News

Featured

Violent attacks on peaceful protests in the DRC: Civil society writes open letter to President Joseph Kabila

News 13 October 2016

One hundred and eighty-five civil society organisations from 33 African countries have written an open letter to President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) raising concerns over ongoing attacks on protestors and the targeting of human rights defenders.

South Korea: Ensure accountability for death of South Korean activist

News 06 October 2016

Korean Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS mourns the death of South Korean activist and farmer Mr.

Call for endorsements: Letter to President Kabila

News 27 September 2016

French Mr Joseph KabilaPresident of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)Palais de la NationAve de Lemera, Kinshasa, Congo (DRC) Dear President Kabila, We, the undersigned representatives of African civil society organisations, write to express our serious concerns about the police’s continued use of brutal force to crush peaceful assemblies and to silence the legitimate demands of the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Steady increase in the deterioration of human rights in the Maldives

News 26 September 2016

CIVICUS speaks to human rights and climate change activist Thilmeeza Hussain about current restrictions in the space for civil society in the Maldives.

Egypt’s independent human rights community at risk of complete eradication

News 23 September 2016

The undersigned organisations condemn unreservedly the asset freeze ruled on Saturday 17 September by the Cairo Criminal Court in Zeinhom on prominent human rights organisations and defenders in Egypt, as part of case no 173/2011, known as the “foreign funding case”.

Still a long road ahead in Colombia peace process - Gina Romero (RedLad)

News 21 September 2016

Spanish CIVICUS speaks to Gina Romero, Executive Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy (RedLad), a not-for-profit platform than brings together more than 480 CSOs, networks, activists, academics, social movements, youth and political groups working together for stronger democracies, human rights, sustainable development and social cohesion in the region.

Civic space and citizen rights still under threat in Brazil

News 19 September 2016

CIVICUS speaks to Ana Cernov, Coordinator of the South-South Program at Conectas Human Rights, an international human rights non-governmental organisation.

CIVICUS Webinar: Gender, Inclusion & the State of Civil Society

News 14 September 2016

Join SOCS authorsJoanna Maycock - European Women’s Lobby (moderator)Mutsiya Leonard - UHAI East African Sexual Health and Rights InitiativeSudarshana Kundu - Gender at WorkKathy Mulville - Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights& other CIVICUS Members for a webinar onWednesday 28th September 14:00 (GMT +2) RSVP - RegularLabs.

Solidarity is key to addressing socio-environmental conflicts in Costa Rica

News 06 September 2016

Spanish CIVICUS speaks to Vanessa Dubois, Project Officer at ARCA (Central American Regional Association for Water and the Environment), a Costa Rican environmental CSO established to promote the protection, conservation and sustainable use of the environment and hydric resources, and to promote processes of integrated management of natural resources and the recognition of the human rights to water and sanitation.

Civil society working on women’s rights in Pakistan restricted by Council of Islamic Ideology

News 05 September 2016

Civil society organisations (CSOs) working to improve women’s rights in Pakistan are facing difficulties after the Council of Islamic Ideology has made several attempts to limit their work as part of their clampdown on women’s rights in general.

Worrying spate of attacks on independent media in Zambia

News 30 August 2016

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS and the Zambia Council for Social Development (ZCSD) condemn attacks on independent media houses and journalists in Zambia.

Tanzania: Stop targeting human rights defenders

News 26 August 2016

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS urges Tanzanian authorities to put an end to their campaign of judicial persecution, arbitrary arrests and intimidation of civil society members and local communities opposing land rights violations.

We are setting our 2017-2022 Strategic Priorities! We'd Love to hear from you!

News 17 August 2016

This year CIVICUS concludes the implementation of its 2013-2017 Strategic Priorities (French, Spanish).

International Community must condemn Turkey repression

News 12 August 2016

The state of emergency imposed in Turkey following the failed coup attempt is deeply worrying, say CIVICUS, Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRDIC) and Global Fund for Women (GWF).

How South African civil society scored a victory for freedom of expression

News 01 August 2016

South African civil society recently succeeded in making the state broadcaster reverse a policy decision it had made concerning the censorship of violent protest images in news reporting.

Alert on Israel: NGO ‘Transparency’ Law part of wider trend to silence dissent

News 29 July 2016

On July 11 Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, passed a law to restrict the activities of civil society organisations (CSOs) dependent on international sources of funding.

Murder of Kenyan human rights lawyer an act to intimidate human rights defenders

News 21 July 2016

In the aftermath of the extra judicial killings of human rights defender Willie Kimani and two others, CIVICUS speaks to Kamau Ngungi, the coordinator of the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders-Kenya about the implications this has for the human rights community.

Launch of the Leave No-one Behind Partnership

News 19 July 2016

The Global Goals for Sustainable Development offer an historic opportunity to eradicate extreme poverty and ensure no one is left behind.

CIVICUS Alert: USA: Investigate incidents and protect the right to protest

News 15 July 2016

CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, calls on the Government of the United States of America to thoroughly investigate instances of heavy-handed action by police officers in dealing with protests against the killing of black individuals by law-enforcement agents.

The international community must keep watch on Mexico’s violations of human rights

News 15 July 2016

CIVICUS speaks to Yésica Sánchez Maya about the recent repression of the teachers’ protest in Oaxaca and the situation of human rights defenders in Mexico.

Twenty-Six NGOs Call for Immediate and Unconditional Release of Bahraini Human Rights De-fender Nabeel Rajab, Prior to His Trial

News 11 July 2016

Tomorrow, 12 July 2016, the trial of the prominent human rights defender Nabeel Rajab begins.

Closure of Zambia’s Post newspaper a worry for freedom of expression

News 11 July 2016

CIVICUS speaks to Zambian civil society activist Lewis Mwape of The Zambian Social Development network.

Catastrophic human rights situation in Bangladesh

News 05 July 2016

CIVICUS recently spoke to a civil society activist in Bangladesh, who asked to remain anonymous, on the recent events in the country, including the recent killing of academics and bloggers and the implications for civic space.

CIVICUS Alert: Guatemala: Life-threatening situation for civil society activists and journalists

News 04 July 2016

In a matter of a month, a trade union lawyer, an indigenous land rights activist, and two journalists were murdered in Guatemala.

Addressing exclusion an urgent political issue, says new report

News 27 June 2016

Français | Español The 2016 State of Civil Society Report, produced by CIVICUS, provides a comprehensive `year in review’ as well as 33 guest essays focusing on the topic of exclusion.

Egypt: Civil society faces existential threat

News 23 June 2016

In recent months, civil society in Egypt has faced unprecedented attacks by the authorities, who are attempting to crush them.

South Korea breaching the right to protest

News 22 June 2016

CIVICUS speaks to Lae-goon Park, director general of Human Rights Center (SARAM) and a steering committee member of Coalition 4.

Core Civil Society Rights Violated in 109 Countries - Civil Society Watch Report

News 20 June 2016

The latest CIVICUS monitoring shows that in 2015 one or more of the core civil society freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly were seriously violated in at least 109 countries.

Repression hinders growth of civic space in Nicaragua

News 20 June 2016

Spanish CIVICUS speaks to the executive team of Coordinadora Civil, a national articulation platform formed in Nicaragua in 1998 for emergency relief assistance as Hurricane Mitch hit the region.

After the media, Sudan’s intelligence body clamps down on civic space

News 19 June 2016

In light of the recent crackdown on students protesting peacefully in Sudan, attacks on civil society organisations and judicial persecution of human rights defenders, CIVICUS speaks to a Sudanese human rights defender, who asked to remain anonymous, to shed light on the challenging environment in which civil society operates.

Despite violent repression, we continue protesting for change - Camila Rojas (FECh)

News 15 June 2016

Spanish CIVICUS speaks to Camila Rojas, a public administration student and the president of the biggest student federation in Chile, that of the University of Chile (FECh), about the environment for activism and the reasons why protests usually turn violent and are repressed in the country 1.

LGBT activists in Tunisia under pressure

News 13 June 2016

In this anonymous interview with CIVICUS, a Tunisian activist who works for an LGBT organisation speaks about the conditions for LGBT activists and organisations in Tunisia.

Papua New Guinea: Investigate violence against peaceful protesters

News 10 June 2016

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS urges the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) to respect the right to protest peacefully and condemns the use of extreme violence by security forces in PNG to supress demonstrations by students.

Environmental matters a risky affair for Kenyan activists

News 09 June 2016

CIVICUS speaks to Phyllis Omido, a Kenyan grassroots environmental activist about the challenges faced by activists for environmental rights in the country.

Help us shed light on the situation in Venezuela: Diana Vegas(Sinergia)

News 07 June 2016

Spanish CIVICUS speaks to Diana Vegas, the vice-president of Sinergia, a Venezuelan organisation that aims at expanding spaces for citizen participation, providing a space for civil society articulation and strengthening civil society.

Joint Statement: Venezuela Should Revoke Emergency Decree

News 06 June 2016

DECLARACION EN ESPANOL The international community should press Venezuela to revoke the recent “State of Exception and Emergency Decree” that granted the government powers to restrict rights, suspend international cooperation for civil society groups, including human rights organizations, and limit the constitutional powers of the National Assembly, 125 human rights and civil society organizations from around the world said today.

Ethiopia: End use of counter-terrorism law to persecute dissenters and opposition members

News 02 June 2016

MEDIA STATEMENT The Ethiopian Government must end its escalating crackdown on human rights defenders, independent media, peaceful protestors as well as members and leaders of the political opposition through the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation (ATP) says a group of civil society organisations (CSOs).

What Argentina’s government can do to improve civic space

News 31 May 2016

Spanish Fernando Bracaccini a lawyer and coordinator of the Area for the Strengthening of Democratic Institutions at ACIJ (Civil Association for Equality and Justice), a non-profit organisation, speaks to CIVICUS on the environment for civil society organisations in Argentina.

Alert: State of emergency in Venezuela

News 27 May 2016

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS is concerned about the negative impact of Venezuela’s “state of exception and economic emergency” on civil society freedoms.

Resilience of Kyrgyzstan CSOs pays off as parliament throws out ‘foreign agents’ Bill

News 25 May 2016

Dinara Oshurahunova, of the NGO Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society, speaks with CIVICUS on recently failed attempts in Kyrgyzstan to pass a foreign agents law and the civil society environment in the country 1.

Justice for Land Rights Activist, Sikhosiphi Rhadebe: Civil Society writes open letter to South African President Zuma

News 22 May 2016

Nearly two hundred civil society organisations from 74 countries, including South Africa, have written an open letter to South African President Jacob Zuma to mark the second-month anniversary of the brutal assassination of South African community and land rights activist Sikhosiphi Rhadebe.

Still a small window open to reverse China’s new NGO law

News 19 May 2016

In this anonymous interview with CIVICUS, a human rights defender working for a civil society organisation in China details what China’s new NGO Law means and its likely impact on NGOs.

Free Emirati human rights defender Dr. Nasser Bin Ghaith, on trial for online posts in violation of his right to free expression

News 18 May 2016

قراءة بيان باللغة العربية We, the undersigned NGOs, call on the authorities to immediately release human rights defender and professor of economics Dr.

Swazi monarch a barrier to a vibrant civil society

News 17 May 2016

CIVICUS speaks to Thulani Rudolf Maseko, a human rights defender and founding member of the Lawyers for Human Rights, Swaziland about persistent civic space challenges in the Kingdom of Swaziland and his experiences as a victim of the actions of monarchy.

News

Sign up for our newsletters

Headquarters

UN Hub: New York

UN Hub: Geneva