives and development of civil society;
4. Forming civil culture;
5. Developing volunteering and charity.
Interaction between government and civil institutions is organized on the basis of the following values and principles:
1. Social activity.
Social activity, i.e. self-initiated and voluntary participation of people in social life and in solving problems of local communities is an important element in democratic society. Public authorities support social activity by creating favorable legislation, by impartially informing people about their activities and by engaging citizens and their associations in taking and implementing solutions.
2. Civil participation.
Associations of citizens represent diverse interests and values in society. Through these channels people receive information and express their opinions concerning governmental decisions. When politicians start a dialogue with society and take into account suggestions made during the public debate, the competence of the society increases and the legitimacy of State is being strengthened.
3. Respect.
When formulating and implementing public policy, civil initiatives and state authorities perform different roles, but they complement each other. The State respects the right of citizens to establish their own goals and to organize their activities based on freedom of association and as defined by international agreements and national legislation in this sphere. The State creates favorable conditions for civic organizations’ work, cooperates with them on professional basis.
The Partnership means a constructive cooperation for the better dealing with the main issues of civil society.
5. Independence.
Public authorities shall respect the independence of non-governmental organizations and recognize their right to exercise supervisory functions on behalf of the civil society. Authorities may intervene in the activities of civil organizations only in cases established by law.
6. Responsibility
Activities for the civil interest mean that activities of NGOs, as well as of public authorities, have an open character and they are responsible for their actions before the society.
7. Equal opportunities.
Authorities shall create equal conditions for different kinds of NGO activities, so all citizens and their associations can have equal access to participation in public life.
EN: The Assembly Of Pro-Democratic NGOs Of Belarus