April 2011
Issue: 59

• Resources and Publications
• Civil Society Watch Alerts & Analysis
• Country Updates
• CSW Online
• Eurasian network updates
  
• Interview with a Civil Society Activist
• Good News

Welcome to Civil Society Watch Bulletin, an e-newsletter of updates and analyses concerning civil society's rights to freedom of association, assembly and expression around the world. The Bulletin is compiled by the staff at Civil Society Watch, a programme of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. Please feel free to forward the Bulletin to friends and colleagues. We welcome your comments and contributions!

Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative: Easier Said than Done - a report on the commitments and performances of Commonwealth countries at the United Nations Human Rights Council (2010)
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Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights: The Impact of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
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International Journal of Civil Society Law Newsletter April 2011
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Report on Torture and Arbitrary Detention in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to UN Special Mechanisms
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CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is an international movement of civil society with members and partners in over a hundred countries. CIVICUS nurtures the foundation, growth and protection of citizen action throughout the world especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens' freedom of association are threatened. The Civil Society Watch Project of CIVICUS seeks to mobilise quick, principled and effective responses to events that threaten civil society fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly.

During the month of March, the Eurasia Idea Network pursued a variety of interesting activities.  First and foremost, in conjunction with the Open Society Fund, Eurasia brought Uzbek and Turkmen activists to the United Nations to present information on torture and arbitrary detention to UN Special Rapporteurs on Torture and Human Rights Defenders.  The contents of our presentations were compiled into a report currently available online.  We also helped stage a UN side event bringing activists from Minsk to lobby for a UN resolution condemning the crackdown on civil society in Belarus.  Additionally, Eurasia began planning for two events.  The first event is the spring Eurasia Idea Network meeting, which is slated for 11 May in Moscow.  This will be held in conjunction with the jubilee anniversary of the Moscow Helsinki Group.  The second event is the World Bank spring meeting where Eurasia is sending a consultant to attend and to gather information for a report on the WB investment practices in Eastern Europe.

 

Civil Society welcomes Maina Kiai as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association
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Kurdish Parliament approves enabling NGO law
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Highlights

CIVICUS makes submissions to the UN Human Rights Council on Swaziland and Uganda

Civil Society urges EU to exercise strong resolve to address abuses in Belarus
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CIVICUS urges international community to ensure protection of pro-democracy protestors in Yemen and Syria against deadly attacks
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CIVICUS denounces brute force against peaceful protestors by combined Bahraini, Saudi and UAE troops
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CIVICUS calls for end to attacks against peaceful protestors in Azerbaijan
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CIVICUS highlights widespread use of torture in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan prisons, including against human rights defenders
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Opinion piece by CIVICUS Policy Officer, Adele Poskitt, on Silent Fear in Zimbabwe
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Opinion piece by CIVICUS UN Representative, Renate Bloem, welcoming UN Special Rapporteur on the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association
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Opinion piece by CIVICUS Media Officer, Rowena McNaughton on Swaziland and the pro-democracy movement
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ALGERIA: UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression to carry out visit in April
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AZERBAIJAN: Human Rights House ordered to cease activities
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BANGLADESH: Staff of human rights NGO harassed by security operatives
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CAMBODIA: Civil society unites in criticism of draft law on NGOs
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EGYPT: Activist made to stand trial before military court for "insulting military institution"
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INDIA: Controversial Foreign Contributions bill becomes law
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Civil society activist murdered for exposing corruption
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IRAN: Draft law to deregister current NGOs on the cards
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MALAWI: Human rights defenders threatened in intimidation campaign
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MEXICO: Human rights defenders face death threats
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PHILIPPINES: Six members of 'Morong 43' file lawsuit against former President and others for illegal arrest and torture
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UZBEKISTAN: Government orders Human Rights Watch to shut down its office
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ZIMBABWE: CSOs decry harassment and persecution of human rights defenders
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National CSO platform urges end to harassment of civil society members
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Amy Bartlett, the Global Coordinator of the Open Forum for CSO Development Effectiveness, a unique global initiative working to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of civil society in development initiatives, speaks to CIVICUS about her work.
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