Government launches the Civil Society Covenant – Bond reaction
Today, Thursday 17 July, the Prime Minister joins community leaders, campaigners, and charities from across the UK at a summit to launch the Civil Society Covenant.
The Covenant is a new model of partnership between civil society and government. The Covenant will create an environment in which civil society is respected, supported and listened to by government, both when working in partnership with civil society and independently, when civil society is holding government to account. The Covenant is a reciprocal arrangement recognising that both civil society and government have distinct and shared roles in serving the public.
In reaction to the Civil Society Covenant, Romilly Greenhill, CEO of Bond, said:
The Civil Society Covenant is a positive first step by the government to reset the relationship with civil society. Concrete action must now follow to protect civic space and strengthen our democracy.
While we welcome the government’s commitment to protect peaceful protest, it needs to reverse the erosion of protest rights that has taken place over the past few years. This includes abandoning plans to introduce yet more anti-protest measures through the Crime and Policing Bill.
It is encouraging that the Covenant makes clear that the government will respect the independence and legitimacy of civil society to advocate and campaign for their issues. We hope this will end the unnecessary inclusion of anti-advocacy and gagging clauses in grant agreements.
The commitment to work with civil society to build a healthy democracy and overcome barriers to democratic participation is also welcome. We hope the government uses the forthcoming Elections Bill to make important regulatory changes, such as exempting registered charities from the non-party campaigning rules, which have had a chilling effect on advocacy and campaigning in the lead up to elections.
Finally, the promise to build genuine partnerships, based on engagement and long-term funding, has the potential for real change. We have seen how all too often, civil society groups and the communities they work with are shut out of policy making processes or brought in too late, and the disastrous consequences this can have. By working together from the beginning, we can co-create policy to ensure it meets the needs of communities here in the UK and globally.
ENDS.
Notes to editors
- Read the Civil Society Covenant.
- More information on the Civil Society Covenant is available on GOV.UK
- Some of the measures proposed in the Crime and Policing Bill include, a proposed ban on concealing identity including the wearing of face coverings, concealing of the face with mask and/or protest signs, and plans to prevent marches from passing places of worship.
- Read Bond’s UK civic space review for 24-25, detailing the key trends threatening civil society’s core functions.
- Bond is the UK network for organisations working in international development. Bond unites and supports a diverse network of over 350 civil society organisations from across the UK, and allies to help eradicate global poverty, inequality and injustice.
- For further information or interviews please contact Jess Salter at [email protected] or call 07392972411.
