Interviews

AI Governance: Human Rights in the Balance As Tech Giants and Authoritarians Converge

Interviews
By Samuel King, researcher with the Horizon Europe-funded research project ENSURED: Shaping Cooperation for a World in Transition at CIVICUS Algorithms decide who lives and dies in Gaza.

MALAWI: ‘This election will test Malawi’s ability to uphold electoral integrity’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Malawi’s 16 September general election with Tadala Chumachiyenda and Tamika Nyirenda-Banda of the Democracy Works Foundation.

ECUADOR: ‘We fear the Transparency Law will be used to persecute organisations that challenge those in power’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Ecuador’s new Organic Law on Social Transparency with Vivian Idrovo, coordinator of the Alliance for Human Rights Ecuador.

MYANMAR: ‘The world must recognise this as a sham election and support our struggle for genuine democracy’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Myanmar’s upcoming general election with Lynn Htett, a human rights activist and coordinator of Towards Media, a grassroots initiative that documents human rights violations, promotes civic education and supports democratic movements in Myanmar.

TURKEY: ‘In Turkey, Pride is still not a celebration but a space of protest and resistance’

Interviews
  CIVICUS discusses the recent Istanbul Pride amid the deterioration of LGBTQI+ rights in Turkey with LGBTQI+ activists Çağıl, Can Kortun and Jiyan Andiç.

NETHERLANDS: ‘Microsoft is actively enabling the oppression of Palestinians and the war in Gaza’

Interviews
  CIVICUS speaks with Nathan Timmer, activist and press officer at Geef Tegengas (Push Back), a Dutch direct-action group that focuses on corporate accountability and human rights violations.

TOGO: ‘The protests continue because we refuse to be silenced’

Interviews
  CIVICUS discusses protests for democracy with a Togolese human rights defender who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

TAJIKISTAN: ‘The authoritarian regime uses collective punishment to discourage any challenge to its authority’

Interviews
  CIVICUS discusses the deaths of Indigenous activists in custody in Tajikistan with Khursand Khurramov, an independent journalist and political analyst.

THE GAMBIA: ‘Recovered corruption assets belong to the public and should be used to rebuild long-neglected services’

Interviews
  CIVICUS discusses The Gambia’s youth-led movement for accountability over seized assets with Ebrima Jallow, popularly known as The Ghetto Pen and Secretary of Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA).

NEW ZEALAND: ‘This struggle is about safeguarding the principle that democracy belongs to everyone’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses New Zealand’s new electoral law with Lara Greaves, a political scientist at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, who specialises in democracy, Māori political participation and human rights.

SOMALILAND: ‘Arbitrary detentions have a chilling effect, as journalists avoid sensitive topics to protect themselves’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses media freedom challenges in Somaliland with a representative of a local civil society organisation that defends journalists’ rights and supports media professionalism.

THAILAND: ‘Pride was more than just a party – it was also a protest’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Bangkok Pride and LGBTQI+ rights in Thailand and Southeast Asia with Ryan Silverio, Executive Director of ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, a civil society organisation that advances the rights of LGBTQI+ people in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.

ANGOLA: ‘Angola produces large quantities of oil and diamonds, yet most people don’t see the benefits’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent protests in Angola with Florindo Chivucute, founder and executive director of Friends of Angola, a US-based civil society organisation established in 2014 that works to promote democracy, human rights and good governance in Angola.

DRC: ‘You can’t declare yourself a solution to the climate crisis while handing your ecosystems over to the oil industry’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses oil expansion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with Emmanuel Musuyu, national coordinator of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Monitoring Reforms and Public Action (CORAP), a network of over 50 Congolese organisations that defend community rights and the environment and urge sustainable development independent of fossil fuels.

AUSTRIA: ‘Anticorruption should not be an abstract legal agenda – it must directly improve people’s lives’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses a recent United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council resolution on corruption and human rights with Betina Pasteknik, the UNCAC Coalition’s Head of Operations and Working Groups and co-chair of its Working Group on Human Rights and Corruption.

EL SALVADOR: ‘Who will take the mic at the United Nations when doing so might cost them their freedom?’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses civil society’s challenges in engaging with United Nations (UN) processes with an activist from a Salvadoran queer-led organisation who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

CAMEROON: ‘Political renewal being taboo, we’re witnessing the perpetuation of an ageing and decadent regime’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Cameroon’s upcoming presidential election with Maximilienne Ngo Mbe, director of the Human Rights Defenders Network in Central Africa, a civil society organisation dedicated to protecting human rights defenders in the region.

BOLIVIA: ‘Whoever takes office will inherit a divided country and will have to break with an authoritarian legacy’

Interviews
Ahead of Bolivia’s runoff presidential election, CIVICUS discusses the political landscape with Gabriela Keseberg Dávalos, a Bolivian-German political scientist.

PORTUGAL: ‘It’s unfair to ask communities who live sustainably to bear the costs of the climate crisis’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses resistance to lithium mining with members of United in Defence of Covas do Barroso (UDCB), a grassroots movement challenging a mining project in a farming village in northern Portugal.

BELGIUM: ‘When governments don’t enforce their laws, civil society can – and will – step in’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Jo Dirix, a campaigner with Vredesactie (Peace Action), a Belgium peace and disarmament civil society organisation (CSO) that successfully took the Flemish government to court over arms shipments to Israel.

GLOBAL: ‘Peoples have a right to self-determination, whether they are part of an internationally recognised state or not’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Mercè Monje Cano, Secretary General of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), about the struggles of unrepresented peoples seeking self-determination and how UNPO supports them in asserting their rights.

UKRAINE: ‘Even in wartime, Ukrainians insist on democratic accountability’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Ukraine’s recent anticorruption protests with Oksana Huss, co-founder of the global Interdisciplinary Corruption Research Network and board member of Transparency International Ukraine, one of the country’s major anticorruption organisations.

IRAN: ‘The surge in executions shouldn’t be mistaken for strength – it’s a desperate act of a collapsing dictatorship’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the Iranian regime’s execution of political prisoners with Safora Sadidi, a human rights activist with the Women’s Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

CAMBODIA: ‘Sustainable peace will require honest political will from both Cambodia and Thailand’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the border crisis between Cambodia and Thailand with Sok Udom Deth, Professor of International Relations at Cambodia’s Paragon International University.

TAIWAN: ‘Controversial legislative measures triggered a citizen-led mass movement’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Taiwan’s unprecedented citizen-led recall campaign against opposition politicians with Leah Lin, Executive Director and founder of the Asia Citizen Future Association (ACFA), which promotes collaboration between Taiwanese and Southeast Asian civil society, supports civil society and advocates for civic space protections.

SYRIA: ‘No return can be safe, voluntary and dignified unless conditions inside Syria change’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Syria’s political transition and its implications for refugees with a representative of the Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR) who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

UNITED STATES: ‘When we are told not to exist, simply coming together in joy becomes an act of defiance’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Pride 2025 in Washington DC with Ryan Bos, the Executive Director of the Capital Pride Alliance, a civil society organisation dedicated to serving LGBTQI+ people’s needs.

SERBIA: ‘Institutions are openly used to suppress dissent and protect the ruling party’s interests’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the authorities’ response to recent anti-government protests in Serbia with Ivan Đurić, Policy Analyst at the Centre for Research, Transparency and Accountability, an independent, non-partisan civil society organisation committed to developing democratic culture and civic activism.

SLOVENIA: ‘For a just energy transition, laws should recognise the right to defend human rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses human rights challenges in transitions to renewable energy with Ella Skybenko, senior researcher and representative for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), a civil society organisation (CSO) that promotes corporate accountability, transparency and human rights.

PUERTO RICO: ‘Pride’s message was clear: we are here, and we are not going anywhere’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Pride 2025 and attacks on LGBTQI+ rights with Pedro Julio Serrano, president of the LGBTQ+ Federation of Puerto Rico.

COLOMBIA: ‘The advisory opinion of the Inter-American Court is a manual for climate litigation’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Manuel Páez Ramírez, coordinator of the Espeletia Legal Clinic at the Externado University of Colombia, about the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ (IACtHR) recent advisory opinion on the climate emergency and human rights.

ANGOLA: ‘Criticising the government means risking arbitrary detention, intimidation and physical assault’

Interviews
Portuguese CIVICUS discusses recent arbitrary detentions of Angolan activists with Pedro Domingos André ‘Paka’, also known as Pedro Paka, coordinator of Movimento Fúria-99, a human rights organisation.

BOLIVIA: ‘We must build healthier digital environments where reliable information plays a leading role’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Bolivia’s upcoming presidential election with Juan Carlos Uribe and Lucas Illanes from ChequeaBolivia, an initiative that monitors and verifies social media content.

ETHIOPIA: ‘The goal behind the bill is very clear: to control, silence and disable civil society’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Ethiopia’s proposed new law to target civil society with Yared Hailemariam, lawyer and Executive Director of the Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Centre (EHRDC), a civil society organisation (CSO) that works to support human rights activists at risk.

NEW ZEALAND: ‘Our case challenges the assumption that offsetting emissions can replace meaningful climate policy’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Matt Hall, director of the Environmental Law Initiative, a New Zealand civil society organisation that is taking legal action against the government for replacing its greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy with one that relies heavily on offsetting, without proper public consultation.

UNITED KINGDOM: ‘People in Iran deserve peace and civil society is striving to make that possible’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses conflict between Iran and Israel with Negin Shiraghaei, founder of the Azadi Network, a feminist network that supports excluded communities from Afghanistan and Iran.

DRC: ‘Without effective responses to stabilise the humanitarian crisis, the peace process risks being perceived as illusory’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda with Gentil Akilimali, Executive Secretary of the Centre of Hope for Human Rights, a Congolese civil society organisation that supports victims of human rights violations in the DRC through legal, psychological and social assistance.

SRI LANKA: ‘Arrests were made during a time of political crisis and many were politically motivated’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the criminalisation of protest in Sri Lanka with climate activist Melani Gunathilaka, co-founder of Climate Action Now Sri Lanka and member of the Debt for Climate global movement.

UNITED STATES: ‘There will be no progress on gender rights without political will and accountability’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses civil society’s efforts to advance gender rights at the global level with Foteini Papagioti, Deputy Director of Policy and Advocacy at the International Center for Research on Women, an international civil society organisation that advocates for the rights of women, girls and other structurally excluded groups.

UNITED KINGDOM: ‘After decades of making huge profits, companies shouldn’t be allowed to leave behind a toxic legacy’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Matthew Renshaw, a partner at a UK law firm that represents Nigerian communities taking legal action against Shell over environmental damage caused by its operations in the Niger Delta.

KENYA: ‘Impunity and lack of political will have normalised police violence against civilians’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Kenya’s nationwide protests against police brutality with a representative of a local civil society organisation who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

PALESTINE: ‘The lesson from Gaza is clear: when AI-powered machines control who lives, human rights die’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the military use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Gaza with Dima Samaro, a Palestinian lawyer and researcher, and director of Skyline International for Human Rights, a civil society organisation (CSO) that defends digital freedoms and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa.

HONG KONG: ‘The diaspora is playing key roles in advocating for human rights and raising international awareness’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Hong Kong’s latest security laws with Laura Naw, East Asian and ASEAN Programme Officer at the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a regional human rights network comprising 90 organisations across 23 countries.

PANAMA: ‘The agreement with the USA was the final straw that pushed people out onto the streets’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent protests in Panama with Lina Vega Abad, president of the board of directors of the Foundation for the Development of Citizen Freedom, a civil society organisation that defends fundamental freedoms and strengthens democracy through citizen training and accountability and transparency advocacy.

GERMANY: ‘Democracy and human rights are two sides of the same coin’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the potential for a United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Democracy with Andreas Bummel, founder and executive director of Democracy Without Borders, an international civil society organisation (CSO) that advocates for democracy as a human right.
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DRC: ‘International demand for coltan is linked to violence in the DRC’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Claude Iguma, a mining governance expert with a PhD in Social Sciences, who is based in Bukavu, South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

SPAIN: ‘Migration regularisation is a necessary step towards social justice and a sign of democratic health’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Spain’s moves to grant undocumented migrants formal status with Rubén Romero, coordinator of the Political Advocacy and Partnerships Department at CONVIVE Fundación Cepaim, a civil society organisation that works to create an inclusive and intercultural society that guarantees full access to rights to the most vulnerable people, particularly migrants.

MEXICO: ‘This is the largest experiment in justice systems ever undertaken by any country’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Mexico’s recent judicial elections with Gladys Morales Ramírez, a Mexican researcher who holds a PhD in Social Sciences.

LIBERIA: ‘We need enforceable legal tools to hold governments accountable for climate inaction’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses African climate litigation efforts with Liberian environmental rights activist, lawyer and law professor Alfred Lahai Brownell, president of Global Climate Legal Defence and co-founder and Lead Campaigner of the African Climate Platform, a coalition of public interest lawyers and climate activists.

SWITZERLAND: ‘Expanding defence spending without proper accountability could weaken rather than strengthen security’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the 2025 NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit with Francesca Grandi, Head of Defence and Security at Transparency International, a global civil society organisation that fights corruption and promotes transparency and integrity in public life.

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