Since the legalization of the social and political pluralism in the FR Yugoslavia (1990), about 1,200 NGOs emerged in this country. They largely differ from the former associations of citizens and social organizations, which, according to the Federal Bureau of Statistics, number 24,000 organizations. The NGOs now deal with entirely new problems: they participate in political actions, act differently and focus primarily on the promotion of the democratic values and building of the civil society. The most important types of these organizations, which have emerged during recent years, are as follows: the peace organizations and groups, autonomous women's organizations, ecological societies and movements, the student and youth organizations, various civil initiatives and organizations for the development of local communities.

All these NGOs were established under very difficult circumstances (wars, sanctions, and hyperinflation), and initiated by the people who had limited experience in this kind of activity. The major increase of these NGOs was noted after the Civil Protests of 1996-97 (in reaction to the government refusal to recognize the results of the local elections in Serbia), when the majority of the student and youth organizations appeared. Since then, the interest in NGOs has significantly increased. From 1997, until early March of 1999, a small, but important level of infrastructural development of this sector has been reached. The NGOs emerging during the 1990s were able to build their infrastructure and start realizing their long-term plans, so that the results were more significant as well. Their existence made possible a further increase of similar organizations in Serbian interior (only a few of them were established prior to 1997). Today, this picture is completely different, because the number of NGOs in the cities throughout Serbia is constantly on the rise. Thus, besides the major cities (such as Belgrade, Novi Sad, Subotica, Nis, and Podgorica), which host the majority of NGOs, the new NGOs appeared in smaller cities and towns of Serbia. The main "strongholds" for the development of this sector are the cities in which the opposition assumed power after the local elections of 1997 (i.e., 33 free cities with about 3,100,000 inhabitants or one half of the entire constituency in Serbia).

As a result of that, the need for associating and networking of NGOs increased. Therefore, the First Forum of the Yugoslav Non-Governmental Organizations was held in Belgrade, from 11th-13th June 1998. The representatives of 150 NGOs attended this conference. The Forum was organized by the Center for the Development of Non-Profit Sector, Belgrade, the Center for Democracy Foundation, Belgrade and the Open University, Subotica, with the goal of establishing a flexible coordination of NGOs and prompting the awareness of common interests and actions directed towards the change of the current status and position of NGOs in the society.

The First Forum of the Yugoslav Non-Governmental Organizations manifested the necessity for the continual and systematic support to the non-profit sector in the FR Yugoslavia. The reasons are as follows:

1. The current status problems of NGOs and the necessity to pass the new laws that would regulate the establishment and activity of NGOs;
2. The repressive and indifferent attitude of the state bodies towards NGOs, and the non-profit sector in general (e.g. the attacks and accusations for the hostile activity, espionage and foreign "mercenary" activity);
3. The lack of the trained professionals able to work in NGOs (the organizational structure often relies upon the inadequately educated personnel lacking an up to date knowledge about leading an organization, determining its priorities, preparing and realizing its programs and actions);
4. The unstable and inadequate financing, as well as the lack of the fundraising and management skills and adequate equipment, are the major internal problems of the non-profit sector;
5. An insufficient interest of the media in covering the work of NGOs;
6. The low level of information and organization of the existing NGOs, as well as the lack of continual forms of association at all levels.

In order to alleviate these problems and initiate their solutions, the Forum organizers started, by the beginning of 1999, their realization of the support program for NGOs, called "NGO - the Sector of the Future". Furthermore, the NGOs themselves started their implementation of various projects funded by the Fund for an Open Society, IOCC and the more recently operating donors, such as the USAID/OTI, the Know How Fund, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Despite the difficult situation it seemed that the beginning of 1999 was one of the most promising periods for NGOs, because the conditions and possibilities for their activities were constantly increasing.

In this context, the NATO bombardment made a negative impact upon the development and influence of NGOs in Yugoslavia. The problems, which had been present in this sector before the bombing, became even more complicated, while the work of NGOs was significantly burdened by the new difficulties. For example, some organizations were not able to work because of the new wartime regulations, resulting in their loss of facilities, military recruitment of some of their staffs, and wartime obligations regarding their regular jobs. However, the majority of NGOs (those that were able to do so) worked during the war.

Despite these aforementioned difficulties, the NGOs in general survived the war and maintained their organizations. Aware of the worse conditions and the fact that nobody could help them if they, themselves, do not initiate the changes, the NGOs became active immediately after the cessation of the bombardment. In fact, the motivation and engagement of the people in NGOs is even greater now than before the bombing. These organizations are currently full of anticipation: they know that something should be done, but they do not have enough funds and resources. A small number of NGOs carry out some minor actions, which do not entail significant financial support, but the impact of such actions is very limited. On the other hand, the developed NGOs - that had already launched major projects, hired full-time employees and rented their offices - are in the most difficult position. Due to the withdrawal of international donors on the eve of the bombardment, they do not have sufficient means to sustain their infrastructure. Many projects and actions that had been initiated before, were either cancelled, or put on the hold. The only donor that stayed in the country, and continued supporting the NGOs, is the Fund for an Open Society. Other donors withheld their support back in October 1998, when the bombing was first announced, and, eventually, left the FRY in late March, when the war started.

The international support to NGOs in the FRY should, therefore, be concentrated on the following three problems, which these organizations are not able to resolve on their own:

The changed situation in the Yugoslav society demands new answers of NGOs, something that they will pursue at the Second Forum of the Yugoslav NGOs (Subotica, 29th-31st October 1999). The Second Forum should consider the possible directions for activity and development of the non-profit sector in the forthcoming period, especially in the process of reconstruction of the country and the society. This Forum should determine the potential of NGOs for their active participation in the democratic processes, as well as the role of the Yugoslav NGOs within the Stability Pact for South-East Europe.