Defending Civil Society

Over the past five years, 76 countries have proposed more than 275 legislative initiatives that impact civil society.

Of these initiatives, more than 85% have been restrictive. The trend is truly global, with no geographic region immune. Restrictions have emerged in both authoritarian and democratic states, ranging from barriers to forming organizations and intrusive oversight procedures to limits on access to resources and the exercise of rights online.

However, it’s not all bad news. Dozens of states have also introduced initiatives that enhance civic space. Moreover, ICNL works to strengthen our partners – civil society organizations, government reformers, donors, and diplomats – to counter restrictive measures and ensure that civil society can operate effectively.

(Icon credit: Kokota & Swifticons)

Key Initiatives

Civic Space Initiative

The Civic Space Initiative is an alliance of four global organizations—ICNL, Article 19, CIVICUS, and the World Movement for Democracy—that seeks to create a world in which civil society can thrive.

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Lifeline Embattled CSO Assistance Fund

Through the Lifeline Embattled CSO Assistance Fund, ICNL provides rapid-response advocacy and resiliency grants to civil society organizations coping with urgent threats to freedoms of association, expression, and assembly.

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Enabling & Protecting Civic Space

ICNL is a core partner in the Illuminating New Solutions and Programmatic Innovations for Resilient Spaces consortium, which tackles threats to civil society with cutting-edge research, strategic interventions, and a robust learning agenda.

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Key Resources

Effective Donor Responses to the Challenge of Closing Civic Space

This 2018 report examines the ways in which donor governments can effectively support civic space in challenging environments.

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Defending Civil Society, Second Edition

This 2012 report provides examples of the legal barriers that governments use to constrain civic space and articulates international legal principles to protect civil society.

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A Global Assault on Nonprofits

This 2015 Journal of Democracy article by ICNL president Douglas Rutzen summarizes recent developments in the global crackdown on civil society.

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All Defending Civil Society Resources

Preserving Civic Space for Climate Activists

Climate justice protest. (Photo: Linh Do/Flickr)
This briefer, presented by ICNL and ECNL, outlines some of the common legal and extralegal ... Read More

Top Trends: COVID-19 and Civic Space

Pennsylvania Commonwealth microbiologist Kerry Pollard performs a manual extraction of the coronavirus inside the extraction lab at the Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of Laboratories on Friday, March 6, 2020. (Photo: Office of Tom Wolf/Flickr)
The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed a parallel crisis for civic space. Many of the emergency ... Read More

Positive Government Responses to COVID-19

activists in Palestine; analysis icon image
The COVID-19 pandemic does not have to be a crisis for human rights. In the ... Read More

The Law Affecting Civil Society in Asia

UNSR meeting with civil society and human rights defenders on Asia issues in March 2019 (Photo: Jeff Vize)
Made up of more than 40 countries, Asia defies easy categorization. On the one hand, ... Read More

Overview: Critical Infrastructure Bills in the US

An Alaska pipeline (Photo: Jim Black/Pixabay)
Across the country, communities are gathering at rallies and marches to express concerns about pipelines’ ... Read More

Responses to COVID-19 and State’s Human Rights Obligations

Report on The Regulation of Foreign Funding of Nonprofits in a Democracy
Amnesty International’s preliminary observation report examines the human rights concerns and challenges that often emerge ... Read More
Explore our full resource collection, which includes reports, legal analysis, and curated collections of materials covering an array of issues impacting civic space around the world.