News

More action needed to stop human rights violations in Ethiopia

CIVICUS spoke to Yared Hailemariam, the director of Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia (AHRE), concerning the recent killing of protesters in the country.

Selection of UN secretary-general must be transparent

CIVICUS speaks to Natalie Samarasinghe, the executive director of the United Nations Association – UK, where she has worked since 2006.

COP21 was a historic turning point for climate change

The Climate Change Conference, COP21, was concluded in December 2015 with various agreements by states.

Jailing protest leaders undermines South Korean democracy

The recent sentencing of two South Korean civil society leaders, indicted for their role in organising and participating in protests demanding an independent investigation into the tragic Sewol Ferry disaster of 2014, is a troubling outcome for the protection of democratic rights in the country.

Nigeria: Legislators should reject the Social Media Bill

A pending Bill under consideration in Nigeria has civil society concerned for freedom of expression in the country.

Joint Letter to King of Bahrain on Nabeel Rajab's Travel Ban

TO: His Majesty Sheikh Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain CC: His Excellency Lieutenant General Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior, His Excellency Sheikh Khaled Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, And Permanent Mission of Bahrain to the United Nations in Geneva Your Majesty, We, the undersigned NGOs, call on the Bahraini authorities to lift the arbitrary travel ban on human rights defender Nabeel Rajab in order that he be able to travel abroad with his family for the purpose of securing medical assistance for his wife, Sumaya Rajab.

Ethiopia: Civil society groups urge international community to address killing of Oromo protesters

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (Defend Defenders) and Amnesty International urge Ethiopia’s development and international partners to address the killing of at least 140 protesters in the Oromia region since December 2015.

China Must Respect Due Process and Uphold the Rule of Law: A call for the Release of 36 Illegally Detained Human Rights Lawyers and Defenders

A Joint Statement by 108 Worldwide Civil Society Organizations regarding the 709 Crackdown (9th January 2016, Hong Kong) Exactly six months have passed since 9 July 2015 when the Chinese government started detaining human rights lawyers and defenders in large scale.

JOINT STATEMENT CALLING FOR THE RELEASE OF VIETNAMESE ACTIVISTS: NGUYEN VAN DAI AND LE THU HA

On 16 December 2015, prominent human rights lawyer, Mr.

Joint EHAHRDP, Protection International and CIVICUS Statement on the Special Session of Human Rights Council of Burundi

The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP), Protection International (PI) and CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation welcome the resolution adopted by consensus at the Human Rights Council during this Special Session, requesting that a mission composed of independent experts be urgently dispatched to investigate human rights violations.

Media Statement: Human rights defenders and civil society organisations face increasing threats

All over the world, human rights defenders and civil society organisations are facing increasing challenges with both state and non-state actors seeking to silence them.

Inequality and exclusion lie at the heart of the South African student protests

CIVICUS speaks to student activist, Mpho Ndaba who is also an executive member of 350Wits and blogger on recent protests that rocked South African Universities.

Alert on Burundi: Downward spiral of violence needs urgent attention

Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, warns of serious consequences due to the continued escalation of violence in Burundi.

Paris COP21 climate conference a test of commitment to the SDGs

With the Climate Change Conference underway in France, CIVICUS speaks to Wael Hmaidan of the Climate Action Network on what the outcomes of the conference will mean.

Reductions in Danish development aid worry civil society organisations

CIVICUS spoke to Kirsten Auken, Director of the poverty reduction department at Danmission, about the effects of the recent reductions in the Danish development aid.

President Zuma: Urge Angolan government to release human rights defenders

32 civil society organisations working on youth issues have writen to South Africa's president, Jacob Zuma, seeking his urgent intervention regarding unacceptable restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association and gross violations of the rights of human rights defenders in Angola.

Cameroon: Create enabling environment for civil society

CIVICUS speaks to a civil society member in Cameroon (who asked to remain anonymous) following the arrest in September of members of the non-governmental organisation Dynamic Citizen for holding a governance workshop 1.

Media Statement: Angola urged to drop spurious charges against youth activists

Fifteen youth activists in Angola are due to appear in court on 16 November, facing charges of preparing for a rebellion and attempting to assassinate the President.

The world must not forget persecuted human rights defenders in the DRC

CIVICUS speaks to human rights defender Jonas Tshiombela Kabiena, who is the national coordinator of the New Congolese Civil Society - a platform of about 300 civil society organisations in the DRC.

Intimidation of Kenyan NGOs unwarranted

Following threats to de-register 959 Kenyan NGOs, many working for good governance and human rights, CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, and the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders–Kenya (NCHRD-K), call on Kenyan authorities to immediately stop the repeated harassment of NGOs and ensure a conducive legal and political operating environment.

Joint Media Statement on Cameroon: Cease the clampdown on civil society

Cameroon’s increasing clampdown on civil society and civic freedoms is being strongly condemned by global and national civil society organisations (CSOs).

Fighting slavery still an uphill battle for human rights activists in Mauritania

CIVICUS spoke to Mamadou Moctar Sarr, a civil society activist and executive secretary of the National Forum for Human Rights Organisations (Forum nationalepour l’organisation des droits humains, FONADH) about challenges facing human rights defenders in Mauritania 1.

MEDIA STATEMENT: PAKISTAN MOVES TO RESTRICT INTERNATIONAL NGOS WITH NEW POLICY

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

Media Statement: International community must not fail Egyptian activists and civil society

With parliamentary elections currently underway in Egypt, the international community must not overlook the on-going crackdown on civil society and civic freedoms in the country, say CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance.

CIVICUS ALERT: ANGOLAN ACTIVIST ON HUNGER STRIKE FACING LIFE THREATENING CONDITION

The situation of detained Angolan pro-democracy activist and youth human rights defender Henrique Luaty da Silva Beirão has deteriorated and is now life threatening.

Ahead of the 2016 election, civil society groups are concerned about a deteriorating environment

Civil society and human rights defenders continue to face daunting challenges in Uganda ranging from judicial persecution and intimidation to harassment and threats for the work they do.

CSOs at the frontline of the refugee crisis

Civil Society is on the frontline responding to the refugee crisis.

Implications of anti-terror and money-laundering regulations on CSOs financing and what CSOs can do

There are concerns over the effects on civil society organisations of recommendations made by the Financial Action Task Force.

Israel’s international funding bills dangerous for civil society

Two draft laws to restrict civic space in Israel are currently before its Parliament.

Israel: Repressive bills could severely undermine civil society

Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, expresses grave alarm over reports that members of the Israeli Knesset have proposed two Bills that, if approved, would place unprecedented and debilitating restrictions on the legitimate activities of civil society organisations (CSOs) operating in Israel.
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Time to Sign: Stand with students & activists in Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Release and drop all charges against all those arbitrarily arrested and investigate police abuse Global civil society alliance CIVICUS is calling for your support and solidarity to demand the release of students and protesters who were arrested and charged over the last month in Bangladesh.

"Burundi is not an isolated island and the people of Burundi have the right to be protected against dictatorship and oppressive regime"

Pierre Nkurunziza was sworn in for a third term as Burundi’s President on Thursday, 20 August 2015, six days ahead of schedule.

Social Protests in Bolivia: Miners’ mobilization in La Paz

Ramiro Orias, is a lawyer and specialist on human rights and issues related to access to justice in Bolivia.

Syrian authorities must drop charges against three human rights defenders and release all prisoners of conscience

Sixteen international organisations have joined the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) in welcoming the release of its president Mazen Darwish and in calling for all charges against him and his colleagues to be dropped, as well as for the release of all other prisoners of conscience who remain detained by the Syrian authorities.

Civicus Alert: Lengthy sentences for religious freedom activists highlight continuing repression in Ethiopia

Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS condemns the 3 August sentencing of 18 Muslim leaders, protestors and journalists in Ethiopia under the country’s widely criticised anti-terrorism law.

CIVICUS and FHRI urge Ugandan parliamentarians to reject or radically overhaul NGO Bill

Ahead of plans for a parliamentary debate on the proposed Uganda NGO Bill 2015, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) call upon the Honourable Members of Uganda’s Parliament to either reject or radically overhaul the Bill in line with ‘Best Practices’ outlined by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.

Release activists imprisoned for supporting Sewol Ferry demonstrations

CIVICUS has written to the President of South Korea to express its deep concern over the judicial harassment and detention of individuals and civil society activists for organizing and participating in protests commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Sewol Ferry tragedy.

CIVICUS letter to President Park Guen-hye: Free Sewol Ferry Protesters

CIVICUS has written to President Park Geun-hye of South Korea to reiterate our deep concern over the continued judicial harassment and detention of individuals and civil society activists for organizing and participating in protests commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Sewol Ferry tragedy.

CIVICUS ALERT: Venezuela: Dialogue with, not harass activists cooperating with UN bodies

   Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS condemns the Government of Venezuela’s repeated harassment of civil society members who engage with UN human rights mechanisms.

CIVICUS interventions during 29th UN HRC Session

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.

Submission Deadline Extended! Call for Partnership Involvement: International Civil Society Week 2016

English | French | Portuguese | Spanish The deadline to submit a proposal to host an event at the 2016 ICSW has been extended to 13 September 2015! ICSW 2016 will involve a diverse partnership of civil society actors that seek to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.

Azerbaijan condemned at UN body whilst hosting European Games

29 June 2015 - In a show of solidarity against grave rights violations, 25 governments have criticised Azerbaijan’s government in the world’s premier human rights body.

Angola: End crackdown on civil society, uphold international commitments

29 June 2015 - Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS condemns the on-going crackdown on civil society in Angola, urging the international community not to look the other way as the safety of activists, members of civil society organisations (CSOs) and journalists is imperilled.

CIVIL SOCIETY RIGHTS VIOLATED IN 96 COUNTRIES

A new global report by CIVICUS finds that rights of civil society were violated in almost half of the world’s 193 countries in 2014.

Addressing the human rights situation and the need for accountability for past atrocities and on-going violations in South Sudan

To Permanent Representatives of member and observer States of the UN Human Rights Council Geneva, 10 June 2015 Your Excellencies, We are writing to urge your delegation to address serious, widespread and ongoing violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian law committed in South Sudan and to also address the lack of any credible accountability for war crimes and possible crimes against humanity in the country during the upcoming 29th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Lizet Vlamings (FHRI) speaks on Uganda's restrictive NGO Bill

Lizet Vlamings is a researcher with expertise in human rights and public health.

CIVICUS submission on China's draft Non-Mainland NGO Management Law

CIVICUS is deeply concerned about the possible impact of China’s new draft Non-Mainland Non-Governmental Organizations Management Law which applies to all non-profit, non-governmental “social organisations” formed outside mainland China that carry out activities promoting “public welfare” within mainland China.

Towards New Social Contracts: using dialogue processes to promote social change

This toolkit is designed to stimulate a reflection around the potential and limits of multi-stakeholder processes in promoting socio-political change, and provides practical tools and resources to facilitate the use of dialogue processes in new ways.

CIVICUS Alert: CIVICUS condemns judicial harassment of Baltimore protesters

Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, expresses grave concern over the arbitrary suspension of fundamental civil liberties and the targeted judicial persecution of persons arrested for participating in ongoing demonstrations in Baltimore, USA.

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