On Thursday, 15 May, as part of the Monitoring Committee session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (hereinafter – the Assembly) held in Riga, a public international seminar titled “Resilience and Preparedness of Civil Society in the face of Crises” took place. Opening the event, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima and Chair of the Assembly’s Monitoring Committee, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, underlined the vital role that civil society plays both in times of crisis and in their prevention.

“In these turbulent times, when peace, freedom, and democracy are under threat globally, it is civil society that is the first to respond—and the last to give up. With courage, responsibility, and determination. And in these efforts, we are all united. That is why it is essential that we move forward together, in the same direction,” said Kalniņa-Lukaševica.

The seminar focused on topics such as interference by authoritarian regimes in democratic processes, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and its consequences, and the role and engagement of non-governmental organisations in wartime conditions.

Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on how to distinguish between legitimate plurality of opinion and the misuse of democratic freedoms for malicious purposes. They also addressed the legacy of the Soviet system and its continued influence in many countries today, including Moldova, Ukraine, and even Latvia.

Sharing their insights during the seminar were experts from Latvia, Ukraine, Moldova, and international organisations. Among them were Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Claire Bazy Malaurie, President of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe; Inese Vaivare, Director of the Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation; Olena Suslova, founder and Chair of the Board of the Ukrainian Women’s Information and Consultative Centre and a noted human rights activist; and Iulian Groza, Executive Director of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms in Moldova.

The seminar was attended by more than 40 Latvian non-governmental organisations, which in April this year signed an open letter to members of the Saeima, ministries, and municipal leaders, expressing their readiness to be actively involved in strengthening civil society resilience. Representatives of these organisations once again highlighted the importance of the topic and expressed appreciation for the attention it is receiving, as well as for the steps being taken to establish a unified approach to strengthening civil society in times of crisis.

As previously reported, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is meeting in Riga on 15–16 May. The agenda includes assessments of the situation in Georgia, Hungary, Türkiye, Moldova, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania. During these two days, European parliamentarians are also set to discuss the strengthening of mechanisms to better prevent potential conflicts or hijacking of democratic institutions.

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Saeima Press Service