George Isaia

The founder and vice president of Oxygen for Democracy Dr. Nicolas Kyriakides and the organization's policy officer George Isaia, held a meeting on January 18, 2024, with the Commissioner for the Citizen, Mr. Panagiotis Palates. 

During the meeting, the representatives of our organization briefed the Commissioner on the action of Oxygen for Democracy, in particular regarding issues of democracy, participation, inclusion and transparency, while expressing their intention to work closely with the Commissioner's office. 

The Commissioner briefed our representatives on the terms of reference of the institution, while outlining its first priorities, including the pilot implementation of an upgraded course in Citizenship Education, both in primary and secondary education.  

Finally, the Commissioner expressed the mutual intention to work closely together, for the benefit of citizens and society at large. 

On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, Oxygen for Democracy and Oroklini Multiplex, in the framework of the European Erasmus+ program Legislation Matters-Youth Matters, organized an educational workshop, during which they presented to a group of UCLan Cyprus students basic tools for participation in policy-making processes, as well as the basic provisions of the legislation regulating lobbying in Cyprus.  

The organizers, after listening to the students' views, gathered their suggestions on the above issues, in order to submit them to the competent government bodies, with the aim of exerting positive pressure on the decision-making centers.   

On the occasion of the International Anti-Corruption Day, the Independent Authority against Corruption organized an event, on Friday, December 8, 2023, entitled: "The implementation of the Lobbying Law as a tool of Transparency for the purpose of preventing and combating Corruption".  

The topics were selected following the Authority's decision to implement the Lobbying legislation gradually from November 27, 2023. 

After the brief greeting by the Commissioner for Transparency, Mr. Haris Poyiatzis, there was an introduction to the Law of Lobbying by the Member of the Authority Mr. Elena Patera and an intervention by Dr. Nicolas Kyriakides, Special Associate of the University of Nicosia and co-founder of Oxygen for Democracy, on "Benefits and challenges in the implementation of Lobbying Legislation". 

Most of the time was spent on questions and answers as well as discussion on the topic, with live audience participation.  

The event was honored, among others, by the presence of the former Minister of Justice and Public Order, Mr. Ionas Nicolaou, as, under his own Ministry, the lobbying bill was drafted and promoted, the MP Mr. Marios Mavrides, the Commissioner for Legislation, the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection, the President of the Cyprus Bar Association, the Commissioner of Taxation, the Registrar of Companies, the Commissioner of State Aid Control, the Commissioner of Internal Audit, the Assistant Accountant General, the Mayor of Kythrea and the President of the Authority for the Investigation of Allegations and Complaints against the Police. 

On Thursday, November 23, 2023, Oxygen for Democracy and Oroklini Multiplex, in the framework of the European Erasmus+ program Legislation Matters-Youth Matters, organized an educational workshop, during which they presented to a group of students basic tools for participation in policy-making processes, as well as the basic provisions of the legislation under examination on citizens' initiatives (e-petitions). 

The organizers, after listening to the students' views, gathered their suggestions on the above issues, in order to submit them to the competent government bodies, with the aim of exerting positive pressure on the decision-making centers.  

On Tuesday, November 7, 2023, the Co-Founder and Vice President of Oxygono and founder and Executive President of the Cyprus Forum, Dr. Nicolas Kyriakides, participated as honorary speaker and representative of Cyprus from Civil Society, at the Annual Conference on Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law, held in Brussels by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), entitled "Civil society's view of the recommendations of the 2023 Rule of Law Report". 

Mr. Kyriakides participated in the panel entitled "The implementation of the recommendations of the Rule of Law Reports", where the implementation of the recommendations of the European Commission's 2022 and 2023 Rule of Law Reports was examined, as well as how to further consolidate the rule of law review mechanism. The Co-Founder and Vice President of Oxygono stressed that "we need a harmonized approach to consultation with Civil Society on the Rule of Law reports and perhaps less diplomacy. The difficult balance between criticism and diplomacy is a recurring problem that makes reports too bland and less relevant."  

For more information see here: www.eesc.europa.conference.eu