The seminar hosted by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aimed at both evaluating the NGO funds under the EEA Grants and Norway Grants in the period from 2004-2009, and looking forward at new strategies concerning support to the civil society and the new mechanisms in the next period that will last until 2014.
Similar challenges
- Civil society is a key building block for democracy, and civil society globally shares many of the same challenges. In the beneficiary countries, the NGO funds are playing a very important role in supporting civil society organisations that advocate on behalf of the citizens, acting as watchdogs, raising public awareness, piloting and innovating in a wide range of social, economic, and environmental activity areas and on several other important fields, said Sarah del Tufo in her presentation. Sarah del Tufo, from the The Evaluation Trust community development agency, is the author the evaluation report "Evaluation of EEA and Norway Grants - NGO Funds", that was assigned by the Financial Mechanism Office in Brussels.
The evalution report can be downloaded here
Continued support to civil society
- The NGOs are a key priority. Civil society is a fundamental building block in any socially responsible, inclusive, fair and democratic society, and when we are negotiating with the different beneficiary countries this is our key argument for continued support to civil society, said Steinar Hagen from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in his presentation.
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A new factor in the next period will be that a program approach will replace the project approach that has been a key component in the period from 2004-2009. The consultation process regarding NGO-guidelines and set of rules are still open, and Steinar Hagen urged all NGOs present to visit www.eeagrants.org , and leave their feedback to the Financial Mechanism Office.
Photo: Anders Nielsen, Norwegian Helsinki Committee
