CIVICUS Lens: 28 May 2026

MAY 2026 HIGHLIGHTS

Welcome to the latest edition of the CIVICUS Lens newsletter, from CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance.

LGBTQI+ rights are facing a backlash in several countries, but Botswana has offered hope, having finally removed the colonial-era ban on same-sex relations from its penal code, the culmination of over a decade of civil society campaigning.

That’s one of the stories we’ve covered on CIVICUS Lens this month. Iran tells a far more troubling story: since Israel and the USA launched their war, the theocratic regime has used the conflict and an internet blackout as cover to tighten its grip and execute political prisoners.

At the global level, some positive news came in Santa Marta, Colombia, where 57 states met alongside civil society, Indigenous leaders and scientists to commit to roadmaps for phasing out the fossil fuels driving the climate crisis.

We also report on a growing global trend of banning children from social media. With the aim of improving protections, these bans curb freedom of expression and access to information, and risk deepening surveillance and shifting the burden onto children and families rather than social media platforms, all without asking young people what they think.

Those young people have plenty to say. Our interview series with the activists behind Gen Z-led protests continues. Speaking from Bangladesh, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, Timor-Leste and Togo, they all make the same point: economic and political change can’t wait, and neither will they.

For more analysis of civil society action, visit our website, and check out the latest civil society trends in our 2026 State of Civil Society Report.

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ARTICLES

Botswana has formally removed the colonial-era provisions that criminalised same-sex relations from its penal code, marking the culmination of over a decade of sustained civil society activism. This reform aligns the law with landmark constitutional rulings from 2019 and 2021, making Botswana a progressive outlier on a continent where 31 countries still criminalise same-sex relations. Significant challenges, however, remain. Social attitudes lag behind legal progress, and conservative religious groups are mobilising against LGBTQI+ rights as a critical marriage equality case comes to the High Court in July.

Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi has been allowed to return home following her temporary release from prison for urgent medical treatment. But she faces the risk of being returned to jail, and her case is one among many. Since Israel and the USA launched their latest war on Iran, the theocratic regime has tightened its grip and is executing political prisoners under cover of an internet blackout. The war has caused civilian deaths across the region and disrupted global oil supplies, while doing nothing to help those striving for human rights and democracy in Iran. Urgent priority must be given to protecting human rights activists.

The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, held in Colombia in April, came at a defining moment. The war in Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have laid bare the insecurity caused by fossil fuel dependency and strengthened the case for a renewable energy transition. Fifty-seven states attended the summit, designed to bypass the deadlock of annual United Nations climate talks, and committed to developing national roadmaps on transition and reforming international financing. The summit demonstrated that more joined-up approaches to the climate crisis are possible, with civil society, Indigenous leaders and scientists playing a central role. Now the challenge is implementation.

Four countries have banned children from accessing social media, five more have passed laws awaiting implementation and around 40 more are considering bans. What Australia began when it banned under-16s from 10 social media platforms is rapidly becoming a global trend. Children need protection from the documented harms caused by early and heavy social media use, but the rush to introduce bans is outpacing evidence and being done without consultation. Bans restrict freedom of expression and the right to access information, raise privacy and surveillance concerns and shift compliance burdens from tech companies to children and families. States should explore alternatives, starting by listening to young people.

INTERVIEWS