News

Featured

Kenya: Release imprisoned activists, deliver justice for those affected by violence, and respect protest rights

  CIVICUS and sixteen partner civil society organisations call on the Kenyan Government to respect Kenyan citizen’s right to protest, release arrested activists and to provide justice to those killed or injured in brutal retaliations by security forces.
Featured

Bangladesh: Stop judicial harassment of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus

CIVICUS Global Civil Society Alliance and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) call on the Bangladeshi authorities to immediately end the ongoing judicial harassment of Muhammad Yunus.
Featured

Malaysia: Government undermines civic freedoms and protection of human rights defenders by failing to accept UN recommendations

CIVICUS, SUARAM, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), FORUM-ASIA, and ARTICLE 19 are concerned that the Malaysian government has failed to accept recommendations made at the UN’s Human Rights Council to respect and protect civic freedoms, particularly freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.
Featured

Kenya: End killing protestors, punish perpetrators, guarantee human rights

The global civil society alliance CIVICUS calls on the government of Kenya to end violence against #RejectFinanceBill2024 protesters, investigate deaths of over 39 people, and guarantee the rights of its citizens to protest peacefully.
Featured

Cambodia: Conviction of Mother Nature activists is a blatant attack on activism

CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Front Line Defenders and Asia Democracy Network (ADN) strongly condemn the conviction and sentencing of ten activists on 2 July 2024, associated with environmental group, Mother Nature.
Featured

Cambodia: Labour rights group CENTRAL targeted for reporting on violations against unions

CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)  condemn the harassment and smear campaign against the labour rights group, The Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL), for a report they published on unions and freedom of association in Cambodia.
Featured

Bangladesh: Government must comply with its obligations to uphold the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill treatment, end impunity and ensure access to justice for victims

Bangkok/ Dhaka/ Geneva/ Johannesburg/ Kuala Lumpur/ London/ Manila/ Melbourne/ Paris/Washington DC: 25 June 2024: On the occasion of the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on 26 June, we, the undersigned organisations, are gravely concerned over the continuing acts of torture and other ill-treatment committed by law-enforcement agencies and security forces in Bangladesh, and the lack of access to comprehensive rehabilitation services including medical, psychological, legal, and social support for torture victims.
Featured

Thailand: Release Human Rights Defender Y Quynh Bdap, refuse extradition to Vietnam

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation (CIVICUS), Asia Democracy Network, and Front Line Defenders are deeply concerned over the Thai authorities’ arrest of Y Quynh Bdap, a Vietnamese-ethnic minority human rights defender and religious freedom activist.
Featured

CIVICUS joins eight CSOs to sign landmark partnership to promote an enabling environment for civil society globally

The European Union System for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society (EU SEE) program seeks to support civil society to thrive by preventing efforts to restrict civic space and shut down civil society organisations.
Featured

Joint Statement on the 35th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre

Thirty-five years ago, the Chinese government turned weapons against their own people in Beijing.
Featured

Hong Kong: Release seven detained under new security law and halt its use to silence dissent

CIVICUS, a global civil alliance and the Asia Democracy Network (ADN) are extremely disturbed by reports that seven people have been arrested under a new security law for alleged seditious intent, including imprisoned human rights defender Chow Hang-tung, who has been detained since September 2021.
Featured

CIVICUS Statement at the 79th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights

Agenda Item 3 – Human rights situation in Africa (with a special focus on shrinking of civic space) Delivered by Paul Mulindwa, Africa Advocacy Lead at CIVICUS The global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, welcomes this opportunity to address the African Commission under Agenda Item 3: Human Rights Situation in Africa.
Featured

#ACHPR79: CIVICUS intervenes on the draft African Declaration on Human Rights Defenders

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights held a panel on 24 May 2024 at its 79th Ordinary Session to discuss the draft Declaration on the Promotion of the Role of Human Rights Defenders and their Protection in Africa.
Featured

Indonesia: Disruption of civil society water forum an attack on freedoms

CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance is disturbed by reports that a civil society forum on water rights in Bali has been disrupted with activists and organisers facing harassment and intimidation.
Featured

Thailand: Justice for Bung Sanesangkhom, stop harassment against dissent

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation (CIVICUS), Focus on the Global South, Front Line Defenders, Asia Democracy Network are profoundly saddened and outraged by the tragic death of Netiporn ‘Bung’ Sanesangkhom, a young activist who peacefully and courageously fought for justice and monarchy reform in Thailand.
Featured

Philippines: Accountability Is the Solution to Human Rights Abuses, Not Marcos’ ‘Super Body’

  We, the undersigned civil society organizations and human rights defenders, view with deep concern the creation of the Special Committee on Human Rights Coordination by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Featured

Guatemala: International organisations condemn judicial persecution of former prosecutor Virginia Laparra

The second trial against the former head of the Office of the Special Prosecutor against Impunity (FECI) in Quetzaltenango, Lilian Virginia Laparra Rivas, will open on Monday May 6.
Featured

Hong Kong: Comply with UN Working Group findings to end detention of Chow Hang-Tung

CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development and (FORUM-ASIA) and Asia Democracy Network (ADN), call on the Hong Kong authorities to immediately comply with recommendations of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) on the case of human rights defender Chow Hang-Tung and to release her immediately and unconditionally.
Featured

Venezuela: Freedom of expression and release of activists critical for free and fair presidential elections

The curtailing of freedoms essential for people’s participation and arrests and criminalisation of activists paints a bleak outlook for a free and fair presidential election in Venezuela, warns CIVICUS.
Featured

Rights groups call on States to #PayYourDues

Amid a significant liquidity challenge at the United Nations arising from overdue membership dues, civil society emphasises the importance of Member States meeting their financial commitments to ensure the continuation of vital human rights endeavors.
Featured

Solidarity protests with Palestinian people banned in at least 12 EU countries

Protests banned on grounds of protecting ‘public order’ and ‘security’ Authorities have resorted to excessive force in multiple countries, including the use of pepper spray, kettling and the deployment of police dogs Palestinian flags and scarves also widely banned European and international NGOs urge the Commission to act on restrictions The European Civic Forum, Civil Liberties Union for Europe, CIVICUS, European Network Against Racism and Solidar are calling on the European Commission to address at the highest political level the unlawful restrictions on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression imposed by member states since the dramatic escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine last year.
Featured

A Joint Call for Inclusive International Convenings on Locally Led Development

Arabic In November 2023, Majority World actors and community-based organisations published a letter to international partners outlining five principles to make convenings on locally-led development more inclusive.
Featured

Bangladesh: Government must implement civic space recommendations from the Human Rights Council

  CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organisations and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) are concerned about the failure of the Bangladesh government in accepting key recommendations related to civic space as part of its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the UN Human Rights Council.
Featured

Immediately release Irfan Mehraj – A call from civil society on the first anniversary of his continuing arbitrary detention

(20 March 2024) We, the undersigned civil society organisations, call for the immediate and unconditional release of Kashmiri journalist and human rights defender Irfan Mehraj.
Featured

Joint statement on the 10-year anniversary of ‘deadly reprisals’ against Chinese activist Cao Shunli

Today, we pay tribute to Cao Shunli, and all human rights defenders targeted by the Chinese government for their commitment to uphold the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Human rights hypocrisy undermines rules-based order, new CIVICUS report finds

United Nations (UN) Security Council meeting on the conflict in Middle East at the UN headquarters in New York City on October 24, 2023.
Featured

Civil society battles global human rights, governance and climate action failures - CIVICUS

Hypocrisy by powerful countries undermined the rules-based international order and repressions against human rights and climate activists stalled or reversed progress around the world, says the State of Civil Society Report by CIVICUS.
Featured

IWD 2024: CSOs renew their call on Saudi authorities to release jailed women’s rights activists

On International Women’s Day, the undersigned organisations renew their call on Saudi Arabian authorities to release all women human rights defenders (WHRDs), women’s rights activists and their supporters who are detained in contravention of international human rights standards.
Featured

Equatorial Guinea: Free activist Anacleto Micha Ndong Nlang and end brutality against rights defenders

CIVICUS calls on the authorities in Equatorial Guinea to immediately release Anacleto Micha Ndong Nlang.
Featured

Thailand: End judicial harassment against activists and journalists, uphold people’s fundamental freedoms

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and CIVICUS are deeply concerned over the intensifying regression of Thailand’s civic space.
Featured

BURUNDI: Media restrictions review welcome, but urgent action needed

CIVICUS, Global civil society alliance, welcomes Burundi President’s decision to review restrictions on media freedoms and journalists’ rights.
Featured

Cambodia: Dismiss defamation suit against Soeng Senkaruna of ADHOC

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and CIVICUS call on the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to dismiss the politically motivated defamation lawsuit against Soeng Senkaruna, deputy head of the Human Rights and Land Rights Section and Senior Human Rights Investigator of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), a member organisation of FORUM-ASIA.
Featured

THAILAND: ‘Marriage equality is likely to pass – and inspire change in other Asian countries’

CIVICUS speaks about the progress being made toward legalising same-sex marriage in Thailand with Mookdapa Yangyuenpradorn, an LGBTQI+ activist and Human Rights Associate at Fortify Rights.
Featured

BELGIUM: ‘We need systemic transformation to stop the climate crisis’

CIVICUS speaks with Sarah Tak, General Coordinator of Klimaatzaak (‘Climate Case’), about a recent ruling by the Brussels court of appeal mandating drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions in Belgium by 2030.
Featured

MALI: ‘Real or perceived repression has created a climate of self-censorship among people’

CIVICUS speaks with Nafissatou Maiga, coordinator of the Association of Young People for the Development of Sangarebougou/Women and Initiatives for Development (AJDS/FID-MALI), about the state of civic space in Mali since the 2021 military coup.

Danmark må styrke indsatsen for at befri Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja på årsdagen for de pro-demokratiske demonstrationer i Bahrain

Fås også på engelsk Danmark må styrke indsatsen for at befri Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja på årsdagen for de pro-demokratiske demonstrationer i Bahrain KØBENHAVN/LONDON/JOHANNESBURG - #FreeAl-Khawaja-kampagnen, SALAM DHR og den globale civilsamfundsalliance CIVICUS opfordrer Danmark til at gøre mere for at sikre løsladelsen af den fængslede dansk-bahrainske menneskerettighedsforkæmper Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja forud for årsdagen for de pro-demokratiske demonstrationer i Bahrain i 2011.
Featured

Denmark must do more to free Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja on Bahrain uprising anniversary

Also available in Danish COPENHAGEN/LONDON/JOHANNESBURG – The #FreeAl-Khawaja Campaign, SALAM DHR and the global civil society alliance CIVICUS call on Denmark to do more to secure the release of jailed Danish-Bahraini human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja ahead of the anniversary of Bahrain’s Arab Spring uprising.
Featured

CIVICUS adds jailed Burundi journalist to Stand As My Witness campaign

French | Kirundi  | Swahili JOHANNESBURG - Global civil society alliance CIVICUS announced on Thursday that it has added jailed Burundian journalist Floriane Irangabiye to its Stand As My Witness campaign, which advocates for the immediate release of wrongly imprisoned journalists, activists, dissidents and human rights defenders around the world.
Featured

Indonesia: Civil society groups face intimidation for highlighting election related issues

  CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) are extremely concerned about demonstrations this week aimed at intimidating two human rights organisations in Indonesia for their human rights work.
Featured

Senegal: Respect democracy and stop violence against protesters

Restrictions on free expression and the use of violence against protesters following Senegal’s President Macky Sall’s decision to postpone the February 25 elections are against the government’s human rights obligations, global civil society alliance CIVICUS said today.
Featured

Thailand: Release human rights defender Mongkorn ‘BusBas’ Thirakot, repeal royal defamation law

Photo credit:  Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and Asia Democracy Network (ADN) strongly condemn the conviction of Mongkorn ‘BusBas’ Thirakot, a 30-year-old activist and online clothing retailer from Chiang Rai.
Featured

EGYPT: Free human rights lawyer Hoda Abdel Moneim on her 65th birthday

ARABIC JOHANNESBURG / PRAGUE – The Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR) and global civil society alliance CIVICUS call on Egypt to immediately free human rights lawyer Hoda Abdel Moneim from prison ahead of her 65th birthday on Sunday January 28.

Joint statement: Egyptian and international civil society organizations call for Badr Mohamed’s immediate release

Arabic The Egyptian authorities must immediately release Badr Mohamed, who was unjustly convicted in January 2023 in connection to protests and sentenced to five years in prison after a grossly unfair trial, said the undersigned civil society organizations.
Featured

Malaysia: States must call out violations of civic freedoms at upcoming UN review 

CIVICUS, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), and SUARAM call upon states to use the upcoming human rights review of Malaysia at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to call out its ongoing failure to fully implement previous recommendations related to civic freedoms.
Featured

China: States must call out violations of civic freedoms at upcoming UN review

  CIVICUS, a global human rights alliance and the Asia Democracy Network (ADN) call on states to use the upcoming human rights review of China at the UN Human Rights Council to call out its ongoing failure to fully implement previous recommendations related to civic freedoms.
Featured

Azerbaijan: stop arresting journalists to stifle human rights and corruption coverage

  Azerbaijan’s ongoing brutal crackdown of journalists must immediately stop and those illegitimately arrested must be freed, said CIVICUS global civil society alliance today.
Featured

Indonesia: Acquittal of human rights defenders a victory for freedom of expression

The acquittal of prominent human rights defenders Fatia Maulidiyanti and Haris Azhar by the East Jakarta District Court for defamation is a positive development and triumph of justice over repression said CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance today.

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

 

Headquarters

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