CIVICUS statement at the 85th  Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights     Agenda Item 3  – Human rights situation in Africa (with a special focus on Rapidly Closing Civic Space and Systemic Violations of the Human Rights) Delivered by Dr Paul Mulindwa, CIVICUS Global civil society alliance CIVICUS welcomes this opportunity to address the African Commission.

Foreign agents laws are proliferating, increasingly threatening the civil society worldwide, finds CIVICUS report ‘Cutting civil society’s lifeline: The global spread of foreign agent laws,’ released today.

Friday, 20 October 2025 – 29 October 2025 At CIVICUS, we believe in the fundamental importance of human rights and are dedicated to advancing the work of human rights defenders and protecting civic space.

Arabic We, the undersigned human rights organisations, strongly condemn the escalating crackdown by Moroccan authorities on peaceful protests, including minors and human rights defenders, which has now extended into a third day.

Free Buzurghmer Yorov and All Others Held for Exercising their Human Rights Tajikistan authorities have wrongfully imprisoned a human rights lawyer for 10 years for exercising his human rights, 12 organizations said today.

For Immediate Release September 24, 2025, New York, NY – Ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks at the United Nations General Assembly Friday, CIVICUS Secretary General Mandeep Tiwana issued the following: “Just one week after an independent UN Commission found that Israel has committed genocide, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being given the UN stage.

For Immediate Release Monday, September 23, New York, NY – Ahead of President Donald Trump's speech to the UN General Assembly today, Secretary General of CIVICUS, Mandeep Tiwana, said: “One of the greatest threats to peace and multilateralism today is the United States President.

  Read in Tamil CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, calls on the government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to halt the continued harassment of activists and journalists and crackdown on protests.

Today, on the International Day of Democracy, CIVICUS underlines the critical importance of active citizen participation.

The undersigned human rights organisations are deeply concerned over the severe deterioration in the health of lawyer and human rights defender Hoda Abdel-Moneim, 66 years old, who has been in pretrial detention since 1st of November 2018.

As the United Nations (UN) marks 80 years, civil society continues to encounter significant obstacles to participation.

60th Session of UN Human Rights Council (8 September–8 October 2025) Overview Structural Challenges at the Human Rights Council Thematic Priorities Country-Specific Priorities ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Overview As civic space continues to shrink globally, amid funding challenges and a UN liquidity crisis, the Human Rights Council remains a vital space for defending human rights and amplifying the voices of those most affected.

Indonesia has witnessed violent crackdowns on protests, with reports of arbitrary arrests, ill-treatment, unlawful killings, and digital attacks.

Positive steps taken by interim government to investigate protest violations and address enforced disappearances Lack of reforms related to NGO laws and protection for human rights defenders and journalists New cyber law ordinance still problematic and restrictive defamation provisions remain Police reforms stalled, controversial Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) remains untouched despite UN calls for disbandment CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, welcomes the positive steps taken by the interim government to respect and protect civic space since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime a year ago.

We, the undersigned civil society organisations, are deeply concerned about the ongoing systematic repression of Pamiri Indigenous Peoples in Tajikistan.

Volunteer Activists and CIVICUS call for an immediate end to violence in Iran, Israel, and the Middle East.

Arnon Nampa is a human rights lawyer and one of the founders of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), a leading human rights organisation.

The undersigned human rights organisations call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately end all forms of harassment or intimidation against human rights defender Mohamed Abdel Salam, Executive Director of the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE), in retaliation for his legitimate human rights work.

The 59th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council ran from 16 June to 9 July 2025, resulting in 25 Resolutions, one technical decision, and 14 Universal Period Review adoptions.

On the fifth anniversary of the launch of the Stand As My Witness campaign, global civil society alliance CIVICUS calls on governments around the world to immediately release all unjustly imprisoned human rights defenders.

  We, the signatory civil society organisations, are gravely concerned about United States of America (USA) sanctions imposed on Francesca Albanese, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.

On the one-year anniversary of the arrest of five Mother Nature environmental defenders, CIVICUS expresses concern over their continued imprisonment and its implications for civic freedoms in Cambodia.

Over the past year, Kenya’s government has launched an all-out assault on civic space to crush dissent both online and in the streets in response to last June’s anti-Finance Bill protests, global civil society alliance CIVICUS said in a new research briefing today.

CIVICUS joins human rights organisations in calling on the Indian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Khurram Parvez and to end the persistent misuse of counter-terrorism laws to target civil society and suppress dissent.

  Summary Report: Roundtable on Democratic Decline and the Establishment of a UN Mandate on Democracy A roundtable convened by CIVICUS and Democracy Without Borders in collaboration with the Human Rights Foundation on the margins of the Oslo Freedom Forum (25–28 May 2025) brought together around twenty participants with experience in international civil society, intergovernmental organisations, academia, human rights monitoring mechanisms, and national governments.

59th Session of UN Human Rights Council (16 June to 11 July 2025) Overview Structural Issues Thematic Priorities Country-Specific Priorities ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Overview As civic space continues to shrink globally, the Council remains a vital platform for defending human rights and raising the voices of those most affected.

Amid growing repression, a collective of civil society organisations call on El Salvador government to immediately and unconditionally release detained human rights defenders and protesters, repeal repressive legislation, and stop assault on civic space.

CIVICUS global civil society alliance urges the United States of America (USA) authorities to respect the constitutional right to peaceful protest.

CIVICUS global civil society alliance announced today the appointment of Mandeep Singh Tiwana as its new Secretary General (SG).

More than 70 civil society organisations—including CIVICUS—have sounded the alarm over Italy’s new Security Decree, warning it poses a serious threat to democracy amid a systemic deterioration of the rule of law.

From 2–22 May 2025, CIVICUS participated in the 83rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and the preceding NGO Forum held in Banjul, The Gambia.

Washington D.

CIVICUS has joined over 300 global leaders, human rights experts, and organisations in a collective appeal urging the United Nations to act urgently to stop the execution of political prisoners in Iran.

We congratulate the Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa for receiving the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano 2025 World Press Freedom Prize.

CIVICUS joins national and international civil society organisations in expressing grave concern over recent legislative amendments in Peru that threaten civic space and the work of human rights defenders.

At CIVICUS, we believe in the fundamental importance of human rights and are dedicated to advancing the work of human rights defenders and protecting civic space.

Criminalising student human rights defenders (HRDs) protests shows a disturbing continuation of repression of right to peaceful assembly and protest in Bangladesh.

Democracy faces existential threats, but civic action remains a powerful force for renewal.

The 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women marks important milestones, with the 80th UN anniversary and the 30th Beijing Platform anniversary, amid growing threats to women's rights.

CIVICUS and fellow human rights organisations have issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations, calling for immediate and sustained support for Bangladesh during this pivotal moment of political transition.

The United States of America is added to the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist due to threats to civic freedoms under Trump administration.

The escalating conflict between M23 and DRC forces has cost thousands of lives since January, induced widespread displacement, and a humanitarian crisis.

The “anti-Gandhi bill” (Bill 1236) will worsen country’s already declining respect for freedoms of expression, assembly, and association.

Civic space is rapidly faltering amid massive protests against government corruption that led to a train station disaster.

Pakistan is added to civic space watchlist with authorities targeting activists, stifling protests and restricting digital spaces.

CIVICUS joins 23 organisations in urging Bahraini authorities to immediately and unconditionally release human rights defender Ali Al Hajee, who was arrested on 1 March 2025 in connection with his peaceful social media comments.

CIVICUS joined 11 human rights organisations in a joint letter urging the European Union (EU) to take action on human rights concerns in India, ahead of the College of Commissioners visit to India.

CIVICUS joined 31 human rights organisations in a joint letter urging the European Union (EU) to engage Bahraini authorities to call for the immediate and unconditional release of EU-Bahraini nationals Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and Sheikh Mohammed Habib Al-Muqdad.

The US Government’s abrupt 90-day foreign aid pause and uncertainty about the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) future are hurting Global South civil society hard.

  CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance calls on ASEAN to stop enabling Myanmar junta’s continuing brutal oppression against its citizens.