Civil Society Dialogue Network
The Civil Society Dialogue Network (CSDN) is a mechanism for dialogue between civil society and EU policymakers on peace and conflict. It is co-financed by the EU and EPLO, and managed by EPLO in co-operation with the European Commission and the European External Action Service.
The CSDN was established in 2010, and the fifth phase (CSDN V) began in 2023 and will last until 2026.
Most CSDN events take the form of dialogue meetings which bring together relevant civil society actors and EU policymakers. They take place in Brussels, other locations in EU members states, and conflict-affected countries where the EU has a presence.
The Civil Society Dialogue Network (CSDN) is a structured mechanism for dialogue between civil society and EU policymakers on peace and conflict. Co-financed by the European Union and managed by EPLO in cooperation with the European Commission and the European External Action Service, the CSDN has been connecting civil society expertise with EU policy processes since 2010.
The CSDN’s fifth phase (CSDN V) began in 2023 and runs until 2026. Its overall objective is to contribute to the enhancement of EU and civil society capacities to anticipate, prevent and respond to violent conflict, and to support conflict-affected countries in building peace.
A unique space for EU-civil society dialogue
The CSDN is a structured space where civil society organisations from Europe and conflict-affected regions can engage directly with EU policymakers on the design and implementation of peacebuilding policies and practices.
How decisions are made
The CSDN operates through a tripartite decision-making mechanism, the Project Oversight Group, consisting of EPLO, the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, and the EEAS. This structure ensures a high level of ownership from all partners and keeps meetings focused on the issues most relevant to both civil society and EU policymakers.
Events
Dialogue Meeting
Policy meetings, geographic meetings, funding instruments meetings, member state meetings, NGO roundtables and academic conferences, each designed to bring the right expertise into the right EU policy conversation at the right time.
Publications
Each CSDN event is accompanied by written outputs that prepare participants, document discussions and extend the reach of the dialogue. Background papers brief participants ahead of meetings, meeting reports capture the key points and recommendations from each event, discussion papers stimulate broader reflection on peacebuilding issues, and country and regional briefing papers provide contextual analysis to support geographic discussions.
The vast majority of CSDN publications are publicly available
Videos
CSDN videos bring peacebuilding to life, giving voice to civil society actors and EU policymakers who participate in CSDN events, and illustrating the real-world meaning of peacebuilding concepts and practices.
Managed in partnership
CSDN V is co-financed by the European Union and managed by EPLO in cooperation with the European Commission and the European External Action Service. EPLO has managed the CSDN since its launch in 2010 and has been positively evaluated at the end of each phase.
