Civil Society Speaks Public Diplomacy – in Brussels and beyond

On 25 June 2025, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held an event in the context of European Public Diplomacy Week, launched for the first time by the European External Action Service (EEAS). The participants highlighted a fundamental dimension of European action, the contribution of civil society to public diplomacy, from international trade to water, through enlargement. When official diplomacy has limited outreach due to political or other issues, civil society can provide added value.

In Public Diplomacy Week, taking place in Brussels from 23-27 June 2025, the EU aims to unite people worldwide around values such as peace, prosperity, multilateralism and the rule of law. Different institutions will engage in discussions and present public diplomacy and international people-to-people initiatives. As such, the event "From trade to water: civil society's soft diplomacies" organised by the EESC's External Relations section brought together EESC members and experts from trade, water and enlargement, to talk about the engagement of civil society in these three areas.

Opening the event, EESC Vice-President for Communication Laurenţiu Plosceanu said: "Public Diplomacy is not just the task of Ambassadors, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Heads of State or the Secretary-General of the United Nations. In a democratic space like the European Union, with its many levels of governance, a vibrant and well-organised civil society, and tools for citizens' participation, Public Diplomacy can and should be a joint effort".

Inher keynote speech Vesna Kos, EU Ambassador to the Council of Europe described civil society as an engine of soft power shaping diplomacy in real time, where power should not only be measured in tanks, tariffs and treaties, but in the trust built by civil society.

Trade agreements — the cornerstone of the EU external relations — are additional strategic instruments to foster sustainable development and social progress. Civil society's soft power in this area is undeniable, such as in the fair trade movement initiated by activists and NGOs, pressing for new diligence laws to ensure that supply chains do not exploit workers or destroy forests. "Here, civil society is not a protestor against globalisation but it is a shaper of globalisation," said Ms Kos.

Tanja Buzek, EESC Member, Vice-President of the EESC’s International Trade Follow-up Committee, pointed out that civil society can only become active in trade in a structured way when the agreement has been concluded, ratified and entered into force. "However, there is a gap for civil society to engage during the negotiations and this is a gap that needs to be finally closed", said Ms Buzek.

Discussing how civil society can play an active role on the EU accession diplomacy path, the participants stressed that enlargement is not merely a technical process of legislative harmonisation. It is first and foremost a human dynamic, a rapprochement between citizens, workers and organisations who share the same democratic and social values. In this process, the involvement of civil society is crucial as enlargement also means transformation of societies. The EESC, through its civil society bodies with the candidate countries and its Enlargement Candidate Members Initiative (ECMs), is the first institution to involve representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs) from EU candidate countries in its advisory work.

The EU Ambassador to Montenegro, Johann Sattler, underlined that civil society plays a very important role in the enlargement process as "this is a whole of society effort". In particular, he highlighted the work of civil society on fundamentals, rule of law, fighting against corruption, freedom of media, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

The event concluded with the panel on the theme of tackling water scarcity together with the Global South. Water scarcity, related tensions and weaponisation pose a real, rising threat to international peace and stability.

However, as EESC member Milena Angelova, rapporteur on Blue diplomacy and water cooperation, pointed out: "Water can become an instrument for peace and development if concrete blue diplomacy actions are swiftly implemented. The role of organised civil society is first to push for it and second to go and deliver in coordination with the states".

Civil society organisations are the connective tissue in the global water and climate landscape, bringing together local communities, governments and international actors ensuring that water resource management is rooted in the realities of those most affected by water scarcity and climate change.

"The civil society facilitated by local and lateral dialogue across borders and sectors, building trust and consensus where political and economic interests may otherwise divide. This is especially crucial in transboundary water management where shared water resources demand shared solutions" said Thomas Rebermark, Director of the Swedish Water House at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).

Louis Cheick Sissoko, Presiding Officer of the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council said that the African Union recognised the threats posed by water scarcity and called for an equitable and sustainable use and management of water resources for social and economic development.