PUBLISHED: JANUARY 23, 2018

ICNL is proud to announce the release of its 2016-2017 annual report, “Building Alliances, Strengthening Freedoms.”

Over the past year, we have partnered with colleagues in 106 countries to promote an enabling environment for civil society, philanthropy, and public participation. This report highlights ICNL’s key achievements, from helping to shape the international legal framework to creating spaces for the exchange of new ideas.

“We live in a complex era,” ICNL CEO Doug Rutzen and ICNL Chair Oonagh Breen write, “but working together, we can influence the future of civic freedom around the world.”

At the global level, we engaged UN Special Rapporteurs and the Financial Action Task Force.ICNL worked extensively with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which launched progressive guidelines on freedom of association and assembly. And in Honduras, we worked with our local partner to train government officials on improved implementation of the country’s NGO law.

Building on ICNL’s international work, in 2017 we began monitoring initiatives at the US state and federal level that restrict the right to protest through a new online tool, US Protest Law Tracker. The Tracker follows over 50 legal initiatives from across the United States. This toolis part of ICNL’s recently-expanded US program.

In an effort to provide reliable, current information on the changing legal environment of the philanthropic sector we launched our new Philanthropy Law Reports in 2017. These reports provide timely information on national laws and regulations affecting philanthropy in nine countries. ICNL also made extensive updates to its popular Civic Freedom Monitor, known for its up-to-date information on legal issues affecting civil society and civic freedoms in 51 countries and eight multilateral organizations.

The report also gives an overview of ICNL’s financial status and its current board and advisory council.

For the full report, click here.