For purposes of ensuring privacy and non-discrimination, the Civil Service Administration does not collect data regarding civil servants allegiance to any social groups.
Regulations governing the civil service do not discriminate against any social groups, and the government is running different programmes to facilitate the competitiveness of socially excluded groups in the labor market and in education, which promote the social integration of these groups in the job market (including the civil service). The National Action Plan for Reducing Poverty and Social Exclusion (2004 - 2006) describes activities targeted towards improving opportunities for the following social groups: families with four or more children, single family households, persons with disabilities, elderly persons, youth and children, former prisoners, unemployed, homeless and victims of human trade.
Indirect national support, by means of tax incentives for those making donations to NGOs working with the impoverished or socially marginalized is defined in the Law on Social Benefit Organizations.
In conclusion, there are social groups that, for different reasons, have difficulties receiving the level of education needed to apply for positions in the civil service. The government is providing support for improving the situation for integrating these groups into society.
Because of the limited amount of information available concerning this equality of access to civil service, it is difficult to evaluate the situation accurately.
Summary: progress during the past 35 years
Very good Good Satisfactory Poor Very poor
11.1. X
11.2. X
11.3. X
Best Feature:
Inspite of the the comparatively slow and uneven development of civil society activity, and the level of public participation in policy planning and development:
l There is an increase in the belief by people in their ability to effect change;
l The first steps have been taken by the government to strengthen civil society and promote gender equality.
The most serious problems are:
l Few people actively participate as volunteers in their local communities and in areas of public benefit environmental protection, health promotion, social assistance, democracy building, etc.
l NGOs lack independent and sustainable sources of financing for activities aimed at promoting democracy, an area that society itself is not at present financially supporting.
Recommendations:
To increase peoples active participation in civil society.35
To increase the number of people in Latvia who engage in formal or informal forms of cooperation.
l To encourage local governments (and NGOs) to create real opportunities for public participation in social initiatives
l To promote charity, including volunteer work, private donations, corporate philanthropy and the establishment of foundations
l To encourage local governments, non-governmental organizations and the media to popularize civil society and public participation by highlighting best practise
l To improve the knowledge and skills of school students by encouraging a positive attitude towards living in a civil society
l To promote public participation of groups at risk of social marginalization
To improve the efficiency of participation of individuals, informal groups and non-governmental organizations in political processes at local government, government and European Union levels.
l To place the public administration under an obligation to involve civil society in policymaking by providing legal and methodological guidelines for public participation in policymaking at the public administration level, maintaining and expanding existing participation mechanisms
l To provide the public with accessible and comprehensible information and communication resources for efficient public participation in policymaking
To develop favorable conditions for sustainable, result-oriented non-governmental organizations
l To promote the improvement of NGO capacity to reach set goals and attract financial and human resources
l To promote public involvement in NGOs by encouraging non-governmental organizations to broaden memberships and involve target groups
l To promote the accessibility of multiple sources and forms of funding for the NGO sector
l To support the development of innovative non-governmental organizations
l To create and maintain a government support system for promoting sustainability of the NGO sector To increase gender equality36
l Increase the public awareness of gender equality issues;
l Reconcile professional and family life;
l Promote of understanding of gender equality issues in state administration institutions and create implementation mechanism of sustainable gender equality policy;
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1According to the Ministry of Finance, this is the number of organizations that has received permission to accept donations from donors receiving tax breaks.
2Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Integration Affairs. The Development of Civil Society in Latvia: an Analysis.
Rîga, 2004, p. 17.
3Marketing and Public Opinion Research Centre (SKDS). Uzskati par pilsonisko sabiedrîbu, Intervijas ar sabiedriski aktîvajiem cilvçkiem, sabiedrisko organizâciju pârstâvjiem un paðvaldîbu darbiniekiem [Attitudes about civil society, interviews with socially active people, representatives of organizations and local government officials]. Commissioned by the Secretariat of the Special Assignment Minister for Integration Affairs, 2004. Unpublished material.
4Secretariat of the Special Assignment Minister for Integration Affairs. Civil Society Development in Latvia: a Situation Analysis. Riga, 2004, p. 20.
5Ibid, p. 66.
6Office of Democracy, Governance and Social Transition in USAIDs Bureau for Europe and Eurasia. The 2003 NGO Sustainability Index For Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia., Washington D.C.: 2004, http://www.usaid.gov/locations/europe_eurasia/
dem_gov/ngoindex/2003/, last viewed September 29, 2004.
7Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration. The Development of Civil Society in Latvia: an Analysis. Rîga, 2004, pp. 22-27.
8Cabinet of Ministers.Valsts programma Pilsoniskâs sabiedrîbas stiprinâðana. 2005.-2009. gadam [National Programme
Strengthening Civil Society. 2005-2009]
9Central Election Commission information. http://www.cvk.lv/cgi-bin/wdbcgiw/base/eiro.eiro_parl_2004.fre, last viewed. 1.10.2004.
10Marketing and Public Opinion Research Centre (SKDS). Vçlçtâju lîdzdalîbu ietekmçjoðie faktori Eiropas Parlamenta vçlçðanâs, Latvijas iedzîvotâju aptauja, 2004. g. augusts [Factors affecting voter participation in the European Parliament elections, Survey of the Inhabitants of Latvia, August 2004]. Comissioned by the Central Election Commission, see. http://www.cvk.lv/cvkserv/EP/
pet_2004.pdf, last viewed 1.10. 2004.
11Baltic Data House. Pçtîjumu un rîcîbas programma Ceïâ uz pilsonisku sabiedrîbu [The Path to Civil Society: Study and program of action]. Rîga: 1998. http://www.integracija.gov.lv/index.php?id=56&sadala=22, last viewed. 1.10.2004.
12Marketing and Public Opinion Research Centre (SKDS). Iedzîvotâju aptauja par daþâdiem integrâcijas aspektiem, 2003. gada novembris [Survey of the inhabitants about different aspects of integration. November 2003].
13Baltic Data House. Pçtîjumu un rîcîbas programma Ceïâ uz pilsonisku sabiedrîbu [The Path to Civil Society: Study and program of action]. Rîga: 1998. http://www.integracija.gov.lv/index.php?id=56&sadala=22, last viewed. 1.10.2004.
14Baltijas Institute of Social Sciences. Jautâjumi sabiedrîbas demokratizâcijas dinamikas novçrtçðanai[Questions concerning the dynamics of democratisation]. Tables 20 and 30.
15Tirgus un sabiedriskâs domas pçtîjumu centrs (SKDS). Iedzîvotâju aptauja par daþâdiem integrâcijas aspektiem, 2003. gada novembris.
16Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Integration Affairs. The Development of Civil Society in Latvia: an Analysis.
Riga, 2004, p. 10.
17Ibid, p. 13.
18Office of Democracy, Governance and Social Transition in USAIDs Bureau for Europe and Eurasia . The 2003 NGO Sustainability Index For Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Washington D.C.: 2004, http://www.usaid.gov/locations/europe_eurasia/dem_gov/
ngoindex/2003/, last viewed 29.09.2004.
19Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Vîrieði un sievietes Latvijâ [Men and women in Latvia]. Riga, 2003.
20Lîdere and Latvijas fakti, p. 4.
21Pranka, et.al., p. 104.
22Data from July, 2003.
23Ministru Kabinets. Koncepcija dzimumu lîdztiesîbas îstenoðanai Latvijâ. Pieòemta 16.10.2001.
24Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Vîrieði un sievietes Latvijâ [Men and women in Latvia]. Riga, 2003, p. 22.
25Ibid, p. 23.
26Civil Service Administration statistics for 2002. (http://www.vcp.gov.lv/faili/cdlv/informz/statrad2002.doc)
27Pranka, et.al. Dzimumu lîdztiesîbas principu îstenoðana Latvijas paðvaldîbâs. Pçtîjumu atskaite [Implementation of gender equity in Latvijas local governments], p. 104.
28Ibid.
29Cabinet of Ministers. Programma dzimumu lîdztiesîbas îstenoðanai 2005.-2006. gadam [Programme for Implementation of Gender Equality (2005-2006)].
30One of the criteria for application for European Union Structural Funds is ensuring the principle of gender equality. http://
www.ngo.org.lv/?news=1369
31Cabinet of Ministers. Programma dzimumu lîdztiesîbas îstenoðanai 2005.-2006. gadam [Programme for Implementation of Gender Equality (2005-2006)].
32Lâce, I. Caune, E. Sievieðu organizâcijas apvienojas politikas lobçðanai [Womens Organizations Unite to Lobby Policy].
www.politika.lv, May 11, 2005.
33Pranka, et.al., p. 104..
34Latvian Womens NGO Network. Shadow Report on the Combined Initial, Second and Third Periodic Reports on Implementation by the Republic of Latvia of the December 18, 1979 Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. 2004.
Riga, 2004.
35See Cabinet of Ministers. Koncepcija dzimumu lîdztiesîbas îstenoðanai Latvijâ [Framework Document on Implementation of Gender Equality].
36See Cabinet of Ministers. Programma dzimumu lîdztiesîbas îstenoðanai 2005.-2006. gadam [Programme for Implementation of Gender Equality (2005-2006)].
Dace Jansone and Inga Vilka
Is government responsive to the concerns of its citizens?