Fingo works for civil society access to participation and influence in societal debate and political decision-making. Decision-making and access to information must be open. A strong civil society also supports the implementation of other development policy objectives and promotes sustainable development.
What are our demands?
Finland must defend the space of civil society as part of foreign and development policy.
The space of civil society must be defended in Finland’s official policies, strategies and public views. Finland must promote the participation of CSOs at the country level, including through meeting CSO representatives and inviting them to events organised by Finnish missions. CSOs must be consulted on any limitations to their operating capacity and on their proposals on how to solve the situation.
Finland must ensure that CSOs have access to participation in, and opportunities to provide their expertise for, political processes that affect their activities.
Finland must promote civil society’s access to participation and influence as well as the openness of decision-making and access to information in Finland and as part of international cooperation. Finland must recognise the diverse roles and independence of CSOs in development policies, strategies, guidelines and funding criteria.
Finland must ensure that CSOs have the capacity to carry out development cooperation work.
CSOs must have sufficient resources and access to participation so that they are able to carry out global education, development communication as well as development policy advocacy work in the development cooperation context.