Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts, Ibrahim Waheed, has announced that the NGO Working Space established at the Youth Centre will be available free of charge to civil society organisations.

The announcement was made during the Civil Society Awards ceremony held at the Youth Venue last night. The minister said the initiative was introduced to address the long-standing lack of space faced by civil society groups when organising meetings, forums and other activities.

He noted that the most common concern raised by civil society organisations to the ministry has been the shortage of suitable working space. To resolve this, two rooms have been allocated specifically for use by civil society organisations, along with a training hall on the first floor of the Youth Centre for conducting training programmes.

The minister said the availability of free working spaces will make it easier for organisations to carry out their activities and will help address key operational challenges faced by NGOs. He encouraged all civil society organisations to make full use of the facility.

At the ceremony, seven organisations received Civil Society Awards. The minister also said that more organisations will be recognised at next year’s awards.