The CSO Meter Regional Report 2024 has been published, revealing that the civil society environment in the region has reached its lowest point since the first CSO Meter assessment in 2021.

In 2024, the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region faced instability due to war, conflict, floods, polarisation, and election interference, while civil society came under further legal restrictions. Yet despite these challenges, civil society remained crucial in advancing democratic reforms, particularly by advocating for legislation that enhances public participation, data protection, and transparency. Additionally, it has supported national stability through anti-disinformation initiatives, delivering services to vulnerable populations, and fostering dialogue. In restrictive environments, CSOs have been instrumental in protecting people’s fundamental rights, from resisting surveillance and defending the right to exercise their freedom of assembly, to demanding accountability for violations and advocating for greater access to funding. On the one hand, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Belarus have intensified their existing trajectories to restrict civil society and to suppress democratic voices and initiatives, implementing measures that stifle human rights activism. On the other hand, Ukraine, Moldova and Armenia have remained committed to their EU integration paths and have ensured generally positive engagement with civil society. As the region continues to face security challenges, it will be ever more important to empower CSOs as pillars of stability and democracy.

The 2024 Regional Report draws on insights from the six country reports, based on the CSO Meter’s Hub continuous monitoring and broader analysis of the civil society environment. Through its practical recommendations, the report guides governments, EU institutions, and donors in taking meaningful steps to strengthen the environment for civil society.

The following three priorities demand urgent attention:

  • Ensure secure space, safeguard civic freedoms and cease all forms of repression against civil society
  • Support the stability and survival of civil society
  • Promote security in the EaP region by investing in sustainable partnerships and dialogue with civil society

According to the report, together with Moldova, Armenia ranks first among the countries of the Eastern Partnership region in the overall civil society environment, while Ukraine follows these countries with a slightly lower score. At the same time, Armenia significantly lags behind Moldova and Ukraine in State Support and State-CSO Cooperation areas. The challenges are mainly linked with the unfavorable tax environment for CSOs and donor contributions and the lack of a strategic approach to the CSO sector development.

For more details, download the full CSO Meter 2024 Regional Report.

CSO Meter Armenia 2024 Country Report can be found here.

Details can be found here․