DEMOCRACY SAFEGUARDS INITIATIVE (DSI)

A New Defender of European Democracy

Pro Publico matched the Democracy Safeguards Initiative (DSI) with Dentons‘ Brussels office, enabling the creation of a new Belgian non-profit dedicated to protecting European democracy from authoritarian interference – at zero legal cost to the organisation.

The Threat to European Democracy

Democratic systems across Europe are under growing pressure. Foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), authoritarian influence, and transnational repression are no longer theoretical risks. They are active, documented threats.

Civil society organisations working to counter these forces play a crucial role. However, early-stage legal costs can be a significant barrier. Starting a new non-profit organisation requires navigating incorporation, governance, and compliance – before any mission-driven work can begin.

This is where pro bono legal support makes a real difference.

Meet the Democracy Safeguards Initiative

The International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) has spent years documenting human rights violations and advocating for the rule of law across Europe and beyond. In response to the rising tide of FIMI and democratic erosion, IPHR identified the need for a dedicated, focused entity.

The result: the Democracy Safeguards Initiative (DSI), a new independent non-profit initiative committed to protecting democratic systems in Europe.

DSI’s mission is bold and urgent. It aims to expose, disrupt, and deter authoritarian influence and transnational repression. It works to strengthen democratic safeguards through evidence-based accountability, legal action, and policy reform. By integrating investigations, legal analysis, and strategic advocacy, DSI supports European institutions, national authorities, and civil society actors.

To operate effectively, DSI first needed a legal home. Registering as a Belgian non-profit association (Association Sans But Lucratif – ASBL) was the essential first step.

The Need: Pro Bono Legal Help to Establish a Belgian ASBL

Setting up a new legal entity is not simple – especially across borders and under Belgian law. DSI needed expert guidance on the incorporation process, governance structures, and the practical requirements for registering as an ASBL.

As a newly created initiative with limited initial resources, paying full commercial legal fees was not a viable option. Pro bono support was essential.

DSI turned to Pro Publico, the Brussels-based clearinghouse that connects civil society organisations with top-tier law firms offering pro bono legal assistance. Matchmaker Francesco Zatelli identified the right fit.

Enter Dentons: Legal Excellence in the Public Interest

Pro Publico matched DSI with Dentons, a global law firm with a particularly strong Brussels office serving international and regulatory clients.

Dentons is renowned for its commitment to pro bono work. The team assigned to DSI – Laurens Engelen, Martijn Segers, and Teo Diprima – brought deep expertise in Belgian non-profit law and a genuine commitment to the public interest mission at stake.

Their engagement was established under the leadership of partner Laurens Engelen, who serves as Pro Bono Manager for the collaboration.

How Dentons Delivered: Practical, Expert Guidance Through Every Step

Dentons’ Brussels team provided hands-on legal support throughout the ASBL registration process. Their assistance covered the full scope of what DSI needed to get off the ground properly.

Specifically, the team guided DSI through:

  • The legal requirements for establishing a Belgian ASBL under current legislation
  • Structuring governance documents, including the statutes of the new organisation
  • The practical filing and registration steps with Belgian authorities
  • Ensuring the organisation’s legal foundations were sound from day one

The approach was collaborative and solution-oriented. Dentons treated DSI as they would any commercial client – responsively, professionally, and with full attention to detail.

Simon Papuashvili, Programme Director at IPHR and co-founder of DSI, described the experience clearly:

“We are very grateful to Pro Publico and Dentons for their practical, timely, and highly professional support. Their assistance helped us establish the Democracy Safeguards Initiative on a strong legal foundation.”

The Result: A New Organisation Ready to Defend Democracy

The outcome was unambiguous: DSI was successfully registered as a Belgian ASBL.

This achievement unlocked everything else. With legal status secured, DSI can now:

  • Apply for institutional and private funding
  • Hire staff and build its team
  • Enter into partnerships with European institutions, governments, and civil society
  • Launch its investigative, legal, and advocacy programmes

The pro bono support didn’t just save money. It eliminated uncertainty, avoided delays, and gave DSI a confident start. According to Simon Papuashvili, the support from Dentons was both legally sound and operationally useful – precisely what a new organisation needs.

“Dentons provided practical, hands-on, and timely advice throughout the process. Their team was responsive, clear, and solution-oriented, and we felt that they treated the matter with the same professionalism and care that would be expected in a standard client relationship.”

Pro Publico’s Role: The Right Match at the Right Time

None of this would have happened without Pro Publico’s matchmaking. Connecting a newly formed civil society initiative with a global law firm requires trust, expertise, and an understanding of both sides’ needs.

Pro Publico understood DSI’s request from the outset. Francesco Zatelli identified Dentons as the right partner – a firm whose expertise in Belgian non-profit law matched DSI’s specific needs, and whose commitment to pro bono work aligned with the public interest mission.

As Simon Papuashvili noted:

“Pro Publico understood the nature of our request and connected us with a highly qualified legal partner whose expertise matched our needs well. The process helped us access support that would otherwise have been difficult for a newly established non-profit organisation to secure at an early stage.”

This is Pro Publico’s core value: reducing the barriers that prevent civil society organisations from accessing the legal support they need to operate effectively.

Why This Matters

Early-stage legal costs are often invisible in discussions about civil society funding – but they are real. Incorporating a new entity, structuring governance, and navigating national regulations can cost thousands of euros before an organisation serves a single person or advances its mission by a single step.

Pro bono legal support changes that equation. It allows organisations like DSI to direct their limited initial resources toward their mission, not towards administrative overheads.

The impact indicators here speak for themselves:

  • One new Belgian ASBL successfully registered
  • One new civil society initiative legally established and ready to begin operations
  • Significant start-up legal costs avoided
  • Stronger organisational foundations for future fundraising, governance, and programme delivery

A Model for What Pro Bono Can Achieve

This collaboration demonstrates what becomes possible when a skilled legal team, a law firm ready to offer their knowledge pro bono publico, and an effective matchmaking platform come together.

Dentons brought expertise and commitment. DSI brought urgency and mission. Pro Publico brought them together.

The Democracy Safeguards Initiative now stands as a legally established organisation, ready to contribute to defending European democracy. That is a concrete, lasting outcome – made possible by pro bono legal support.

Do you need legal or advocacy support to advance a public interest?

Thanks to @Dentons, @Laurens Engelen, @Martijn Segers, @Teo Diprima, @International Partnership for Human Rights, @Simon Papuashvili, @Maryna Zastavna, @Democracy Safeguards Initiative, @Francesco Zatelli, @Pro Publico


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