1. MISSION

The Institute for Public Affairs (slovak acronym IVO) is an independent non-governmental, nonprofit organization bringing together experts from many different areas of study. It was founded with the aim of promoting the values of an open society and a democratic political culture in public policy and decision-making.

The aims of the Institute are as follows:

• To analyze societal, political, economic, foreign-political, legal, cultural and other issues of public interest and to make the findings available to the public
• To contribute to expert dialogue, initiate discussion on important issues, and to actively participate in shaping public discourse
• To elaborate expert positions on important issues, to offer consultations for organizations and individuals in the areas that fall under the Institute’s scope of expertise
• To organize seminars, conferences, discussion forums, interdisciplinary round tables, workshops, and training
• To stimulate an active approach of citizens to issues of public interest
• To provide a platform for experts in various areas of public policy, and create conditions for their effective and fruitful cooperation
• To pursue publishing activities and to contribute to increasing the expert potential of young experts.
  

Founders: Martin Bútora, Zora Bútorová, František Šebej, Grigorij Mesežnikov, Peter Hunčik, Oľga Gyárfášová, Vladimír Krivý, Ivan Mikloš

The Board of Directors: Grigorij Mesežnikov (chairman), Martin Bútora, Filip Vagač, Ingrid Brocková, Oľga Gyárfášová, Péter Hunčík, Vladimír Krivý, Katarína Mathernová, Igor Rintel

Honorary President: Martin Bútora

President: Grigorij Mesežnikov


2. PURSUIT

The Institute for Public Affairs is an independent center of public policy research and analyses. It is a harbor to research and publication activities that helps nurture the expert intellectual potential of the country. It generates ideas with the power to influence the process of formulating and implementation of key decisions of public importance. The Institute’s modus operandi is based on a conviction that ideas need to be formulated in precise terms through a non-partisan approach.

By making its research findings widely available, IVO participates in an open discourse on the important issues of public interest. It provides critical expert points of view and offers alternatives to the existing solutions proposed by various representatives of public and private bodies, including state institutions. It formulates recommendations directed at sustaining the reform policies, promotes democratic values, and strives to contribute to the positive changes in the overall development of the country. It identifies problems that require attention and analyzes trends in the respective areas. It aims to achieve practical implementation of its own expertise at the legislative and executive levels and to communicate its recommendations to the expert as well as the broad public audiences.

Institute for Public Affairs believes the public needs to be informed about the aspects and implications of the societal development, so that it can actively participate in public discourse and gain an equal footing in the open dialogue.


3. LEGAL FORM

The Institute for Public Affairs is an apolitical, voluntary association of citizens, registered to operate in the Slovak Republic. The official name of the association in the Slovak language is „Inštitút pre verejné otázky (IVO)“. The association is an independent legal entity registered by the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic on February 14th, 1997, with the following registration number: VVS/1 – 900/90 – 12322-2. The headquarters of the Institute is located at Bastova 5 in Bratislava.