Cyprus CSO Alliance

The Alliance is a coordination mechanism. It is not a formal national platform, a representative body or a network with a standing mandate, and it has no legal personality, statutes or elected bodies. It complements, rather than replaces, the work of existing organisations and thematic networks by providing a structured link to European civil society processes, in particular those associated with CONCORD.

The agenda is deliberately broad, reflecting the many ways in which Cypriot civil society connects with global development and the EU’s external action:

The Alliance is a legacy initiative of the EU Presidency Project 5 (EUPP5). Through the EUPP5 project, CARDET engaged a diverse group of Cypriot NGOs.

Cyprus does not currently have a functioning national platform dedicated to international development cooperation and humanitarian assistance. Cypriot organisations tend to engage with these fields through European projects, international partnerships or thematic networks, rather than through a structured national mechanism. The Alliance seeks to sustain the relationships established under EUPP5 and to make engagement with European processes systematic rather than incidental.

As a CONCORD associate member and the Cyprus coordinator for EUPP5, CARDET is positioned to keep Cypriot organisations informed of, and connected to, European civil society processes, helping them become better informed, more connected and more visible in European discussions.

• Information updates and policy digests on EU policy developments, CONCORD activities, advocacy processes and relevant events
• Funding alerts and partnership opportunities, circulated to all participants simultaneously and on equal terms
• The Annual Meeting and a second Alliance meeting during the year, each of limited duration and with an agenda circulated in advance
• Targeted capacity-building sessions on needs identified by participants, for example EU development funding, engagement with CONCORD processes or civic space monitoring
• Access to CONCORD resources and European processes, facilitated by CARDET as a CONCORD associate member
• The opportunity to take part in joint advocacy on issues relevant to your organisation’s mission
• The opportunity to propose topics for capacity-building sessions and policy dialogues

Participation is designed to be proportionate to the capacity of organisations operating with small teams and volunteer support. The one expectation is that each participating organisation is represented at the Annual Meeting, held each June.

Beyond the Annual Meeting, organisations are encouraged to engage whenever a topic is relevant to their work, with no expectation of continuous involvement.

The Annual Meeting is held in June each year, with the first in June 2027. It reviews the work of the preceding twelve months and agrees priorities for the year ahead. It may be held in person or online, and the format will be confirmed in the invitation, so that organisations based outside Nicosia, where CARDET’s offices are located, or with limited capacity are able to attend. If an organisation cannot attend, the secretariat will follow up to share the outcomes and gather its input, and the organisation remains a participant.

The Alliance has no standing mandate. No participating organisation will be represented as holding a position it has not explicitly endorsed.

• No statement, submission or public position will be issued in the name of the Cyprus CSO Alliance as a whole.
• Joint outputs are attributed to “the following members of the Cyprus CSO Alliance”, followed by the list of endorsing organisations only.
• An organisation that does not respond to an opt-in request is treated as not endorsing. Silence is never interpreted as agreement.
• Declining to take part in a joint action carries no consequence or implication.
• CARDET may describe the Alliance’s existence, purpose and activities factually, including to CONCORD and funders, without attributing views to participating organisations.

All funding calls, partnership invitations and consortium opportunities received through the Alliance are circulated to every participating organisation at the same time and on the same terms.

Participation creates no expectation of partnership with CARDET or with any other participant. An organisation’s standing is unaffected by its decision to lead, join or decline any application, and participants remain free to submit their own proposals, including in competition with one another. The participant list will not be used for partner recruitment.

CARDET, as Cyprus coordinator of EUPP5 and an associate member of CONCORD, serves as coordinator and secretariat. It will:

• maintain the contact list and circulate updates, funding alerts and opportunities
• convene meetings and consultations
• connect participating organisations with CONCORD resources and processes
• support the preparation of selected opt-in joint inputs and advocacy actions
• document participation and outputs for the purposes of EUPP5 legacy reporting

CARDET does not speak on behalf of participating organisations. The Alliance has no legal personality and does not hold funds, employ staff or enter into agreements.

CARDET collects only the information organisations provide when they join, namely the organisation’s name and contact details. This information is used solely to coordinate the Alliance and to communicate with participating organisations, and is processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

Contact details are not shared with third parties. The names of participating organisations and their participation in Alliance activities may be included in EUPP5 legacy reporting to the project’s funders and partners. Contact details are deleted on request or when an organisation withdraws; reports already submitted are retained in line with project reporting requirements. Requests may be sent to info@cardet.org.