Developing structures for civil dialogue: Croatian experience

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Developing structures for civil dialogue
Croatian experience

• Ljubljana, 13/11/2009
• Igor Vidacak
• Government of the Republic of Croatia
• Office for Cooperation with NGOs

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Structures for Civil Dialogue

• Office for Cooperation with NGOs
• Council for Civil Society Development
• Increasing number of mechanisms for structured
  civil dialogue at all levels

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About Croatian Government Office for Cooperation
with NGOs

• Established in 1998.
• Coordinating the work of public administration
  bodies on developing cooperation with NGOs
• Improving standards of consultation with NGOs in
  public policy making processes
• Monitoring the compliance with standards for
  public funding of NGOs
• Contact point - Europe for Citizens Programme

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Council for Civil Society Development

• Status - Consultative body of Croatian Government
  established in 2002
• Composition - 10 representatives of NGOs, 10
  representatives of State institutions and 3
  independent experts
• Legitimacy of NGO representatives -
  democratically elected through a public call for
  nominations and transparent voting procedure

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Council members procedure of selection of NGO
representatives

• 10 areas of activities
• Protection and promotion of human rights
• Health protection and improvement of quality of
  life
• Disabled persons care
• Child care
• Environmental protection and sustainable
  development
• Social welfare
• Youth
• Democratization and social development
• Culture
• Homeland war-veterans care

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Council members procedure of selection of NGO
representatives

• Two stage procedure
• public call for nominations of candidates for
  members of the Council
• public call for voting for eligible candidates

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Council members procedure of selection of NGO
representatives

• public call for nominations
• - each NGO nominating only one candidate (for its
  particular sub-sector/ area of activity)
• - nominations sent by post using a standard
  nomination form with a set of required supporting
  documents
• independent Commission checks the eligibility of
  candidates
• list of candidates with valid nominations
  published on the Internet

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Council members procedure of selection of NGO
representatives

• public call for voting
• - NGOs voting for eligible candidates
  submitting a standard voting form available on
  the Internet (1 organisation - 1 vote) by regular
  post
• - Independent commission counting votes
• Candidates with the biggest number of votes
  proposed to be appointed members of the Council
• Detailed information on all valid and not valid
  votes by candidates available on the Internet

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How the Council works?

• Monthly meetings
• Own initiative opinions and statements on draft
  laws, national programmes and plans regarding
  civil society development in the widest sense
• President elected from among Council members
  (from NGO representatives)
• Three Standing Working groups
• Administrative and expert support provided by the
  Office

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Increasing number of structures for civil dialogue

• more than 100 Government advisory bodies
  involving around 800 representatives of CSOs
• 25 Parliament working committees involving more
  than 100 representatives of CSOs
• Increasing number of local charters of
  cooperation between CSOs and local governments

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Code of Consultation of Interested Public in
adopting laws, other regulations and acts

• Sent to the Government procedure
• General principles and minimum standards for
  consultation
• Foresees the appointement of Consultation
  coordinators in all ministries and Government
  bodies

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• Contacts
• Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs
• www.uzuvrh.hr
• info_at_uzuvrh.hr