The Civil Society and the Council for Cooperation with and Development of the Civil Sector call on the Government of the Republic of Northern Macedonia to reconsider and change its decision to drastically reduce financial support for civil society organizations, published in the Official Gazette of RSM on April 9, 2020.
This decision, by which financial support, depending on the institution, is either completely abolished or severely reduced, is made in a non-transparent manner, without consulting civil society organizations, stakeholders and the general public, which speaks to the government's unprincipled attitude towards civil society. crisis time. With the decision to reduce the necessary support by approximately 525,000 euros, the state de facto exempts civil society as a relevant partner in dealing with the crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the civil society organizations from the very beginning of the epidemic mobilized very quickly and efficiently, made available all their resources and through a series of activities provided direct and humanitarian assistance to the most affected citizens. Unfortunately, the Government of RSM does not recognize this quick reaction for taking actions that are of great importance for the citizens, but also for directly dealing with the crisis, as a partnership in the fight against COVID-19. Moreover, the decision to reduce the financial support of the Government of RSM seriously hinders the sustainability and ongoing work of organizations, especially in terms of their assistance and support to communities in times of crisis.
CSOs are a key segment in a democratic society, they have the skills, knowledge, services and access to priority target groups, which are often much more appropriate than those of state institutions.
The official reaction has been submitted to the Government of RSM, and the full text can be found at the following link: https://bit.ly/34Pqbk7
