Statement at the UN Human Rights Council – 57th session
General Debate item 3
Delivered by Sigrid Lipott
Thank you Mr President.
CIVICUS welcomes the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights that identifies challenges and best practices in regularly assessing civic space trends and recommendations to enhance information-gathering on civic space.
CIVICUS is committed to providing a comprehensive assessment of civic space conditions across the local, national, regional, and international levels. The CIVICUS Monitor focuses on evaluating the respect for freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression, as well as the state’s duty to protect, in law, policy, and practice within countries and over time. The methodology employed by the tool is rooted in a rigorous approach that combines analyses from multiple independent sources including from regional civil society research partners, ensuring a holistic and nuanced understanding of civic space conditions.
To date, only a limited number of States make use of data provided by civil society, including national-level civil society initiatives. The systematic and consistent monitoring of civic space is key to ensuring rapid responses to human rights violations.
We call on States to:
- Accept and make use of information and recommendations from established civil society sources in policy formulation, particularly in regard to attacks against civil society which may also constitute serious human rights violations;
- Take cognisance of early warnings of civic space restrictions provided through civil society monitoring and ensure corrective action; and
- Take measures to ensure protection of civil society actors engaging in civic space monitoring and reporting from reprisals
We call also on the Council to provide a space for sharing best practices of civic space monitoring and response among Member States in partnership with diverse civil society organizations.
We thank you.
