In Solidarity with the Global CSO Community  

CODE-NGO continues to be a Steering Committee member representing Asia of the Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA), a cluster of membership of the Civicus World Alliance for Citizen Participation. As AGNA Steering Committee member, it actively participated in the SWOT assessment for AGNA to inform the formulation of its 5-year plan and succeeding processes. It also participated in the Civil Society Global Exchange with other Civicus members representing social movements, individual advocates and other NGOs (non-government organizations) to strengthen solidarity and address disconnect within the sector on topics such as global trends in civic space and campaigning for change. It also participated in the Civicus’ consultations with members in formulating its 5-year strategic plan. These events were organized last November 30 to December 2, 2016 in Civicus House in Johannesburg, South Africa. Civicus also sought CODE-NGO’s views on the troubling cases of extra-judicial killings in the government’s war against illegal drugs and its implication on human rights situation in the country, which was published in the Civicus’ website, AGNA newsletter and CODE-NGO e-newsletter.

CODE-NGO also participated in the AGNA peer learning exchange activity on campaigning for civic space in Johannesburg, South Africa last May 19 – 20, 2017. The activity was organized so that members can learn new tools on campaign planning and share lessons on effective campaigning with participants around the globe. Grounded on the recent Civicus State of Civil Society Report, the peer learning activity featured discussions on the state of civic space in various countries and the strategies and tools CSOs use to fight for basic freedoms.

Last June 26-28, 2017, CODE-NGO hosted in the Philippines the Civicus Regional Capacity Development Workshop for its members in Asia. Civicus members from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Cambodia, Kyrgyztan and CODE-NGO member networks CENVISNET (Central Visayas Network of NGOs) and PHILSSA (Partnership of Philippine Support Service Agencies) participated in this workshop. The Civicus team also gave feedback to its Asian members on the results of its capacity assessment survey for members in the region and facilitated training and learning exchange with members on advocacy and campaigning, information management and digital security.

CODE-NGO also continues to be an active Steering Committee member of the Asia Development Alliance (ADA) and represents the regional network in the Facilitation Group of the global CSO coalition called Action for Sustainable Development (A4SD). Last February 24-26, 2017 in Bangkok, Thailand, CODE-NGO shared the Philippine CSO experience in engaging government and other groups on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in ADA’s conference on the High Level Policy Forum (HLPF) Process and Voluntary Reporting (VNR) on the SDGs. CODE-NGO also supported the drafting of the ADA and Asia CSO Platform on Sustainable Development’s statement on the findings and recommendations of CSOs from 11 countries on their engagements with their governments on the SDGs and VNR, which has been later circulated to the regional UN-led Asia-Pacific Forum on Social Development and the global A4SD platform. CODE-NGO also shared to the Asian Democracy Network the ratings of participating countries in the 2015 CSO Sustainability Index for Asia, as well as the deteriorating state of democracy and constricting civic space in the country under the new administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. CODE-NGO was also part of the team which screened and hired the ADA Coordinator last March 2017 and has been ADA’s fiscal agent or project holder for its capacity building project with the International Forum of National NGO Platforms (IFP).