Dialogue with authorities

The fulfilment (or non-fulfilment) of fundamental rights is states’ primary responsibility. According to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights, states’ obligations are:

• to respect: refrain from interfering with the enjoyment of the right
• to protect: prevent others from interfering with the enjoyment of the right
• to fulfil: adopt appropriate measures towards the full realization of the right.

The role of civil society is to promote state’s obligations and to advise in public policies, providing its field expertise related to the needs and gaps. Civil society must make sure that it is sufficiently organised to provide both governments and people with reliable information, in order to become a force of proposal or opposition, if necessary, without finding itself taken over by the said governments.

There are various means of dialogue between states and civil society: regular contacts with the authorities, lobbying and advocacy strategies but also the participation in various committees, workshops, etc..