News

CIVICUS at ACHPR83: A Recap of Outcomes and Next Steps

News
From 2–22 May 2025, CIVICUS participated in the 83rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and the preceding NGO Forum held in Banjul, The Gambia.
Featured

El Salvador: International Organizations Condemn the Detention of Human Rights Defender Ruth López

News
Washington D.

Global Call to UN: Stop Iran’s Execution of Political Prisoners

News
CIVICUS has joined over 300 global leaders, human rights experts, and organisations in a collective appeal urging the United Nations to act urgently to stop the execution of political prisoners in Iran.
Featured

Nicaragua: La Prensa wins World Press Freedom Prize braving severe retribution

News
We congratulate the Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa for receiving the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano 2025 World Press Freedom Prize.

Peru: APCI Law threatens civic space and human rights defenders’ work

News
CIVICUS joins national and international civil society organisations in expressing grave concern over recent legislative amendments in Peru that threaten civic space and the work of human rights defenders.
Featured

CIVICUS at the 83rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights

News
At CIVICUS, we believe in the fundamental importance of human rights and are dedicated to advancing the work of human rights defenders and protecting civic space.
Featured

Bangladesh: Stop criminalising student leaders’ peaceful protests

News
Criminalising student human rights defenders (HRDs) protests shows a disturbing continuation of repression of right to peaceful assembly and protest in Bangladesh.
Featured

Global civil society report 2025: threats to human rights grow, but there’s hope in grassroots action

News
Democracy faces existential threats, but civic action remains a powerful force for renewal.
Featured

CSW69: A Pivotal Moment for Women’s Rights Amid Growing Global Challenges

News
The 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women marks important milestones, with the 80th UN anniversary and the 30th Beijing Platform anniversary, amid growing threats to women's rights.
Featured

Letter to the U.N. Secretary-General in advance of his visit to Bangladesh

News
CIVICUS and fellow human rights organisations have issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations, calling for immediate and sustained support for Bangladesh during this pivotal moment of political transition.
Featured

Trump administration puts US civic freedoms under severe threat – CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist

News
The United States of America is added to the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist due to threats to civic freedoms under Trump administration.
Featured

Deadly conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) culls human rights and civic freedoms - CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist

News
The escalating conflict between M23 and DRC forces has cost thousands of lives since January, induced widespread displacement, and a humanitarian crisis.
Featured

“Anti-Gandhi bill” will worsen Italy’s faltering civic space – CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist

News
The “anti-Gandhi bill” (Bill 1236) will worsen country’s already declining respect for freedoms of expression, assembly, and association.
Featured

Serbian civil society under pressure as country sees biggest protests in decades – CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist 

News
Civic space is rapidly faltering amid massive protests against government corruption that led to a train station disaster.
Featured

Activists targeted, protests stifled, digital spaces gagged in Pakistan – CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist

News
Pakistan is added to civic space watchlist with authorities targeting activists, stifling protests and restricting digital spaces.
Featured

Bahrain: Free Human Rights Defender Ali Al Hajee

News
CIVICUS joins 23 organisations in urging Bahraini authorities to immediately and unconditionally release human rights defender Ali Al Hajee, who was arrested on 1 March 2025 in connection with his peaceful social media comments.

EU must demand progress on human rights in India – Human rights organisations

News
CIVICUS joined 11 human rights organisations in a joint letter urging the European Union (EU) to take action on human rights concerns in India, ahead of the College of Commissioners visit to India.

Bahrain/EU: 31 rights organisations call for release of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and Sheikh Mohammed Habib Al-Muqdad.

News
CIVICUS joined 31 human rights organisations in a joint letter urging the European Union (EU) to engage Bahraini authorities to call for the immediate and unconditional release of EU-Bahraini nationals Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and Sheikh Mohammed Habib Al-Muqdad.
Featured

US Funding Cuts: Philanthropy must step in to support locally-led development

News
The US Government’s abrupt 90-day foreign aid pause and uncertainty about the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) future are hurting Global South civil society hard.
Featured

ASEAN: End complicity with Myanmar junta, demand democracy and human rights

News
  CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance calls on ASEAN to stop enabling Myanmar junta’s continuing brutal oppression against its citizens.
Featured

Civil society launches new initiative to strengthen the enabling environment

News
Johannesburg, South Africa Civil society organisations come together on 29 January 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa to launch a new initiative to anticipate and react to changes in the enabling environment - an environment where civil society can thrive, express itself freely and actively engage in shaping its context.
Featured

United States: Reverse Executive Orders threatening global progress on climate, human rights, and civic freedoms

News
CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organisations, calls on the United States to reverse the executive orders by  President Donald Trump that undermine and threaten global progress.
Featured

Global Stand As My Witness Campaign calls for freeing Arnon Nampa

News
Read the statement in Thai As Arnon Nampa's fourth anniversary as a Gwangju Prize for Human Rights winner dawns, he still unfairly languishes in prison for his activism.
Featured

Sri Lanka: Joint letter calling on President to uphold press freedom

News
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Re: Press Freedom Protections in Sri Lanka Dear President Dissanayake, Congratulations on your recent election as president of Sri Lanka.
Featured

Kenya: End Abductions and Ill-Treatment of Human Rights Defenders

News
  CIVICUS global civil society alliance calls on President William Ruto and the government of Kenya to immediately and unconditionally free 20 protestors still missing.
Featured

Cameroon: Reverse the suspension of Civil Society Organisations

News
Johannesburg, 6 January 2025: Cameroon authorities must immediately reverse the suspension of civil society organisations (CSOs) protecting human rights defenders in Central Africa, said CIVICUS today.
Featured

Joint Statement: After 5,000 Days of Arbitrary Detention, Bahrain Must Immediately Release Danish-Bahraini Citizen and Human Rights Defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja

News
Today, 16 December 2024, Danish-Bahraini human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja has endured 5,000 days of arbitrary detention in Bahrain.
Featured

Laos: States should ask “Where is Sombath?” at upcoming review of human rights record

News
On the 12-year anniversary of the unresolved enforced disappearance of Lao civil society leader Sombath Somphone, we, the undersigned civil society organizations and individuals worldwide, urge United Nations (UN) member states to express their concern over this continuing crime and to call for the prompt resolution of Sombath’s case at the upcoming review of the human rights record of Laos.
Featured

Announcing International Civil Society Week (ICSW) 2025

News
The next edition of International Civil Society Week (ICSW), the flagship event bringing together and celebrating global civil society, is slated for November 2025.
Featured

CIVICUS and Resilience Pathways Stand in Solidarity with Palestinian People and Civil Society Organisations

News
As we observe International Palestinian Solidarity Day, CIVICUS and Resilience Pathways stand together in unyielding solidarity with Palestinian people and the civil society organisations that continue to champion human rights, justice, and dignity, in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Featured

Thailand: Immediately Repeal the Draft Act on Associations and Foundation 2024

News
The undersigned organisations express concern over the Thai Government’s recent attempt  to pass the Draft Act on Associations and Foundations 2024, which, if adopted, would lead to violations of  the right to freedom of association and further undermine democracy in the country.
Featured

Membership Engagement Month 2024 is here!

News
Membership Engagement Month 2024 (#MEM24) is a special time for the CIVICUS global civil society alliance to connect, celebrate, learn, and collaborate.
Featured

India: End the prolonged imprisonment of Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez

News
  On 22 November 2024, Khurram Parvez, a prominent Kashmiri human rights defender, will mark three years of wrongful incarceration on unsubstantiated charges of terrorism and related offences.
Featured

Hong Kong: Release 45 democracy activists jailed on bogus national security charges

News
The 45 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists convicted in a sham trial must be released immediately, said CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance today.
Featured

Azerbaijan: Stop assaults on civil society and climate justice as COP29 starts today

News
Azerbaijan must curb increasing assaults on civil society and stop harassing peaceful protesters and journalists, said CIVICUS today.

Open Call for a Ceasefire in Gaza, Lebanon and Israel and End to Impunity amid a Spiralling Humanitarian Catastrophe and Escalating Regional Conflict

News
We, the undersigned organisations, appeal to all UN member states to secure an immediate ceasefire across Gaza, Lebanon, Israel and the region, and to end the impunity that has allowed atrocities by Israeli forces against civilians to continue and escalate.

Joint Statement Urging World Bank Action on Cambodian Civil Society Reprisals

News
We, the undersigned organisations, call upon World Bank President Ajay Banga to condemn the Cambodian government's assault on human rights groups, including reprisals against World Bank project stakeholders.

Guatemala: International organizations demand due process guarantees at key hearing for Jose Rubén Zamora’s release

News
18 October 2024 19 international civil society organisations demand due process at the review of journalist Jose Rubén Zamora’s detention due on Friday 18 October 2024.

Tanzania: End activist, media, and opposition crackdowns

News
CIVICUS calls on Tanzanian authorities to immediately end all systematic repressions and crackdown of media outlets, journalists, civil society activists, and politicians.

Saudi Arabia's failure to win seat on UN Human Rights Council demonstrates disregard for upholding basic human dignity

News
[Geneva] - Responding to Saudi Arabia's failure to win a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, Sigrid Lipott, United Nations Advisor at CIVICUS, said: "Saudi Arabia’s abysmal human rights record over the past few years demonstrates it has no intention of upholding basic human dignity anytime soon.

Act now: Join our Global Call for for Solidarity with Palestinian civil society

News
Despite the devastation in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as well as the ongoing challenges in Lebanon, Palestinian civil society remains steadfast and resilient.

Solidarity with Palestine repressed: Trends and case studies

News
Pro-Palestinian protests met with restrictions: bans, arrests, excessive force Student pro-Palestine activism repressed, particularly in western countries Activists, CSOs, journalists targeted with reprisals for expressing solidarity with Palestine On 7 October 2023, Hamas forces launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing over 1,100 people and taking more than 200 hostages.

Honduras: Deliver Justice for Juan López

News
September 18, 2024 CIVICUS mourns the assassination of environmental defender and community leader Juan López, of the Municipal Committee of Common and Public Goods of Tocoa (CMDBCPT).

Global Leaders to Adopt 'UN 2.0' Blueprint as Civil Society Remains Cautiously Optimistic

News
Civil society invested significant time and energy in the Summit of the Future.
Featured

Joint Letter: Requesting urgent action towards UN human rights monitoring and investigation in Bangladesh

News
CIVICUS, alongside 12 other human rights organisations, has signed an open letter urging United Nations (UN) member states to take immediate action to ensure an independent investigation and accountability for human rights violations committed in Bangladesh.
Featured

India: Release Khurram Parvez

News
Kashmiri human rights defender arbitrarily detained for 1,000 days Indian authorities have arbitrarily detained Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez for over 1,000 days.
Featured

Afghanistan: Three years since the Taliban takeover civic space remains ‘closed’

News
 Photo credit: X/@WomanProtesters CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance remains extremely concerned about the ongoing assault on civic space in Afghanistan, three years after the Taliban takeover.
Featured

Nigeria: Respect People’s Right to Protest, Guarantee Constitutional Human Rights

News
  Twelve international and Nigerian civil society organizations call upon the government of Nigeria to respect people’s rights to protest as guaranteed by the nation’s constitution and its international human rights obligations.
Featured

India: End human rights defender and journalist Irfan Mehraj’s 500-day imprisonment

News
On 02 August 2024 journalist and human rights defender Irfan Mehraj completes 500 days in jail at the maximum-security Rohini prison in New Delhi, India.
Featured

Venezuela Presidential Election: International Organizations Call on Authorities to Guarantee Transparency 

News
July 30, 2024 The undersigned international organizations condemn the lack of transparency in the announced results of Venezuela’s July 28 presidential elections.

Sign up for our newsletters

Our Newsletters

civicus logo white

CIVICUS is a global alliance that champions the power of civil society to create positive change.

brand x FacebookLogo YoutubeLogo InstagramLogo LinkedinLogo TikTokLogo BlueSkyLogo

Johannesburg Hub

25  Owl Street, 6th Floor

Johannesburg
South Africa
2092

Tel: +27 (0)11 833 5959


Fax: +27 (0)11 833 7997

UN Hub: New York

CIVICUS, c/o We Work

450 Lexington Ave

New York
NY
10017

United States

UN Hub: Geneva

11 Avenue de la Paix

Geneva

Switzerland
CH-1202

Tel: +41 (0)79 910 3428