The roots of democracy and sustainable development: Europe’s engagement with civil society in external relations

Council conclusions on The roots of Democracy and sustainable development: Europe’s engagement with Civil Society in external relations 3191st FOREIG AFFAIRS Development Council meeting Luxembourg, 15 October 2012 The Council adopted the following conclusions: “1. An empowered civil society, in all its diversity, represents a crucial and integral component of any democracy and constitutes an asset in itself. Civil society actors can foster pluralism and contribute to more effective policies, equitable development and inclusive growth. Civil society organisations (CSOs) have the capacity to empower, represent, defend and reach out to vulnerable and socially excluded groups, including minorities. They can also foster economic and human development, as well as social cohesion and innovation. Moreover, CSOs often engage in initiatives to advance participatory democracy for transparent, accountable and legitimate governance, also in fragile situations. 2. Synergies between States and CSOs can help address poverty, support equality, social inclusion and sustainable development. These synergies are key elements in reinforcing democratic governance. The EU recognises the significance of constructive relations between States and CSOs and will further promote them. 3. CSOs are now recognised as autonomous development actors in their own right. Governments in several partner countries have strengthened their engagement with CSOs. Nonetheless, in other partner countries, dialogue with CSOs is still limited and the space for civil society engagement remains narrow or is, in some cases, shrinking. In addition, some CSOs are challenged in terms of representation, transparency, internal governance and capacity. They may depend on international donors and, due to the economic and financial crisis, they increasingly have to compete over resources. Connecting CSOs with new forms of citizens’ engagement as well as social movement marks yet another key dynamic in this process

Publisher: European Commission
Year of Publication: 2012