The EU-Central Asia Civil Society Forum in Almaty has concluded

The 5th EU Civil Society Forum for Central Asia concluded on January 30, 2025, in Almaty. The final day of the Forum was dedicated to summarizing the outcomes of the previous two days.

The morning session featured a panel discussion on governance, social entrepreneurship, and corporate social responsibility. This session began with a moderated panel discussion, followed by a Q&A session. Participants focused on governance issues.

Immediately following the lunch break, a group discussion on the establishment of a civil society fund commenced. A representative from the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) presented an overview of the new 4-year, €4.5 million EU-funded project, which was launched in September 2024 and is being implemented by UNOPS.

The project aims to empower civil society in Central Asia by:

• Engage Civil Society from Central Asia:

Active participation in regional dialogues and networks

• Enhance Operational Capacity:

Strengthen CSOs’ ability to promote good governance and sustainable development

• Annual Forums:

Provide platform for regional exchanges on priority topics to be determined by CSOs, such as youth engagement, digital governance, women’s empowerment, and environmental action

• Capacity Development & Seed Funding:

Technical support and training in organizational and financial management, as well as thematic areas; seed funding to CSO – led innovative regional initiatives

• Support Young Leaders:

Empower youth-led CSOs through training and workshops

UNOPS will be responsible for the development and management of a small grants fund for CSOs to support their work on the aforementioned themes. The EU Civil Society Facility for for Central Asia grants component typically supports around 10 projects annually, with an average grant size of €15,000.

The UN/UNOPS rules and regulations, combined with the results of a call for proposals, technical and financial assessments, will be used to select grant recipients.

Support will be provided only to legal entities registered in accordance with the relevant national laws in the Central Asia region.

The speaker specifically highlighted the assessment of project implementation effectiveness by grantees, including an evaluation of compliance with clear and established standards of health, safety, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, and protection of whistleblowers; the existence of an accounting system that allows for proper recording and reflection of finances; etc. The Forum concluded with remarks from officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the EU Delegation to the Republic of Kazakhstan, and UNOPS. They expressed their satisfaction with the Forum, thanked all participants for their active involvement, and wished everyone continued success in contributing to the development of civil society in their respective countries and in the Central Asia region, and of course, wished everyone a safe return home!

Ayna Atayeva.