Thank you Mr.

31st session of the Human Rights Council Delivered by Renate Bloem CIVICUS welcomes this timely high-level debate when we move from adoption to implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

A group of civil society organizations (CSOs) have written to the UN Human Rights Council (UN HRC) to express their concern over the Ethiopian Government’s grave restrictions on fundamental human rights, exemplified by the recent crackdown on largely peaceful protests in the Oromia region.

CIVICUS and the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP) welcome the holding of this Special Session and the Council’s effort to address the escalation of violence and gross violations of human rights in Burundi.

When: November 23, 2015, 4 - 6pm, followed by a light reception Where: Right Livelihood Award Geneva Office,Maison de la Paix, Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2E, 1202 Geneva Organisers: The Right Livelihood Award, The World Future Council, CIVICUS, IBFAN Register: RSVP before 20 November to RegularLabs.

Pakistan’s new policy to regulate the registration and operations of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) has been strongly condemned by civil society.

During the 30th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, CIVICUS and its partners raised a number of pressing human rights concerns requiring the Council’s attention.

At the 30th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, CIVICUS presented a number of statements about the operating environment for human rights defenders and civil society groups in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Somalia and Sudan.

Amidst the war in Yemen, a group of civil society organisations are advocating for the UN Human Rights Council to establish an independent, international mechanism to document violations committed by all parties of the armed conflict in Yemen.

As the government of Bahrain continues to curtail the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, a group of NGOs has written to the delegations of 18 member states at the UN Human Rights Council urging them to formally condone the human rights violations in Bahrain.

At the 30th Session of the UN Human Rightc Council, CIVICUS urged UN Member States to devise a coordinated response to reprisals against human rights defenders and civil society organisations which range from threats, harassment, smear campaigns, fines, travel bans, the forced closure of organizations, politically motivated prosecutions, arbitrary imprisonment, torture and assassinations.

At the 30th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, CIVICUS expressed its concern with the government of Belarus, which failed to adopt the recommendations made at its last Universal Periodic Review in 2011.

At the 30th session of the UN Human Rights Council, CIVICUS drew attention to a set of countries that regularly attack and undermine the rights of civil society.

In advance of the 25th Session of the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR), CIVICUS and its partners have made five submissions on the rights to freedom of assembly, association, expression and the environment for human rights defenders in Hungary, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Thailand.

In a new report released today, “Enhancing the effectiveness of the UN Universal Periodic Review: A civil society perspective,” CIVICUS examines the experiences of civil society groups from across the world in engaging with the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

Geneva, 20 August 2015, Re: Addressing the deteriorating human rights situation in Cambodia and ensuring that the United Nations retains its protection role and monitoring capacity in the country  Your Excellency,  We urge your delegation to address the deteriorating human rights situation in Cambodia by supporting a resolution, at the 30th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (14 September-2 October 2015), that highlights patterns of serious violations and calls on the Cambodian Government to put an end to such violations and to abide by its domestic and international legal obligations.

CIVICS along with 11 other civil society organisations have sent a letter to the permanent representatives of Member and Observer states of the UN Human Rights Council to adopt a resolution to address the human rights situation in Bahrain.

During the 29th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (15 June - 3 July 2015), CIVICUS made a number of joint and individual interventions to highlight restrictions on civil society space.

Delivered by Dora Tuez CIVICUS wishes to address the Council on the High Commissioner’s report on discrimination and violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.

CIVICUS strongly condemns last Friday’s terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Somalia, France and Kuwait and express our deepest sympathies with the victims and their families.

In advance of the 24th Session of the UN Universal Period Review (UPR), CIVICUS and its partners have made five submissions on restrictions on the rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression and persecution of human rights defenders (HRDs) in Mozambique, Niger, Sierra Leone, Singapore and Somalia.

29th session of the Human Rights Council Thank you Mr.

29th session of the Human Rights Council Thank you Mr.

When: Friday, 19 June 2015, 11:00-13:00 Where: Geneva, Palais Des Nations, Room XII Organisers: CIVICUS, ICNL, World Movement for Democracy, ECNL, Article 19, fidh, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch

When: 18 June, 10:00-11:30 amWhere: Palais des Nations, Room XXIIOrganisers: CIVICUS, International Service for Human Rights, Gulf Center for Human Rights

On the first day of the 29th Session of the Human Rights Council, CIVICUS provided opening remarks on human rights violations in Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Burundi, and Egypt.

During the forthcoming 29th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, CIVICUS and its partners will host a series of thematic and country-specific panel discussions highlighting pressing concerns for civil society and human rights defenders at the national, regional and international levels.

10 years removed from the massacre in Anadijan, Uzbekistan, which left hundreds of civilians killed by security forces, the country remains one of the most persistent human rights violators in the world.

Following the second UPR of Belarus, CIVICUS has produced a summary of the country's current human rights situation, associated recommendations from member states, and recent civil society advocacy activities that have taken place at the UN in Geneva.

Side Event during the 22nd UPR Session When: Monday, 4 May 2015, 12:45-14-15 Where: Palais des Nations Room  While Belarus accepted a number of recommendations on improving the environment for freedom of association during its initial UPR review in 2010, little appreciable impact has been observed in this field.

During the 28th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, 2-27 March 2015, CIVICUS and its partners made several high-level interventions to support the creation and maintenance of a safe and enabling environment for civil society across the world.

Delivered by Okwaraogoma Ononuju Silver, CIVICUS CIVICUS welcomes the decision by the Gambian government to accept several recommendations aimed at improving the environment for the respect of fundamental freedoms including those to fully protect and promote freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly for all without fear of arbitrary detention or harassment and to continue to improve the protection and promotion of human rights.

In advance of the 23rd Session (November 2015) of the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR), CIVICUS has made five joint and stand-alone submissions on the rights to freedom of assembly, association, expression and the environment for human rights defenders (HRDs) in Mauritania, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman and Rwanda.

CIVICUS welcomes with horror the detailed report of the Commission and deplores once more the dire situation of the Syrian People.

The fundamental and necessary conditions which allow for the creation and maintenance of a safe and enabling environment for civil society are being systematically threatened across the globe.

CIVICUS applauds the very principled stand of the High Commissioner in addressing the challenges to human rights to counter terrorism.

CIVICUS welcomes the first report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children and congratulates her innovative road map to implement her mandate.

On March 3rd in Geneva, Switzerland at the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council, CIVICUS in cooperation with UNDP and the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner, hosted the 'Annual High-Level Panel on Human Rights Mainstreaming'.

The objective of the event organised by CIVICUS, in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) was to share information and discuss the potential roles of data revolution and the work of human rights mechanisms in the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs.

Dans ce document, CIVICUS fait état de ses inquiétudes concernant l’environnement dans lequel les organisations de la société civile, les défenseurs des droits de l’homme et les journalistes travaillent en Côte d’Ivoire ; CIVICUS y relève aussi les menaces auxquelles font face ces individus et organisations dans l’exercice de leur liberté d’expression, d’association et d’assemblée.

During the 27th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, 8-27 September 2014, CIVICUS and its partners made a number of interventions to promote the creation of a safe and enabling environment for civil society and human rights defenders.

Over 40 civil society organisations have sent a joint letter to members of the UN Human Rights Council to support a landmark resolution on civil society space.

In advance of the 22nd Session of the UN Universal Period Review (UPR), which examines each countries human rights record every 4 and a half years, CIVICUS has issued six joint and standalone submissions.

CIVICUS on behalf of the Civic Space Initiative welcomes OHCHR’s Summary Report on the Civil Society Space Panel and we once again express our sincere thanks to the Panel’s organizers.

CIVICUS and its partners have produced joint and stand-alone UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) submissions on 11  countries.

27nd Session of the Human Rights Council Item 2Opening Statement of the new High Commissioner for Human RightsGeneral Debate 9 September 2014 Delivered by Renate Bloem Thank you Mr.

CIVICUS welcomes the establishment of this Special Session and applauds the Council’s proactivity in promptly addressing the grave human rights violation committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and associated groups.

During the 26th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, 9-27 June, CIVICUS organized eight joint or stand-alone panel discussions on pressing thematic and country specific human rights situations:•    Civil Society Space: Addressing the Implementation Gap•    East Africa: Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders : Regional Challenges•    Repression, Reprisals and Detained Human Rights Defenders in the Gulf Region: Kuwait and Qatar in Focus•    Rule of Law in Bangladesh•    Re-Imagining Global Governance: CIVICUS’ 2014 State of Civil Society Report•    Human Rights in Eritrea•    Voices from Uzbekistan – An Atrocious Human Rights Record and the Lack of Effective Cooperation with the UN•    Bahrain: Empty Promises, crowded prisonsCIVICUS also delivered ten joint and individual oral statements to highlight ongoing restrictions on fundamental freedoms:•    Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights to Freedom of Opinion and Expression and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association•    General Debate on the Human Rights Situation in South Sudan•    Final Update of the High Commissioner for Human Rights•    Interactive Dialogue on UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women•    Interactive Dialogue on the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprise•    Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention•    Adoption of the UPR outcome report of Cambodia•    Adoption of the UPR outcome report of Eritrea•    Adoption of the UPR outcome report of Vietnam •    Adoption of the UPR outcome report of Yemen

In advance of the 21st Session of the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) which examines the human rights records of a country every 4.