Cape Verde-Overview

People in Cabo Verde are free to express their opinions, form associations and demonstrate peacefully in public. They do this with strong guarantees in law and with protection from the state. Legislation governing the formation of associations allows for groups to be either registered or unregistered and a wide range of civil society organisations (CSOs) are active on all islands in the country and in a variety of sectors. Free assembly is respected in practice and the media also operates freely.While civil society plays an important part in Cabo Verde society, CSOs believe that they could have more of an impact on the direction of important national policies, including those related to youth unemployment and regionalisation.