Protest movements around the world are finding themselves on the frontlines of a global attack on democracy and human rights, according to a new report by CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance.

Spanish  Update: Since the issuance of this release, as of 28 April Enrique Asumu has been released from jail.

Almost six billion people live in 106 countries where there are serious violations of freedoms of expression, assembly, and association This first ever global dataset on civic space shows that countries with fewer fundamental civic rights restrictions have less inequality Johannesburg, 4 April 2017 – Just three percent of people live in countries where the rights to protest, organise and speak out are respected, protected and fulfilled.

Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS urges an end to the pervasive crackdown against English speaking Cameroonians as three respected civil society members - Barrister Felix Agbor Balla, Dr Fontem Neba and Mancho Bibixy - are due to appear before a Military Tribunal in the capital Yaoundé on 23 March 2017.

Read this press release in Arabic, French, Portuguese and Spanish Civil society around the globe is “contested and under pressure” according to a 22-country research findings report released by CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, and The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL).

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS, the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR) today highlight a near total absence of civic space in Turkmenistan, as the country prepares to go to the polls for presidential elections this Sunday, 12 February 2017.

On Saturday, 21 January 2017, millions will gather in Washington D.

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS urges the release of recently arrested leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium (CACSC) and all activists and citizens unlawfully detained in a wide ranging crackdown on peaceful protests ongoing since October 2016.

Click here to read a Spanish language version of this release Seventy Latin American and international civil society organisations have endorsed a letter urging President Correa of Ecuador to constructively engage with indigenous communities opposing the development of extractive industry projects on their lands.

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS urges Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to respect constitutional norms and the will of the Gambian people.

CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance and Nouvelle Société Civile Congolaise (NSCC), condemn the senseless killing of at least 34 protesters in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent days.

Click here to read a Spanish language version of this release CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance and the Mexican CSO Consorcio para el Diálogo Parlamentario y la Equidad Oaxaca (Consorcio Oaxaca) are deeply concerned about the widespread use of arbitrary detention and torture against human rights defenders in Mexico.

Click here to read a Spanish language version of this release CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, and the Colombian Confederation of NGOs (CCONG) are deeply worried about the growing challenges faced by civil society in Colombia.

Restrictions on civic space rising despite prevalence of democracy Click here to read a Spanish language version of this release Civil society in Latin America and the Caribbean is coming under increasing pressure despite the prevalence of electoral democracy in the region, says a new report released today by CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance.

Rise in authoritarian values coupled with intensifying natural resource exploitation crippling civil society Johannesburg / London, 3 December 2016: The scramble for natural resources coupled with the rise of authoritarian values around the world endangers activists and prevents them from playing their rightful role in the management of natural resources, says a new report from CIVICUS and Publish What You Pay.

Fundamental civic freedoms seriously undermined in over a third of OGP countries – Colombia, Honduras, Liberia and Mexico fare worst Worrying picture revealed by the CIVICUS Monitor, a new online research tool that rates civic space around the world and documents systemic violations of rights Johannesburg, 2 December 2016 – People’s rights to protest, organise and speak out are currently being significantly violated in 25 of the 68 active Open Government Partnership (OGP) countries, according to the CIVICUS Monitor, an online tool to track and compare civic freedoms on a global scale.

To read this in Portugese, click here.

Bangladesh’s new Foreign Donations law is in breach of international norms and agreements, says global civil society alliance, CIVICUS.

Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS urges the South African government to reject attempts at the UN to block the appointment of the first-ever independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Many in civil society will mourn the loss of the PPA.

Spanish CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, is deeply worried about rising repression in Cuba.

CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance and the Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO) are deeply concerned about impending legislation to restrict freedom of association in Nigeria.

French | Spanish The CIVICUS Monitor is a new global platform tracking violations of freedoms of assembly, association and expression in real-time.

The crackdown over the past week against several newspapers in India’s northern state of Jammu and Kashmir is a worrying development that has blocked free communication in the region.

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS and the Federation of Non-Governmental Organisations for the Development of Honduras (FOPRIDEH) strongly condemn the recent assassination of environmental activist Lesbia Yaneth Urquía and urge the Honduran government to conduct a full investigation into her death, as well as ensure a safe environment for human rights defenders to do their work.

The UK government is receiving widespread condemnation for a new clause in grant agreements that will place restrictions on civil society organisations lobbying the government.

The international community must urgently call on Israeli authorities to withdraw a repressive proposed law that seeks to silence human rights groups says CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance.

As the world’s rich and powerful gather in Davos for the World Economic Forum an  alliance of top international charities, human rights campaigners, women’s rights groups, green groups, civil society organisations and trade unions has come together to fight the growing crisis of inequality.

From Ebola to the bombing of Gaza, civil society was the first responder to humanitarian emergencies during the last year, but faces dire threats and a funding crisis around the world, says a new report.

As the new dates set for parliamentary and presidential elections approach in Burundi (26 June and 15 July 2015), civic freedoms should be restored says CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance.

3 June 2015 - Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, condemns South Korea’s on-going persecution of civil society groups and protestors calling for transparent and independent investigations into the sinking of the Sewol Ferry on 16 April 2014 in which 304 people, mostly school students lost their lives.

21 May 2015 - From Mexico to Mongolia, thousands of citizens around the world gathered last Saturday to exercise their fundamental rights to speak out, organise and take action on a wide-range of social issues.

Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, urges Burundi’s government to respect civic freedoms and end violence against protesters.

An upcoming global event will seek to engage citizens around the world on a set of human rights we don’t often hear much about: “civic space”.

15 April 2015 - The rise in bureaucratic harassment and demonisation of civil society organisations and activists in India is raising increasing concern.

  13 April 2015 - We in the Bahrain and international human rights NGO community condemn thearrest and detention of Nabeel Rajab, a prominent human rights defender in the Kingdom ofBahrain.

French   9 APRIL 2015.

30 March - Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, and the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) express grave concern over the unabated incursions on fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms in Bangladesh amid the on-going political violence in the country.

ARTICLE 19, CIVICUS and Publish What You Pay have submitted a joint letter to the steering committee of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) calling on them to ensure that civil society organisations can participate in and influence Azerbaijan’s OGP action plan.

Civicus in partnership with 25+ organisations have produced a joint press statement (see below) on the detention and hunger strike of the Bahraini human rights activist, Abdulhadi Al Khawaja.

International civil society is raising the alarm over attacks on independent civil society groups and critical voices in advance of Sudan’s general elections scheduled for April 2015.

27 January 2015 - International civil society is calling on Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena to put civic freedoms and civil society participation at the heart of his 100 day plan.

20 January 2015 - Civil society in Pakistan, which already faces severe restrictions, is facing further threats to its freedom, following the horrific terrorist attack on a school in Peshawar last December.

10 December 2014.

Turkish Translation of Media Statement 11 November, 2014 - Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS is deeply concerned with the proposed “Security Package” before the Turkish Parliament, which if approved will warrant abusive policing practices, such as the ability to disperse public assemblies with physical force and to use firearms against protesters.

Hundreds of activists and prominent members of civil society from more than 100 countries will gather in Johannesburg for International Civil Society Week (ICSW) from 19-25 November.

Joint Statement CIVICUS: WORLD ALLIANCE FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION  EAST AND HORN OF AFRICA HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS PROJECT ETHIOPIA HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT   31 October 2014.

24 October 2014.

15 October 2014.

10 October 2014: Set against a background of endemic corruption, unsustainably low wages and impoverishing confiscations of land, Cambodia is considering a series of laws that will severely restrict human rights and the activities of civil society organisations working on these issues, according to a team of international experts visiting the country.