Expert panel on the state of civic space in Slovenia

Last week, the Peace Institute hosted an expert panel as part of the PROSECO project, aimed at monitoring the state of civic space in partner countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, and Slovenia) and strengthening the resilience and cooperation of civil society at the national and European level.

The panel brought together:

• Goran Forbici (Centre for Information, Cooperation and Development of NGOs – CNVOS),
• Katarina Bervar Sternad (Legal Center for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment – PIC),
• Katarina Rotar (Slovene Philanthropy),
• Tina Cigler (Slovene Association for Voluntary Work Development – DRPD Novo mesto),
• Borut Jerman (Cultural and Educational Association PiNA).

The panel addressed key aspects of the functioning of civic space in Slovenia – from the legislative environment, funding, and participation in decision-making processes to safe spaces for civic action as well as the capacities and resilience of organizations. The discussion was based on a pre-prepared questionnaire and the evaluation of indicators, which enabled an in-depth exchange on trends, challenges, and necessary improvements.

The findings of the expert panel will be included in the national report on the state of civil society in Slovenia, which, together with analyses from other partner countries, will provide an important contribution to European monitoring and protection of civic space.