The next edition of International Civil Society Week (ICSW), the flagship event bringing together and celebrating global civil society, is slated for November 2025. CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, and Asia Democracy Network will host the event in Bangkok, Thailand.
The partners announced the event today, 10th of December, as the 2024 Human Rights Day is celebrated under the theme “Our rights, our future, right now.”
The ICSW provides an open space for global civil society organizations, activists, human rights defenders, and allies through a week-long series of conferences, workshops, trainings, and cultural events.
ICSW will bring together citizen’s movements from around the world and provide a space for celebrating wins, strategizing to tackle challenges and strengthen civic spaces and citizen action, and mutual learning and innovative co-creation to catalyse social change.
The event comes at a time when civic freedoms are being curtailed in most countries, with civil society under severe attack in 116 of 198 countries and territories. The world faces significant deterrents to freedoms of expression, association, and assembly.
Despite the challenges, across the globe, civil society continues to show remarkable resilience, achieving significant victories and progress in securing civic freedoms.
The ICSW and its predecessor, CIVICUS World Assemblies, have a proud history of nearly 30 years, having debuted in Montreal in 1995. The international events brought together a diverse range of partners from civil society and beyond to find progressive solutions to global challenges collectively.
Further details about the event, including its themes, collaboration, and participation opportunities, will be announced in the first weeks of 2025.