Developing an Enabling Legal Framework for the Engagement of Civil Society in Poverty Reduction Policies

This is the one-year project conducted by Civic Initiatives in cooperation with the European Center for Non-Profit Law in Budapest - ECNL and funded by the UNDP Office in Serbia.

The overall objective of the Project is to contribute to the development of an enabling mechanism for citizens' participation in the decision-making process at state and local level, which would inter alia improve the ability of NGOs and other stakeholders to engage in shaping and implementation of public policies relating to poverty reduction. The Project seeks to accomplish its overall objective by:

1) Raising awareness of the significance of a mechanism for citizens' participation in shaping and implementation of public policies;

2) Developing general policy recommendations for the development of such a mechanism for key stakeholders' consideration;

3) Developing specific policy recommendations as to how the mechanism for public participation should be implemented by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and NGOs, as well as other governmental agencies and local authority dealing with poverty reduction issues;

4) Strengthening the capacity of NGO actors, local and state government officials to utilize the mechanism for citizens' participation in shaping and implementing public policies related to poverty reduction.