Eurasia Program

The ICNL Alliance works throughout Eurasia, including Central Asia, Russia, the Caucasus, Ukraine, and Belarus. Our work focuses on the legal framework for civil society, the implementation of legislation, capacity-building, and cross-border initiatives. In addition, lawyers supported by ICNL have provided assistance to over 1000 CSOs in the region.

Central Asia

The ICNL Alliance has worked to foster an enabling legal and fiscal environment for civil society in Central Asia since 1997. Country-specific activities are tailored to meet the needs and challenges in each of the five countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. We also support cross-border activities that give local civil society organizations (CSOs) and lawyers the opportunity to exchange perspectives with colleagues in other countries. Program activities include providing technical assistance to civil society and government representatives, increasing the capacity of local partners, and bolstering the legal literacy of CSOs.

Russia

Since 2003, the ICNL Alliance has been providing technical assistance to civil society organizations and governmental representatives with legislative reform initiatives affecting civil society. In addition, the ICNL Alliance seeks to: 1) increase the legal competence of civil society organizations; 2) increase the abilities of legal experts who assist civil society organizations; and 3) expand civil society-government cooperation. Our current program, the Civil Society Legal Support Program, is funded by USAID. Our key partner is the organization Lawyers for Civil Society, a Russia-wide association of civil society legal experts.

Azerbaijan

The ICNL Alliance works with CSOs and the government to improve legislation relating to civil society. We also support initiatives to help CSOs meet the requirements of existing law. Our Azerbaijan program is supported by USAID.

Belarus

Since 1997, the ICNL Alliance has been working in Belarus to increase the capacity and effectiveness of lawyers specializing in assistance to CSOs and has been supporting the provision of legal assistance to hundreds of Belorussian organizations.

Georgia

ICNL works with key stakeholders within civil society, the corporate sector, and the government to improve the legal environment for civil society. Recent activities, under the East-West Management Institute’s Policy, Advocacy, and Civil Society Development Program, have focused on CSO sustainability.

Ukraine

Since 1997, ICNL has served as an informational resource to assist Ukrainian civil society organizations and government officials with their efforts to improve civil society-related legislation. The current program is supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.