The 2015 Annual Assembly of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum will take place on 19-21 November in Kyiv.

Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations and Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Prime Minister of Ukraine will deliver opening addresses to give start to the disscussions held under the title “Moving Reforms Forward in Testing Times”.

The Annual Assembly is a key annual event of the EaP CSF that brings together the representatives of civil society organisations from the six EaP partner countries and the EU, government representatives, European institutions and donor agencies to discuss the priorities of civil society and its contribution to the reform process within the EaP.

This year out of 425 applicants for the Annual Assembly, 236 organisations have been selected to take part in the Forum either in the capacity of a participant or observer in line with the eligibility guidelines (drawing on shortlists by the country coordinators in conjunction with the National Platforms, the Working Group coordinators, and the European Union delegations in the six Eastern Partnership countries). 43% of the selected delegates coming to Kyiv have not attended the Annual Assembly of the Forum in Batumi in 2014. 28% of the attendees are new participants who will attend the Forum for the first time.

The organisations are divided into Participants (with the right to vote) and Observers (without the right to vote). Each participant or observer is a member of a Working Group, in which activities he/she wil participate during 2016.

EaP CSF Working Groups:

1. Democracy, human rights, good governance and stability

2. Economic integration, convergence with EU policies

3. Environment, climate change and energy security

4. Contacts between people

5. Social and labour policies and social dialogue

Draft agenda can be found here.

Original source: Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Annual Assembly 2015.