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March 2010
Issue: 51



Welcome to Civil Society Watch Monthly Bulletin, an e-newsletter of updates and analyses on civil society rights to associate, assemble and express freely around the world. The Bulletin is compiled by the Civil Society Watch progrmme staff of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. Please feel free to forward the Bulletin to friends and colleagues. We welcome your comments and contributions!
To subscribe or unsubscribe please visit www.civicus.org/csw/csw-newsletter or email cswcommunity@civicus.org


Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs in Belarus: Report of Freedom of Association in 2009
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BBC: Global poll findings on internet access as a fundamental right
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Euro Mediterranean Human Rights Network: Freedom of Association in the Euro Mediterranean Region
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International Center for Not for Profit Law: Sub-Saharan Africa Country Reports
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Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Report on Human Rights and Democracy in Venezuela
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International Commission of Jurists: Report of the Appeal Hearing of the case of Kazakh Human Rights Defender Yvgeniy Zhovtis
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International Crisis Group: Zimbabwe – Political and Security Challenges to the Transition
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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 Programme of CIVICUS seeks to mobilise quick, principled and effective responses to events that threaten civil society fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly.


In advance of the United Nations Secretary General's visit to Central Asia in early April, CIVICUS and local civil society met with UN representatives in New York to discuss the human rights situations in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. In follow up, CIVICUS Secretary General Ingrid Srinath sent a letter to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urging him to advocate for human rights in his discussions with Heads of State on his tour. We are pleased to see our concerns highlighted in the Secretary General's statements regarding his visits to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan


BANGLADESH: Bangladesh becomes first South Asian country to become party to the International Criminal Court
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PHILIPPINES: Government announces National Action Plan to implement UN Security Council Resolutions protecting women in armed conflict
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Highlights

The Civil Society Watch programme is undertaking a study on the challenges faced by women in civil society in Africa. To know more, write to us at: cswatch@civicus.org


CIVICUS communicates concerns to the UN Secretary General on the democratic environment in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
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CIVICUS condemns arbitrary arrest of Malawian civil society activists
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CIVICUS condemns questionable conviction of Uzbek HIV activist
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CIVICUS laments continued harassment of Zimbabwean human rights defenders
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CIVICUS urges Philippines President to order release of ‘Morong 43’
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Joint NGO statement on the dynamics and outcomes of the 13th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
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BELARUS: Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs refused registration for the third time
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BURUNDI: NGO leaders receive death threats
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CHINA: New restrictions on NGO funding
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EGYPT: Draft NGO law threatens to derail civil society activities
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ETHIOPIA: Repression increasing in run up to May elections
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GUINEA: ICTJ says official probe into massacre of pro-democracy protestors lacks credibility
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ISRAEL & PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Civil society groups flay restrictive bill and other forms of harassment of human rights defenders
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PAKISTAN: Militants kill six NGO staff after storming World Vision office
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RUSSIAN FEDERATION: Amnesty urges authorities to investigate brutal attack on anti-corruption and police reforms activist
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Strategy 31 demonstrations seek to highlight rights of peaceful protestors
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SRI LANKA: Government denies having NGOs in “intelligence lists” but confirms intention to draft NGO legislation to deal with “malpractices”
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SUDAN: Youth election and civic education activist detained and tortured
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ZAMBIA: Concerns over shrinking civil society space after High Court upholds deregistration of Southern Africa Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD)
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ZIMBABWE: Court declares seizure of photographs from Zim Rights exhibition unlawful
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In response to developments monitored as part of the project and in coordination with local civil society partners, CIVICUS issued public statements on threats to civil society in the Philippines, Uzbekistan, and Zimbabwe. Progress has also been made in the design of an interactive, online database for threats to civil society reported by local activists and organisations.






Murat Aytacov reflects on the state of governance and civil society in Turkmenistan. Murat speaks about the stranglehold imposed by the authorities on politics, social life and civil society in the country.
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DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in this bulletin are a reflection of those contained in the original reports to which they are linked here, and are not necessarily those of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation.

CONTACT US

EDITORS
Adam Nord
Devendra Tak
Mandeep Tiwana
Netsanet Belay
Sonia Zilberman
P.O. Box 933
Southdale, 2135
South Africa
1420K Street NW,
Suite 900
Washington D.C.
20005 USA

DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Jessica Hume
Oluwakorede Asuni

Tel: +27 11 833 5959
Fax:+27 11 833 7997