Strengthening civil society – Crucial to development

Published 8/8/2024

Updated 8/8/2024

Strengthening civil society in developing countries is a goal in itself and also a means of achieving results in Norwegian development cooperation. A vibrant civil society promotes democracy and the realisation of human rights and creates development. The development cooperation can contribute to strengthen civil society’s ability and capacity to promote development in their own countries. This takes place through Norwegian and international civil society organisations cooperating with local partner organisations.

What

Civil society is understood as an arena where individuals, alone or together with others, can promote interests and needs on their own behalf or on behalf of others – directly or through association. Norad defines civil society as people’s own ability to organise independently of family, state and market. Civil society includes a diverse range of stakeholders, including women’s groups, networks, trade unions, faith organisations, voluntary organisations, independent media, sports organisations and political parties. Civil society can include formally registered organisations, informal grassroots organisations and social movements.

The main objective for supporting civil society is to strengthen civil society in developing countries and improving civil society’s ability to promote development and societal change. The goal is to increase civil society in developing countries’ ability and capacity to promote human rights, democracy, gender equality, food security, agriculture, environment, climate and inclusive growth. The strengthening of civil society therefore contributes to achieving other overall goals for Norwegian development policy.

Why

Civil society is an important driving force in societal development in all countries. Interactions between civil society, the authorities and the private sector are crucial for positive social development. A strong and independent civil society helps promote democracy, realise human rights and create development. Civil society is critical in protecting civic space.

Civil society can act as a driving force and change agent for achieving national and international development goals to end poverty and can play a key role in achieving the UN SDGs. Civil society reaches the poorest in society and helps strengthen groups in vulnerable situations, and often has an important role in improving access to welfare services for discriminated and vulnerable groups, especially in fragile and weak states. Civil society organisations also provide humanitarian assistance. Local networks build strong local communities, that gives more resilience encountering the consequences of existing and new crises.

Civil society represents people’s needs and interests to the authorities. Stakeholders in civil society can strengthen local participation and endorsement, e.g. by acting as the representative for or involving affected groups in decision-making processes. Civil society has an important role to play when it comes to increasing knowledge and debate around key development questions.

Civil society is important in realising human rights. Civil society organisations can for example document human rights violations and influence responsible authorities to do what they have committed to, e.g. the state fulfilling the right of access to services such as health and education or protecting access to resources such as food. Civil society can contribute to changed attitudes and behaviours. Actors within civil society provide information about human rights, especially among groups in vulnerable situations. Actors also provide advice to the authorities.

A diverse civil society contributes to promoting participation and democratic development. A vibrant and free civil society can be an important countermeasure to the exercise of authority in key areas and to combat corruption. Stakeholders in civil society are crucial for the fight to ensure greater transparency in society.

How

The civil society development cooperation will contribute to creating lasting social change based on human rights and democratic rule of law principles. The cooperation includes a broad range of initiatives with the aim to provide support where needs are the greatest, and concentrated around countries and thematic areas where efforts can yield the greatest results.

Norad’s guiding principles for support to civil society provides a framework for the cooperation. These principles were launched in 2018 after input from a number of stakeholders, including Norwegian, international and local civil society organisations. Emphasis is on civil society’s role in democracy, human rights and reducing poverty, the UN SDGs and the principle of leaving no-one behind. The principles reflect limitations in civic space and the need for power to be shifted to developing countries. This includes ensuring locally-led development. The seven principles are sustainability, inclusion, partnership, legitimacy, accountability, cost-effectiveness and context-sensitivity.

A prerequisite for achieving results is that the civil society organisations that receive support have adequate knowledge of factors in developing countries and that local cooperating partners have ownership of the goals to achieve. Norwegian organisations are expected to provide added value in the cooperation with local partners and the support for strengthening of capacity shall contribute to independent and viable partner organisations.

Who/Where

Strengthening of civil society takes place in cooperation with a number of different civil society actors. Organisations have different expertise and fields of action and can complement one another in contributing to achieving the goals relating to development cooperation. Support is provided to Norwegian civil society organisations and their cooperation with national and local partners in developing countries. Support is also provided directly to organisations in developing countries. International organisations and networks also receive support.

Civil society organisations represent an important channel for Norwegian development cooperation. 22,5% of all Norwegian aid went to or via civil society in 2023. This corresponds to approximately NOK 13.2 billion.

Contact

For further information, please contact the Section for Human Rights and Civil Society