From December 9 to 13, the Center for Pluralism in Serbia, Civic Initiatives, held a national conference for more than 200 representatives of domestic NGOs as well as representatives of 40 international NGOs, the largest such gathering of the civic sector since the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic on October 5, 2000. At the Assembly, there were initial discussions about whether to form an NGO Association, how to develop civic organizations and activities in the “period of normal life,” and how to react to the highly criticized draft of the NGO Law put forward by the Ministry of Justice.

In addition, the Assembly was co-sponsored by the Council of Europe, which presented NGO representatives with the principles and activities of the Council and how the Council’s work relates to NGOs’ efforts to promote democracy and human rights in Serbia. As a result of the Assembly, the Ministry of Justice requested to meet with a Working Group of NGOs and specialists from the Council of Europe on how to improve the draft law. After one month’s work, the Ministry agreed to many of the suggestions of both NGOs and the CoE for greater freedom of registration and fewer restrictions on NGOs’ activities.

We present below two excerpted presentations by the special envoy of the Secretary General, Hans-Peter Furrer, and the director of the External Affairs Department, Johannes de Jonge, of the Council of Europe, who describe the mission, structure, and work of the Council and its efforst to support civil society in Yugoslavia. For more information on Civic Initiatives, see its web page at <www.gradjenske.org>; for that of the Council of Europe <www.coe.int>.