President of the Republic of Croatia, Stjepan Mesić, received the delegation of the Council for Civil Society Development. The latter is an advisory and expert body of the Croatian Government, composed of 10 representatives of NGOSs, 10 representatives of competent state administrative bodies as well as 3 experts in the fields of international co-operation, inter-sectoral co-operation and European integration processes.

 

As Croatian successful post-war peace-building processes were one of important reasons for Croatian candidacy for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council, the delegation and president Mesić discussed the possibilities of civil society organizations’ contribution to successful Croatian engagement in the UN Security Council. Given that Croatian NGOs possess a rich knowledge and experience in this area, they may considerably help other states and their civil society organizations that are encountering circumstances similar to those that Croatia was dealing with a decade ago.

 

The President supported the initiative of the Council for Civil Society Development, highlighting the permanent need of strengthening the dialogue between the civil society and administrative bodies.

 

The delegation was composed of Toni Vidan, President of the Council for Civil Society Development, Lidija Pavić Rogošić, Vice-president of the Council for Civil Society Development, dr. Igor Vidačak, Head of the Office for Cooperation with NGOs, and Nikolina Svalina, Ines Loknar Mijatović and Ninoslav Sćukanec, members of the Council for Civil Society Development.