Interviews

BELGIUM: ‘When governments don’t enforce their laws, civil society can – and will – step in’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Jo Dirix, a campaigner with Vredesactie (Peace Action), a Belgium peace and disarmament civil society organisation (CSO) that successfully took the Flemish government to court over arms shipments to Israel.

GLOBAL: ‘Peoples have a right to self-determination, whether they are part of an internationally recognised state or not’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Mercè Monje Cano, Secretary General of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), about the struggles of unrepresented peoples seeking self-determination and how UNPO supports them in asserting their rights.

UKRAINE: ‘Even in wartime, Ukrainians insist on democratic accountability’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Ukraine’s recent anticorruption protests with Oksana Huss, co-founder of the global Interdisciplinary Corruption Research Network and board member of Transparency International Ukraine, one of the country’s major anticorruption organisations.

IRAN: ‘The surge in executions shouldn’t be mistaken for strength – it’s a desperate act of a collapsing dictatorship’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the Iranian regime’s execution of political prisoners with Safora Sadidi, a human rights activist with the Women’s Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

CAMBODIA: ‘Sustainable peace will require honest political will from both Cambodia and Thailand’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the border crisis between Cambodia and Thailand with Sok Udom Deth, Professor of International Relations at Cambodia’s Paragon International University.

TAIWAN: ‘Controversial legislative measures triggered a citizen-led mass movement’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Taiwan’s unprecedented citizen-led recall campaign against opposition politicians with Leah Lin, Executive Director and founder of the Asia Citizen Future Association (ACFA), which promotes collaboration between Taiwanese and Southeast Asian civil society, supports civil society and advocates for civic space protections.

SYRIA: ‘No return can be safe, voluntary and dignified unless conditions inside Syria change’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Syria’s political transition and its implications for refugees with a representative of the Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR) who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

UNITED STATES: ‘When we are told not to exist, simply coming together in joy becomes an act of defiance’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Pride 2025 in Washington DC with Ryan Bos, the Executive Director of the Capital Pride Alliance, a civil society organisation dedicated to serving LGBTQI+ people’s needs.

SERBIA: ‘Institutions are openly used to suppress dissent and protect the ruling party’s interests’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the authorities’ response to recent anti-government protests in Serbia with Ivan Đurić, Policy Analyst at the Centre for Research, Transparency and Accountability, an independent, non-partisan civil society organisation committed to developing democratic culture and civic activism.

SLOVENIA: ‘For a just energy transition, laws should recognise the right to defend human rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses human rights challenges in transitions to renewable energy with Ella Skybenko, senior researcher and representative for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), a civil society organisation (CSO) that promotes corporate accountability, transparency and human rights.

PUERTO RICO: ‘Pride’s message was clear: we are here, and we are not going anywhere’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Pride 2025 and attacks on LGBTQI+ rights with Pedro Julio Serrano, president of the LGBTQ+ Federation of Puerto Rico.

COLOMBIA: ‘The advisory opinion of the Inter-American Court is a manual for climate litigation’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Manuel Páez Ramírez, coordinator of the Espeletia Legal Clinic at the Externado University of Colombia, about the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ (IACtHR) recent advisory opinion on the climate emergency and human rights.

ANGOLA: ‘Criticising the government means risking arbitrary detention, intimidation and physical assault’

Interviews
Portuguese CIVICUS discusses recent arbitrary detentions of Angolan activists with Pedro Domingos André ‘Paka’, also known as Pedro Paka, coordinator of Movimento Fúria-99, a human rights organisation.

BOLIVIA: ‘We must build healthier digital environments where reliable information plays a leading role’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Bolivia’s upcoming presidential election with Juan Carlos Uribe and Lucas Illanes from ChequeaBolivia, an initiative that monitors and verifies social media content.

ETHIOPIA: ‘The goal behind the bill is very clear: to control, silence and disable civil society’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Ethiopia’s proposed new law to target civil society with Yared Hailemariam, lawyer and Executive Director of the Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Centre (EHRDC), a civil society organisation (CSO) that works to support human rights activists at risk.

NEW ZEALAND: ‘Our case challenges the assumption that offsetting emissions can replace meaningful climate policy’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Matt Hall, director of the Environmental Law Initiative, a New Zealand civil society organisation that is taking legal action against the government for replacing its greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy with one that relies heavily on offsetting, without proper public consultation.

UNITED KINGDOM: ‘People in Iran deserve peace and civil society is striving to make that possible’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses conflict between Iran and Israel with Negin Shiraghaei, founder of the Azadi Network, a feminist network that supports excluded communities from Afghanistan and Iran.

DRC: ‘Without effective responses to stabilise the humanitarian crisis, the peace process risks being perceived as illusory’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda with Gentil Akilimali, Executive Secretary of the Centre of Hope for Human Rights, a Congolese civil society organisation that supports victims of human rights violations in the DRC through legal, psychological and social assistance.

SRI LANKA: ‘Arrests were made during a time of political crisis and many were politically motivated’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the criminalisation of protest in Sri Lanka with climate activist Melani Gunathilaka, co-founder of Climate Action Now Sri Lanka and member of the Debt for Climate global movement.

UNITED STATES: ‘There will be no progress on gender rights without political will and accountability’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses civil society’s efforts to advance gender rights at the global level with Foteini Papagioti, Deputy Director of Policy and Advocacy at the International Center for Research on Women, an international civil society organisation that advocates for the rights of women, girls and other structurally excluded groups.

UNITED KINGDOM: ‘After decades of making huge profits, companies shouldn’t be allowed to leave behind a toxic legacy’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Matthew Renshaw, a partner at a UK law firm that represents Nigerian communities taking legal action against Shell over environmental damage caused by its operations in the Niger Delta.

KENYA: ‘Impunity and lack of political will have normalised police violence against civilians’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Kenya’s nationwide protests against police brutality with a representative of a local civil society organisation who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

PALESTINE: ‘The lesson from Gaza is clear: when AI-powered machines control who lives, human rights die’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the military use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Gaza with Dima Samaro, a Palestinian lawyer and researcher, and director of Skyline International for Human Rights, a civil society organisation (CSO) that defends digital freedoms and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa.

HONG KONG: ‘The diaspora is playing key roles in advocating for human rights and raising international awareness’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Hong Kong’s latest security laws with Laura Naw, East Asian and ASEAN Programme Officer at the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a regional human rights network comprising 90 organisations across 23 countries.

PANAMA: ‘The agreement with the USA was the final straw that pushed people out onto the streets’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent protests in Panama with Lina Vega Abad, president of the board of directors of the Foundation for the Development of Citizen Freedom, a civil society organisation that defends fundamental freedoms and strengthens democracy through citizen training and accountability and transparency advocacy.

GERMANY: ‘Democracy and human rights are two sides of the same coin’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the potential for a United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Democracy with Andreas Bummel, founder and executive director of Democracy Without Borders, an international civil society organisation (CSO) that advocates for democracy as a human right.
Featured

DRC: ‘International demand for coltan is linked to violence in the DRC’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Claude Iguma, a mining governance expert with a PhD in Social Sciences, who is based in Bukavu, South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

SPAIN: ‘Migration regularisation is a necessary step towards social justice and a sign of democratic health’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Spain’s moves to grant undocumented migrants formal status with Rubén Romero, coordinator of the Political Advocacy and Partnerships Department at CONVIVE Fundación Cepaim, a civil society organisation that works to create an inclusive and intercultural society that guarantees full access to rights to the most vulnerable people, particularly migrants.

MEXICO: ‘This is the largest experiment in justice systems ever undertaken by any country’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Mexico’s recent judicial elections with Gladys Morales Ramírez, a Mexican researcher who holds a PhD in Social Sciences.

LIBERIA: ‘We need enforceable legal tools to hold governments accountable for climate inaction’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses African climate litigation efforts with Liberian environmental rights activist, lawyer and law professor Alfred Lahai Brownell, president of Global Climate Legal Defence and co-founder and Lead Campaigner of the African Climate Platform, a coalition of public interest lawyers and climate activists.

SWITZERLAND: ‘Expanding defence spending without proper accountability could weaken rather than strengthen security’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the 2025 NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit with Francesca Grandi, Head of Defence and Security at Transparency International, a global civil society organisation that fights corruption and promotes transparency and integrity in public life.

ROMANIA: ‘Only a handful of environmental organisations still dare challenge corporate projects in court’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks to Cristinel Buzatu, regional legal advisor for Central and Eastern Europe at Greenpeace, about how Romania’s state gas company is weaponising the courts to silence environmental opposition.

BANGLADESH: ‘Authoritarian laws outlast authoritarian rulers, so we must dismantle them’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Bangladesh’s democratic transition challenges with Taqbir Huda, human rights lawyer and former regional researcher with Amnesty International, responsible for investigating and documenting human rights violations in the region.

ITALY: ‘This security decree is the biggest attack on the right to protest in the history of the Italian Republic’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Italy’s new Security Decree with Pasquale Prencipe, a lawyer, member of the research staff of Associazione Antigone, an Italian civil society organisation (CSO) working to ensure respect for rights in Italian prisons, and editor of a recent publication, ‘The greatest attack on the freedom of protest in the history of the Italian Republic’.

UNITED STATES: ‘Democratic states have been slow to recognise Chinese transnational repression on their soil’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses China’s transnational repression with investigative reporter Scilla Alecci of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a news organisation and independent global network encompassing over 280 journalists and 140 media from over 100 countries.

THE NETHERLANDS: ‘The Pandemic Agreement is a work in advanced progress: we are close to the finish line, but not there yet’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the Pandemic Agreement with Jaume Vidal, Senior Policy Advisor at Health Action International, an international civil society organisation based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, that works to realise the human right to health, with a special emphasis on access to health technologies.

SWITZERLAND: ‘Enabling machines to make life and death decisions is morally unjustifiable’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses autonomous weapons systems and the campaign for regulation with Nicole van Rooijen, Executive Director of Stop Killer Robots, a global civil society coalition of over 270 organisations that campaigns for a new international treaty on autonomous weapons systems.

JAPAN: ‘The roots of young people’s political disengagement lie in their lack of representation’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Japan’s upcoming election for its upper chamber of parliament with Aoi Horiuchi, Senior Advocacy Officer at the Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC), a network of civil society organisations (CSOs) working to address global issues.

United States: ‘It’s time for states to commit to binding reforms of the international financial system’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses financing for development with Elena Marmo, Head of Advocacy and Campaigns at the Transparency, Accountability and Participation (TAP) Network, an international civil society coalition working to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the pursuit of more peaceful, just and inclusive societies.

ITALY: ‘Referendums reaffirm citizens’ right to be protagonists in their country’s democratic life’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of a recent Italian referendum on citizenship and workers’ rights with Andrea Oleandri, Co-Executive Director of the Italian Coalition for Freedom and Civil Rights (CILD), a civil society network working to promote and protect civil liberties.

POLAND: ‘The new president will reject anything he perceives as conflicting with conservative and national values’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of Poland’s presidential election with Filip Pazderski, Programme Manager for Civil Society of the Stefan Batory Foundation, a civil society organisation that promotes democratic governance.

ETHIOPIA: ‘The algorithm increases harmful content’s reach, raising exposure and the risk of real-world harm’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Mercy Mutemi, a Kenyan tech lawyer at Nzili and Sumbi Advocates and legal counsel for petitioners challenging Facebook’s role in hate and violence in Ethiopia.

GUINEA: ‘The referendum could be used to consolidate the junta’s power rather than transition to democracy’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses prospects for democracy in Guinea with Omolara Balogun, Head of Policy Influencing and Advocacy at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), a civil society organisation that promotes civic space and youth and women’s leadership and leverages technology for development.

MEXICO: ‘In the face of funding cuts, civil society has taken a leading role in the humanitarian response’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the closure of offices of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Mexico with members of Integral Human Rights In Action (DHIA), a Mexican civil society organisation (CSO) that promotes and defends human rights in contexts of mobility.

ROMANIA: ‘While the far right may be losing ground, populist rhetoric cuts across party lines’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of Romania’s presidential election with Anda Serban, Executive Director of the Resource Center for Public Participation, a civil society organisation that promotes public participation and transparency in decision-making.

UNITED KINGDOM: ‘Live facial recognition treats everyone as a potential suspect, undermining privacy and eroding presumed innocence’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the dangers of live facial recognition technology with Madeleine Stone, Senior Advocacy Officer at Big Brother Watch, a civil society organisation that campaigns against mass surveillance and for digital rights in the UK.

SOUTH AFRICA: ‘The top-down era of global health is over’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the need for community-centred approaches to global health funding and governance with Solange Baptiste, Executive Director of ITPC Global, a South Africa-based global organisation working to achieve health and social justice for all.

SUDAN: ‘The dismissal of Sudan’s case against the UAE exposes the limits of international law’

Interviews
On 5 May, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) dismissed a case brought by the Sudan government against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), alleging violations of the Genocide Convention due to the UAE’s alleged funding and arming of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militias in Sudan’s ongoing civil war.

HUNGARY: ‘Those who promote accountability, democratic values and human rights are branded enemies of the state’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Hungary’s foreign agents bill with Márta Pardavi, co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a human rights organisation that defends human dignity through legal and public advocacy.

URUGUAY: ‘Truth and justice have no statute of limitations; the state must assume its responsibility’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses struggles for historical justice with Graciela Montes de Oca, a member of Mothers and Relatives of Detained and Disappeared Uruguayans, a Uruguayan civil society organisation that seeks truth, justice and prevention of future crimes like those committed under dictatorship.

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