As governments continue to restrict civic space, ICNL remains committed to building the resilience of civil society groups and safeguarding their right to access resources.

On August 21, 2024, the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) and FORUM-ASIA, with logistical support from the Asia Centre, convened a one-day workshop exploring governance practices during public emergencies.

Although the freedom of association is enshrined in constitutions across the Americas, restrictions to this right are common. ICNL and Orias developed the InterAmerican Principles – twelve straightforward principles set a benchmark for OAS member states’ regulation of CSOs, from establishment to dissolution.

In early 2023, Georgians took to the streets to protest a highly restrictive draft foreign agent law. Within days of the draft’s release, ICNL and ECNL developed and disseminated an analysis of the flaws.

In Myanmar, civic space drastically contracted after the February 2021 coup. By supporting relocation, ICNL enables our partners to continue their crucial work and help other organizations confronting similar challenges.

ICNL and partner CIPESA created a space where civil society, lawyers and tech experts can come together to exchange ideas and tackle emerging legal challenges.

Malicious actors have unleashed disinformation campaigns to undermine elections. Authoritarian governments are using technology to censor free speech. ICNL is at the forefront of efforts to develop human rights-centered standards to regulate AI, both internationally and at the country level.

Firearms pose an urgent threat to the exercise of First Amendment rights of free expression and peaceful assembly in the United States. Armed individuals at protests can discourage people from voicing their beliefs and petitioning the government for change. ICNL works with US partners to strengthen people’s right to assemble peacefully, unimpeded by the presence of guns

Until recently, Nigerian civil society organizations (CSOs) were grouped with casinos, real estate agents, and gemstone dealers as institutions highly vulnerable to infusions of “dirty money” and funds intended for terrorists. But this changed in May 2022, when the Nigerian president signed two new laws removing CSOs from the high-risk category. The reform resulted from six years of skillful advocacy by Nigerian organizations, with technical support from ECNL, ICNL, and our partner HSC.

Nearly every country’s constitution recognizes the right to peaceful assembly. But since 2020, more than 150 governments have restricted this right while responding to COVID-19. ICNL works alongside partners to create a more enabling environment for peaceful assembly by promoting international norms, improving legal frameworks, and monitoring violations of assembly rights at protests.