Civil Society Institutions: Essence and Role

Abstract

Introduction. There is a considerable economic effect of the activities of civil society institutions and programs that promote its development in the economically developed countries of the world. In Ukraine, the situation is significantly different, which is due to the effectiveness of civil society institutions, as well as their perception by the population, state and business. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to explore the features of the functioning of civil society institutions, their essence and role in the society. Results. The article considers various scientific approaches to the interpretation of the category “civil society institution”, and they are used to formulate the author’s approach. Accordingly, civil society institutions are voluntary, self-governed organizations, whether formal or informal, that unite individuals and legal entities around a common idea or purpose other than making a profit. It is substantiated that the list of institutions united under the name of “civil society institutions” should include political parties, as they are entities that unite citizens around a common idea and values and, in the process of their statutory activities, they provide services to the population and promote its communication with the authorities. It is substantiated that the institutions of civil society perform 4 main functions: oppositional, creative, protective, auxiliary, which are realized by solving the tasks assigned by society to these institutions. The article considers approaches of four authoritative international organizations to the selection of the principles of formation and activity of civil society institutions. It is determined that the following principles are common to these organizations: the principle of voluntary creation; focus on public benefit; cooperation with other entities to achieve the goals; accountability; equality of rights and freedoms; and legal protection of activities. Conclusions. Civil society institutions are voluntary, self-governed organizations, whether formal or informal, that bring together individuals and legal entities around a common idea or purpose other than making a profit. All civil society institutions have specific functions, tasks, principles of formation and activities that make them different from other similar organizations. The development of civil society creates significant economic and social effects in the developed countries of the world, which are also worth striving for in Ukraine, but this is still a long way off. The reason for this situation lies in the shortcomings of the civil society in Ukraine due to its hybrid development. These shortcomings of Ukrainian civil society can be eliminated with a developed network of civil society institutions in society. Such development can be achieved by forming a high-quality and effective strategy to promote the development of civil society at the state level and promote the activities of civil society institutions among the population.