Triple a for citizens: access to information, advice and active help report

The project “Triple A for citizens” is a project implemented in the framework of the European Commission’s Partnership programme for Civil Society organisations. The project made up of a consortium of 11 civil society organisations located all around Europe (European Citizen Action Service, National Association of Citizen Information Services, Association for Democratic Initiatives, National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux Romania, Law Centres Network, Association of Civil Society Development Centre, Civil Rights Program in Kosovo, Lawyer ‘s Committee for Human Rights, Open Society Foundation for Albania, Macedonian Young Lawyers Association, Centre for Monitoring and Research).

The Triple A project focuses on two different levels in the field of provision of information, advice and active help to citizens- building up the network (the network will be open to all organisations engaged in the provision of these services to citizens in wider Europe and will work to create an environment which allows these organizations to operate openly and effectively with stable sources of funding, and to establish a set of quality standards for legal service providers) and activities in the region. The project provides free legal aid, advice and information to thousands of citizens in the Western Balkans (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo) and Turkey. In March 2015, the project entered its second phase and expanded its services to three additional countries in the region: Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro.

Main aims of the project are:

• to encourage non-governmental organisations to provide information

• to strengthen the role of civil society organisations which provide Access to information, Advice and Active help (free legal aid) services to citizens with regards to their rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Turkey, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Turkey

• advice and active help to citizens on their rights in the Western Balkans and Turkey

• to promote the role of civil society in giving citizens a voice and holding governments to account

• Improve/implement current legislation in the WB and Turkey

• Increase funding to the free legal aid sector in each country

• Fostering a sustainable environment for providers of Triple A services to operate

• Publicize the availability of Free Legal Aid and other Advice, Information, and Active help services within the country

The immediate objectives are to promote the role of civil society in giving citizens a voice and holding governments and to account spread the citizens’ advice concept to Western Balkans and Turkey. Triple A project aims to provide all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Turkey, three key rights: access to information, advice and active help. Annual Programme and Financial Report 2015 18 The mission of the project is to provide equal access to justice and protection of human rights for all Western Balkan countries, through the provision of high quality information, counseling and free legal aid and result is the creation of the European network of organizations for consultation of citizens, as well as work on civil rights.

The project is based on the principle that everyone has the right to be informed on their rights. Since December 2012 the project has supported a multitude of services provided by civil society organisations to thousands of citizens in the Western Balkans (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo) and Turkey to enable them to access information on their rights and obtain advice and active help in exercising them. In other words, Triple A works to promote access to justice for citizens throughout the region. In March 2015 the project entered its second phase and expanded its services to three additional countries in the region: Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro. In this phase, there is an increased focus on advocacy to promote legislative changes and increased funding to Triple A services, including free legal aid. Now, the project is active in the following countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia (in the first phase only, 2012-2015), Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey.