With the strings tightening on government purses across Europe and the role and influence of non-profit organisations growing, a number of questions have been raised concerning the legitimacy of foundations in particular and whether existing public regulation and self-regulatory frameworks are enough to ensure that the sector is open and held accountable.

On December 12, 2011, the Royal Government of Cambodia released the fourth draft version of the Cambodian Law on Associations and Non-Governmental Organizations.

This paper, co-authored by the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law, was written for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to help develop participatory and transparent law-making process in Macedonia.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies conducted this study on the legal environment for volunteers in emergencies.

This Guidance Note, published by UN Volunteers and developed by ICNL and ECNL, is based on a global research study of laws governing volunteering.

This report (A/HRC/17/28) by Special Rapporteur Christof Heyns discusses the legal norms applicable to the use of lethal force during demonstrations.

This 2011 report by the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, discusses the legal norms applicable to the use of lethal force during demonstrations.

In this 2011 report, UN Special Rapporteur Frank La Rue explores key trends and challenges to the right of all individuals to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds through the Internet.

In the name of fighting terrorism, governments have curtailed political freedoms and imposed restrictive measures against human rights defenders and civil society activists in many countries.

ICNL and the World Movement for Democracy are pleased to announce the release of a new series of 15 country reports as part of the Defending Civil Society project.