What should we wait from the future conference of the National Platform?

The forthcoming conference of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum should resolve the whole number of contradictions between its participants.

Their vision of these contradictions and expectations of the conference that is to take place on June 1 in Minsk in the talk with the EuroBelarus Information Service shared the members of the coordinating committee.

Piotr Kuzniatsou, civil initiative “Gomel Democratic Forum”:

- If we take into notice the agenda of the conference, we’ll see that all the questions concern the inner development of the National Platform. I am expecting that constant, not temporal document about the intake procedure to the National Platform will be adopted.

The elections to the coordinating committee and the elections of its new chairman are forthcoming, too. I wish there were few problems with these procedures and that the decisions made at the conference will allow us to start working.

For the moment there are a number of contradictions between its members. And these contradictions remain from November, when the concept of the National Platform was adopted. It is these contradictions that slow down the whole development process, as it is very hard to achieve the decision that will suit everyone.

I believe that it is during the forthcoming conference when the disambiguation can start, as many of them are subjective. And there is hope that after reelections and approval of the documents these contradictions will stay no longer.

Siarhei Matskevich, the Assembly of Pro- Democratic NGOs of Belarus:

- It is not the first conference of the National Platform, so I have no overrated expectations. But the whole background is not that favourable, as now the interest of Belarusans towards the Eastern Partnership and European programs on the whole.

I believe that the dialog between public organizations is required in order to either give up and concentrate on something else, or finally use the instruments acting in Belarus.

I understand those organizations that lost interest in these instruments, as for a number of years the help offered by Europe is ignored by our authorities. And public sector doesn’t have any opportunities to advance this or that problem.

On the other hand, I see no other variants. The only thing is that we should concentrate on work with society more than on work with the European structures. And then, perhaps, this preference can bring certain results.

Siarhei Drazdouski, Office for the Rights of People with Disabilities:

- In reality, the last conference left the whole number of questions to resolve. Concept of the National Platform’s development suffered considerable criticism. The suggestion to amend the Concept wasn’t realized. That is why the first thing to happen at the Conference is acceptance of the Concept on default, as the authors of this criticism didn’t manage to formulate where these complaints could be found exactly.

Second thing is the conversion to the stage of constructive development. As every Conference resulted in the protest of some kind, such as a collective statement or rejection of the Concept. Such situation destabilized any possibility of development. I wish the degree of protest moods was lower at this Conference. Then we can expect that the National Platform can become more constructive and result in higher effectiveness.