CIVICUS Board Elections 2022

June 2022 marks the end of Board service for some long serving CIVICUS’s Board members. The election process to bring on board new Board members is now officially open. This presents an important opportunity for CIVICUS members and partners to be involved in the governance of the Alliance and in steering the implementation of the revised CIVICUS strategic plan.

We are searching for up to eight committed, diverse and passionate civil society leaders who will join the remaining Board members to govern the CIVICUS Alliance from July 2022 to June 2025. 

You can nominate yourself or another Voting Member here by midnight GMT+2, Wednesday, 16 March 2022. We particularly encourage nominations of representatives from youth and traditionally excluded communities.

Time commitment required for Board work: 

Much of CIVICUS Board’s work revolves around key meetings and Committee responsibilities. 

  1. Board meetings: During “normal times”, the CIVICUS Board holds 2 in-person Board meetings each year. Each meeting lasts 2 full days (excluding travel time). This well-established pattern was disrupted in 2020 and 2021 due to international travel restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Board opted to hold 3 online meetings spread through the year. The meetings were spread over a 3 day period for at least 3 hours each day. 
  2. Committee responsibilities: In addition to attending Board meetings, all members of the Board are expected to serve in at least 1 committee. The Board has a total of 3 Committees. If you are nominated by Board colleagues as a Board official, you will by default be part of the Executive Committee, which means 1 extra committee. Committees hold online meetings about 4 – 5 times a year, each lasting anywhere from 1 – 2 hours. 
  3. Other responsibilities: There may be instances where Board members are requested to attend national, regional and international convenings on behalf of CIVICUS, especially where these convenings also happen to be of immediate interest or relevance to the selected member.   

Nominations Committee

The Nominations Committee of the Board to oversee the 2022 Board elections consists of four current Board members and one external member representing a CIVICUS network. They are:

Vandita Morarka
India (Asia)
Mario Roset
Argentina (South America)
Nilda Bullain
Hungary (Europe)
Julia Sanchez
Canada (North America)
Committee Chair
Tanya Lallmon
Mauritius (Africa)

The Nominations Committee will vet and present up to at least 16 qualifying candidates to the Membership for elections. In selecting the candidates, the Committee will be guided by a wide variety of factors. These may in addition to a more standardised criteria outlined below, include regional or sector representation, youth candidates, and traditionally excluded groups among others.

Criteria for Board Nominations

In order to stand for Board election or vote for a preferred candidate, you must be an individual CIVICUS Voting member or a nominated representative of an organisation with CIVICUS Voting member status.

We welcome all civil society actors who demonstrate that they are committed to strengthening civil society and citizen action, adhere to the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and use peaceful means to pursue their objectives.

Further criteria considered by the Nominations Committee will include:

  • An active commitment to and support for CIVICUS’ Mission, Vision and Goals, Commitment to the principles of accountability, diversity and inclusion that we value and represent as an alliance
  • Ability to devote the time and energy to responsibilities of the Board, including regular attendance at meetings, serving on sub-committees of the Board and representing CIVICUS externally where needed
  • Contribution to our strategic vision by providing direction and inputs to the development of a strategic plan that is backed by measurable goals and financial resources
  • Willingness to understand, accept and comply with Board responsibilities and policies
  • Support to shared outcomes needed through teamwork, enthusiasm, innovation and candidness
  • Support to advancing the learning and achievements of the alliance through critical insights and judgements

In order to be eligible to stand for election, you will need to be a verified CIVICUS voting member by 18 March 2022.

Details on the legal duties of CIVICUS Board members can be found here. Please contact John Mang’ana at for further information on the CIVICUS Board or the elections process.

Please see the following section on how to become a Voting member.

Becoming a Voting Member of CIVICUS

CIVICUS members are authentic foundations, civil society organisations, national or regional civil society platforms or networks, social movements or individual who have attained recognition in their communities or among their peers. They abide by and promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, embody CIVICUS’ Vision, Mission and Values, and adhere to CIVICUS’ Code of Conduct for members.

Voting members collectively set the agenda and priorities for the CIVICUS alliance, playing a leadership role in key activities, increasing their visibility and enhancing the diversity and resilience of the alliance through support to the CIVICUS Solidarity Fund.

To become a voting member:

  1. Fill in the Online Form
  2. Complete the three-tier assessment: i) a self-assessment on your commitment to human rights and social justice, ii) a peer review from a organisation, activist or constituent related to how your values are reflected in your work, and iii) an indication of the supporting documentation you have.
  3. Pay the voting membership fee. Please note – the Voting membership fee is optional if you are an individual or if your organisation has an annual income of under $80k. The membership fee goes towards the CIVICUS Solidarity Fund.
  4. Detailed information on becoming a CIVICUS Voting member can be found on our website or through contact with our Membership Team at .

Election Timeline

21 February – 16 March

Call for nominations is open. You must be a current CIVICUS Voting member to be eligible to participate in the elections as a candidate or a voter. Nominations shall be updated on the CIVICUS elections website as they are received. As we are unable to respond individually to all nominations, this mechanism serves both as an acknowledgement of receipt and a way to highlight outstanding requirements to fulfilling the nominations criteria.

21 February – 16 March

17 March – 28 March

Confirmation of candidates by the Nominations Committee. 

The Nominations Committee shall communicate the outcome of the selection process to all candidates before the final slate is presented for elections. 

05 April - 24 April

Voting will commence with the opening of the voting window. Voting members will select candidates from a list of candidates presented by the Nominations Committee.

05 April - 24 April

03 May

New CIVICUS Board members to be formally announced following introductions at the Board meeting.