Dr. Bulent Kanol

1

• Dr. Bulent Kanol
• Executive Director
• The Managment Centre of the Mediterranean
• President
• Cyprus NGO Network

2

• How do we define Civil Society for the purpose of
  the topic of discussion?
• All those organizations working towards public
  good and are outside of business and government
  sectors

3
Categories of Civil Society Organizations

• CIVICUS CSI study in Cyprus (2005) determined
  that there are categorical differences between
• Member based trade unions, occupational and
  business association
• Public benefit cause/advocacy organizations
• We can add a 3rd category
• 3. Non-profit support organizations working
  with missions that aspire public good

4

• Why involve civil society?
• Representing collective public interest
  regardless of individual profit motives and/or
  partisan political motives.
• Closest organizations to the people and their
  aspirations

5

• With globalization and free market ideology there
  are two relevant trends
• 1- The States have become less interventionist in
  economic activities (ie privatizations,
  deregulation etc)
• 2- Multi-nationals/Trans-nationals are
  increasingly extending their influence and
  domination in the markets including those in
  developing and less developed countries

6

• What role the civil society organiziations play?
• Provide services that the state no longer is
  capable to provide (Non-profit support
  organizations)
• Promote the interest of not only the capital but
  also professions and labour (Business
  associations and Trade/Labour Unions)
• Advocate and promote for more corporate social
  responsibility from the private sector and more
  effective regulations from the state to achieve
  fair trade and sustainable development. (Public
  benefit Cause organizations)

7

• How can the EU help to achieve enhanced dialogue
  with the civil society?
• Support private sector organizations to foster
  Corporate Social responsibility by way of
  enhancing dialogue with CSOs
• Actions to Support
• Establishing Civil Society Dialogue platforms
• Implementing socially responsible projects in
  partnership with CSOs
• Instruments
• Tax Incentives
• Grants

8
Involving the cause CSOs

• Support their participation to high level policy
  discussions about trade by way of providing easy
  access and structured dialogue.
• Provide easy funding for short advocacy campaigns
  on trade issues

9
Involving the Support organizations

• Support non-profit service providing
  organizations such as universities, research
  institutions, training/consulting organizations
  and think tanks to provide inputs for enhancing
  the dialogue
• Instruments
• Carry out research
• Design Training programmes
• Provide consultancy
• For civil, public and private sectors

10
Improving the existing Dialogue

• Install mechanisms in Eu institutions such as the
  one at EU DG-Trade to facilitate the dialogue
  with civil society
• Categorize the Dialogue and relations with Civil
  Society Organizations

11
What can the CSOs do to be more effective in
dialogue?

• Improve their accountability and transparency and
  hence legitimacy and credibility
• Strengthen their member base and citizen
  participation
• Become more sustainable, institutionalized and
  strategic
• Improve their solidarity and representation by
  way of networks and platforms

12

• I thank you for listening to my presentation
• Dr. Bulent Kanol
• bkanol_at_mc-med.eu
• Management Centre
• www.mc-med.eu