The United Nations Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States once every 4.5 years.
CIVICUS and its partners have submitted UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) submissions on five countries in advance of the 47th UPR session in January - February 2025. The submissions examine the state of civil society in each country, including the promotion and protection of the rights to freedom of association, assembly and expression and the environment for human rights defenders. We further provide an assessment of the States’ domestic implementation of civic space recommendations received during the 3rd UPR cycle over 4 years ago and provide a number of targeted follow-up recommendations.
Côte d'Ivoire – The submission by CIVICUS, Coalition Ivorienne des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (CIDDH) and West African Human Rights Defenders Network (ROADDH) documents restrictions of civic space in Côte d'Ivoire. The submission highlights ongoing restrictions of human rights defenders’ (HRDs) rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, including judicial persecution, intimidation and threats. The restrictive impact of legislation on fundamental freedoms are also documented.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo – The submission submitted by CIVICUS and Ligue des Droits de la Personne dans la Région des Grands Lacs (LDGL) highlights the targeting of civil society members with threats, attacks and judicial harassment as well as legislation which undermines fundamental freedoms. This submission also documents the alarming civic space violations committed under the state of siege in eastern DRC.
Ethiopia – In this submission made by CIVICUS, the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (DefendDefenders) and the Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center (EHRDC) examines the situation of civic space in Ethiopia, in particular civic space-related violations committed under the state of emergency. In addition, the submission documents the use of arbitrary and pretrial detention as a means of intimidation of human rights defenders, journalists and media workers and restrictions to freedom of peaceful assembly.
Nicaragua – CIVICUS, Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe para la Democracia, Asociación Centroamericana para el Desarrollo y la Democracia and Fundación del Río, in this submission, examine the increasing deterioration in fundamental freedoms as well as the situation of human rights defenders and journalists. The submission also highlights the situation of political prisoners in Nicaragua as well as the impact of legislation that unduly restricts non-governmental organisations and civil society organisations to operate.
Qatar – This report by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), Access Now, Article 19 and CIVICUS highlights Qatar's implementation gaps with regard to the right to freedom of association, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and issues relating to the right to a fair trial and due legal procedures, stressing the high levels of risks for activists, at home and abroad, and onerous conditions and repressive measures which limit the space for human rights advocacy by civil society. The submission emphasises convictions and sentencing of HRDs in absentia and in trials that do not meet minimum international standards and touches upon ongoing issues related to gender equality, migrants’ rights, and women’s rights.
The CIVICUS Monitor rates civic space in Nicaragua as Closed, while in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and Qatar civic space is rated as Repressed. In Côte d'Ivoire is rated as Obstructed.