Resolution by the 10th Annual Assembly of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

We, the representatives of civil society from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova,
Ukraine and the EU member states gathered together in Tbilisi at the tenth annual meeting of
the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) reiterate our support for the aims of the
Eastern Partnership to which we and our countries voluntarily committed ten years ago.

We note that 2018 marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and the 100th anniversary of re-gaining independence by many of our states as the Tsarist
empire fragmented in the wake of the revolution in Russia preceded by the generations’ fight
for freedom. The memory of these tragically short-lived governments, nevertheless points the
way to the free and independent development of our partner states.

It was a century ago that these governments offered programmes which included freedom from
censorship and free elections, enlightened labour codes including an 8 hour working day,
gender equality with the vote for women and access to free elementary education. Azerbaijan
instituted universal suffrage and became the first democratic state in the Muslim world, while
Georgia abolished the death penalty, and guaranteed the rights of national minorities in its
Constitution.

The Eastern Partnership programme, enriched by the current 2020 deliverables initiative,
enshrines these traditions for which the EaP CSF has worked unremittingly, with the crucial
support of the European Union, since the EaP CSF came into being in 2009. Nevertheless, the
EaP, has seen modest progress in the protection of human rights and backsliding when it comes
to media freedom and the justice system, as well as in fighting corruption. The EaP should have
a more ambitious, political approach which is based on a stronger partnership between EU
institutions, EU member states, EaP governments and the civil society to tackle the challenge
posed by state capture, corruption and disinformation.

The coming tenth anniversary year of the EaP and the Forum should boost reform efforts
throughout the partnership as the Forum declares that it will strive, in harmony, for the
establishment of democratic regimes, free markets and the rule of law in all EaP partner states
with a view to membership of the European Union, if and when these countries are willing and
ready to join. The civil society commends a stronger focus of the EaP policy on improving
living conditions for ordinary people in six Eastern Partnership countries and such results as
visa liberalisation and the Association Agreements with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine that
pave the way for the ambitious reforms. We hope that Comprehensive and Enhanced
Partnership Agreement with EU will become an effective basis for the reform agenda in
Armenia, and CSOs will make their valuable contribution in the process. We look forward to
the signing of the EU-Azerbaijan Strategic Partnership Agreement and the Partnership Priorities
between the EU and Belarus. We believe that the “deepening” of relations should be based on
the upholding and respecting the core values and principles of democracy, the rule of law and
good governance, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The Assembly declares its solidarity with those in the European member states and in the EaP
countries, who are working to resist authoritarian and nationalist forces in their midst as we
believe that the dream of a democratic and tolerant Europe is common to both the member states
and the EaP states. At the same time, political polarisation and populism is a serious challenge
for our societies hindering stable development and provoking attacks by politicians on both the
media and civil society.

We reiterate our support to Ukraine and Georgia in resisting Russian aggression and declare
our solidarity to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of these states suffering from illegal
occupation and annexation; to our colleagues in Armenia, who are building a new democratic
regime in their country; to civil society in Moldova, which is struggling to break the
grip oligarchy has established over their country; to our friends in Belarus, who under difficult
conditions are striving to defend their freedoms and rights and push for sustainable reforms.
We also support our Georgian colleagues, who are working to establish state institutions free
of party political control and able to effectively serve their fellow citizens in the justice sphere
and elsewhere. In Azerbaijan we call on the authorities to free political prisoners as a necessary
step in the country’s relationship with the European Union which will lead to political and other
reforms to the benefit of Azerbaijani and EU citizens.

We look forward to that day in the Eastern Partnership when democratic and law abiding
state structures are finally established in all our countries and our citizens are freed from
the oppressive and corrupt rule of autocrats and oligarchs.