Asia & the Pacific Program
ICNL works alongside local partners in 18 countries throughout Asia to foster an enabling legal environment for civil society, philanthropy, digital rights, and participation.
Our partners include local and regional actors, civic organizations, coalitions, and reformers in governments and parliaments. Together we monitor civic freedoms, advance reforms, and positively shape the legal environment for civil society.
Sign up for our NewsletterOur Impact in the Region
2020-25 in Numbers
CSOs that received ICNL assistance:
2,300+
Positive changes to legal environment with ICNL assistance:
11
CSOs better equipped to protect their operations:
750+
Resource Hubs Deliver Lifelines for Civil Society
Following the 2025 earthquake in Myanmar, ICNL worked with local organizations to launch two secure resource hubs in ethnic-controlled areas, giving our partners a safe space to meet, deliver training on civic freedoms, and work towards enabling laws.
A Win for Nonprofits in India
ICNL’s work helped inform a recent Financial Action Task Force (FATF) report, which found that India’s non-profit regulations were implemented without adequate consultation. The report urged the government to adopt a more nuanced, risk-based approach going forward.
Highlights
State Involvement in NGO Representative Bodies: A Comparative Analysis
Supporting Civil Society in Post-Coup Myanmar
Browse ICNL’s work on Myanmar since the 2021 coup d’état.
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What We Do
Advancing Legal Reform
ICNL works with civil society, policymakers, and others to protect and expand civic space across Asia. We help strengthen local actors’ efforts to advocate against restrictive measures and advance legal reform.
Recent contributions include working with local partners to address restrictive laws in Sri Lanka and Nepal, and further expand civic space in Mongolia and Indonesia.
Supporting Local Partners
From increasing expertise on good practices to bolstering capacity to navigate complex legal environments, we collaborate with local stakeholders to defend and promote civic space.
Our recent work includes supporting Myanmar’s civil society in exile and partnering with organizations across Asia to navigate shrinking international funding and develop strategies to sustain civic space.
Creating Knowledge
ICNL undertakes cutting-edge research on laws and trends shaping civic space throughout Asia, informing policy discussions and advocacy efforts.
We monitor developments through the Civic Freedom Monitor and the Council on Foundations Country Notes, among others. See the Key Resources section below for more.
Key Resources
How Civic Space Restrictions Impact Development
These two reports document the impact of civic space restrictions on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They highlight how regressive laws often lead to poor socioeconomic outcomes and how a vibrant civil society helps achieve the SDGs.
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Countering Authoritarianism in Asia During COVID-19
From 2020 to 2024, ICNL worked with over a dozen partners to empower civil society to address authoritarian measures enacted throughout the Indo-Pacific region in response to COVID-19. This page hosts key work from this program.
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The Law Affecting Civil Society in Asia
This publication examines a broad array of regulatory trends shaping civil society in more than 40 countries of Asia.
Read moreCountry Overviews
Click below to see country-specific resources.
All Asia-Pacific Resources
Japan
Explore our full global resource collection, which includes reports, legal analysis, and curated collections of materials covering an array of issues impacting civic space around the world.
