2025 EaP Civil Society Award

Since 2018, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum has presented its Civil Society Award to celebrate the outstanding and courageous work of organisations from the Eastern Partnership region who are on a daily basis defending core democratic values, advancing democratic reform, contributing to the political, economic and social development of their countries, and helping people and communities in vulnerable situations. 

Civil society organisations in the Eastern Partnership countries are key drivers of reform and vocal defenders of democratic values. Even when facing unfavourable, challenging and often repressive conditions, they do not give up and work tirelessly for the benefit of their communities and for the common good.   

In times of conflict, war, democratic crackdown, or worldwide health crisis, civil society has mobilised people in defence of democracy, fundamental rights, and freedoms, and supported vulnerable communities and the economy.  

In times of democratic reform, civil society has proved to be an essential counterpart for the government, holding it to account and ensuring an inclusive reform process.  

The Civil Society Award honours and celebrates the courage, commitment, and contribution that civil society organisations show on a daily basis to defend and strengthen democracy, freedom, justice and dignity for all people in the countries of the Eastern Partnership.  

• 2018 – Davit Petrosyan (Armenia) – for his courageous and instrumental leadership in mobilising youth and students in the context of Armenia’s 2018 street protests, eventually leading to the Velvet Revolution. 
• 2019 – PromoLex (Moldova) – for their outstanding and courageous work in the field of the political, economic and social development of their countries and defending core democratic values. 
• 2020 – Belarusian Civil Society (Belarus) – for its essential help to the victims of the repressions during the 2020 authoritarian repression in Belarus. The award was symbolically received by Andrej Stryzhak, BYHelp. 
• 2022 – Ukrainian Civil Society (Ukraine) – for their extraordinary mobilisation in support of the war effort, providing humanitarian aid, and alleviating suffering while continuing to support democratic reforms. 
• 2023 – Belarusian Association of Journalists (Belarus) – for their resolute commitment to independent journalism in Belarus, integrity in the defence of media freedom, democracy, and human rights even while faced with the harshest of oppressions. 
• 2024 – Journalism Resource Centre (Georgia) – for its persistent work to counter disinformation and contribution to a free, fair and independent media in Georgia amidst the crackdown in the context of the Foreign Agent Law. 

For the 2025 EaP CSF Civil Society Summit progamme, please click here.

Tuesday, 2 December 2025

Up-to-date as of 20 October 2025. All times are in Central European Time (UTC +01:00).

19:00 – 19:15

Welcome Remarks

• Mr Vincent Blondel, President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Belgium  
• Mr Christophe de Nijs, Director General for European Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Belgium 

19:15 – 19:45

Keynote Speech and Interview

• Ms Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement

20:00 – 20:30

Civil Society Award Ceremony

The Civil Society Award is an honorary award of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum for civil society organisations and activists that recognises leadership and achievements in upholding European fundamental values and principles in the Eastern Partnership region.

20:00 – 22:00

Closing Remarks

Followed by a networking reception at the Belgian Senate