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Explaining

our structure

Pillars of the Forum

              At the core of our work are three key pillars: our member organisations, working together to protect democracy and human rights across Wider Europe; our Board, providing strategic direction; and our Secretariat in Berlin, driving day-to-day operations.

Members

The heart of CSF

              Members are the heart of CSF. We are a network of 157 civil society organisations from 21 countries, united by a common goal: strengthening democracy and human rights across Wider Europe.

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             Our members work in the fields of human rights, environmental protection, the prevention of torture, gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights, among many others.

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  • What Our Members Say

International Partnership

for Human Rights (Brussels)

At a time when conflicts are pulling societies apart and isolating civil society, the Forum helps us stay connected — not just as organisations, but as people driven by shared values. For IPHR, it’s a space where solidarity turns into action, where we find trusted partners, fresh ideas and the strength to keep going in difficult times.

HUngarian Helsinki Committee (Budapest)

CSF is a unique civil society cooperation that empowers its members. This is a real community, where you can always find solidarity and a wealth of experiences that members are ready to share with each other. The HHC is proud to be a member of CSF.

Transparency International - Russia (in exile)

Civic engagement looks very challenging today, especially in our field – anti-corruption efforts. That’s why resultative partnerships and collective actions became extremely important. Forum is a perfect space for that. We’re proud to now be part of this community of the like minded people and contribute to its meaningful work.

EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy (Prague)

The CSF is not only a pan-continental gathering of organisations and people, it is also a mode of collaboration, co-authoring, co-activism and co-imagination. It is a platform for thinking and doing, but also of hoping, dreaming and discussing. It creates spaces, where we can meet, talk and dream of a world, which is capable of change, while it also connects those who can take concrete steps towards these changes on the broader European landscape.

Quarteera (Berlin)

CSF isn’t just another organisation — it’s one of the few spaces where different kinds of actors, including those usually pushed to the margins, can work together without being sidelined. Grassroots groups, informal collectives, NGOs — all get to be part of shaping the process, not just reacting to it.
  • Members' cooperation

WORKING GROUPS

Serving as a platform for civil society cooperation, the Working Group focuses on promoting and protecting human rights and the rule of law across Europe, including in Russia. In light of ongoing challenges to fundamental rights and legal standards, it fosters exchange on current trends, legal frameworks and civil society strategies to uphold democratic principles and safeguard individual freedoms.

The Working Group on Environment brings together the CSF members engaged in addressing environmental challenges across Europe, including climate change and resource sustainability. It facilitates the exchange of knowledge, best practices and advocacy strategies aimed at promoting ecological responsibility, environmental justice and cross-border cooperation in environmental protection.
The Working Group on Sustainable Development and Civil Participation aims to facilitate cooperation, exchange and joint engagement on advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with particular attention to SDGs 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). It promotes mutual learning and collaboration among civil society actors committed to inclusive, participatory and accountable approaches to sustainable development across Europe.
In the context of deteriorating standards of democracy, this Working Group focuses on rethinking current goals and exploring current trends and future perspectives for democratic governance. It provides a space for civil society actors to reflect on the state of democracy across Wider Europe and to exchange insights on strengthening democratic institutions and citizen participation.
The Civic Education Working Group aims to promote civic education initiatives for educators, teachers, trainers and facilitators, as well as for schoolchildren and students. The goal is to make civic education programmes more visible, widespread and effective and to improve both methodologies and teaching skills.
The Working Group aims to foster dialogue, cooperation and joint analysis on migration-related issues across Europe, including within the EU and neighbouring countries. The group brings together civil society organisations to exchange knowledge, monitor developments and promote informed, evidence-based approaches to migration policy.

The group brings together experts, activists and scholars committed to safeguarding and advancing the principles of free expression across Wider Europe. It focuses on three interconnected areas that shape how societies communicate and engage in democratic life.

 

The first area, MEDIA, addresses freedom of speech and expression, the protection and support of public interest media and the challenges faced by journalists and media outlets under pressure or in exile. The second area, NARRATIVES, promotes the role of EU values, shared histories and practices of remembrance in shaping inclusive and forward-looking public discourse. The third area, RIGHTS, focuses on digital rights and access to reliable information as essential components of contemporary life. Together, these fields form the foundation for transparent, accountable and participatory societies.

 

The overall aim of the working group is to foster solidarity, collaboration and an enabling environment where communication serves both democracy, human rights and the broader public good. In a fast paced world, the WG is nevertheless a flexible, open-ended work process ready for future adjustments.

Bringing together representatives of civil society organisations serving diverse vulnerable and marginalised communities—including people living with HIV, people who use drugs, sex workers and the LGBTQIA+ community—the Working Group on Public and Inclusive Health fosters collaboration and builds resilience. Its goals include the international exchange of best practices and learning how other organisations and countries are advancing inclusive health agendas.
The Working Group on Gender Equality brings together our members with significant practical and expert experience in advancing gender rights and combating discrimination. The group addresses a wide range of issues, including inequality based on gender, sexual characteristics or sexual orientation; unequal access to education, employment and healthcare; underrepresentation in politics; gender-based violence and harassment and reproductive rights. It also focuses on the role of women in peacebuilding and the gender dimensions of conflict resolution and peace processes.
Aiming to foster exchange, cooperation and joint reflection on the role of citizens and civil society in local governance processes across Wider Europe, the group serves as a platform for sharing practices and ideas on civic participation at the local level enhancing transparency, accountability and inclusive decision-making. It focuses on how communities engage with local institutions, how participatory tools are used and what conditions enable meaningful citizen involvement in local self-governance.
The Working Group facilitates the exchange of experience and joint action among organisations supporting conscientious objectors in different countries. Its members collaborate on media work, advocacy and volunteer engagement, while also identifying new opportunities for joint projects.
Focused on the protection of human rights in places of imprisonment, including pre-trial detention facilities, prisons and other closed institutions. This group brings together civil society actors monitoring detention conditions, documenting abuses and advocating for compliance with international human rights standards. The group facilitates exchange of experience, legal expertise and strategies for improving transparency, accountability and the humane treatment of individuals deprived of liberty.
See all working groups
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  • PHOTO GALLERY

ANNUAL

CONFERENCE

The Civil Society Forum’s Annual Conference is a cornerstone of our community — a space where members and partners come together each year to reconnect, exchange ideas, and strengthen our shared work. 

Our conference moves across Europe, each time offering a new local context. In recent years, we’ve met in Vilnius, Warsaw, and last year in Berlin — a city deeply tied to the values of freedom and transformation, and home to the CSF Secretariat.

The Board

Guiding the movement

  • BOARD CO-CHAIRS

         Elected by our members, the CSF Board ensures strategic direction and decision-making. Board members serve for two years at a time, with the opportunity to be re-elected for up to six years.

The most pressing issue for civil society today is the rise of political authoritarianism, and political and societal intolerance. In principle, it is simple: civil society organisations can hardly tackle any important political or social task if they do not have a degree of freedom themselves.

André Gerrits

Co-Chair and Treasurer of the Civil Society Forum, works closely with member organisations to promote democracy and protect civil liberties. With a strong background in social justice and civic engagement, he also serves as professor of international studies and global politics at Leiden University in the Netherlands.
Liberal politicians are losing public support, while their opponents do not prioritize political freedom or sustainable governance. This is where civil society plays a vital role: renewing the demand for freedom and autonomy and supporting constructive political and social change.

Nikola Mokrović

Nikola Mokrović, political scientist by training. Serves as an archivist and researcher in Documenta – Centre for Dealing with the Past, Zagreb.

The Secretariat

The team that

keeps CSF running

            Based in Berlin, the Secretariat ensures that CSF’s mission translates into action. Our team manages programmes, advocacy, solidarity initiatives, communications and finance.

Nataliya Novakova

Executive Director

Maksim Smekhov

Programmes Lead

Andrew Wilkin
Communications Lead

Friederike Behr

Advocacy Manager

Andrey Plotnitskiy

Project Manager

Christoph Sproul

Project Manager

Artem Tiurin

Project Manager

Want to become a member of the Civil Society Forum?

Just drop us a message stating the organisation you represent and a brief description of your motivation. We’ll follow up with the application form and other details and gladly answer any questions you may have.

Want to join a Working Group?

CSF Working Groups offer Forum members the chance to communicate and work together with others in their specific fields of interest. If you are representing a CSF member organisation and not currently participating in any Working Group or would like to join another one, please contact us via this form, and we will connect you with the coordinators.
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