Generate timely knowledge and analysis
The 13th annual edition of our State of Civil Society Report, released in March 2024, looked back at 2023 to identify trends in civil society action at every level and in every arena, from responses to conflicts and struggles for climate justice, democracy and inclusion to calls for global governance reform. Building on our rolling analysis and commentary initiative, CIVICUS Lens, the report was informed by the voices of civil society affected by and responding to today’s major issues and challenges. It drew from over 250 interviews and articles covering over 100 countries and territories. Our focus on civil society groups and activists mobilising for rights whose impact is making them targets of repression resulted in the publication of two thematic reports on youth activism and climate activism.
The CIVICUS Monitor continues to reflect the work of regional research partners who collect data from civil society activists and organisations on the ground. We published the latest CIVICUS Monitor annual report, People Power Under Attack, in December 2023. We also launched a five-year trend analysis, Rights Reversed, based on over 2,250 country updates published between 2019 and 2023, at a Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation conference in February 2024. Other publications and UN-related submissions on civic space included a report on Indonesia submitted to the Human Rights Committee and country briefings on India and Papua New Guinea. The CIVICUS Monitor also published three watchlist updates highlighting rapidly deteriorating civic space conditions in Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Kyrgyzstan, Mali, Pakistan, Palestine, Senegal, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Venezuela.
The CIVICUS Monitor as an advocacy tool
The CIVICUS Monitor is a collaborative research initiative that tracks the state of civic space – freedoms of association, expression and peaceful assembly and the state’s duty to protect – in 198 countries and territories. Launched in 2017, it has become increasingly useful as an advocacy tool, as over the years it has tracked processes, shifts and trends.
The CIVICUS Monitor is verified by Google as a trusted news source and is prominently featured in Microsoft and ChatGPT results for civic space-related queries. The credibility of its data is reflected in its growing use by civil society groups, media and other key stakeholders. Mentions of CIVICUS Monitor data in media more than doubled from the previous year.
The media, including top-tier outlets, have increasingly relied on CIVICUS Monitor data to provide context on civic space. The impact of our reporting has been seen at the highest political levels in recent years. The UK’s rating was debated in parliament, while Taiwan’s government has repeatedly highlighted the country’s open rating.
Our data is helping to shape public discourse on civic space and guide the strategies of civil society organisations (CSOs), policymakers and funders. Examples include the Global Fund, whose Advocacy Roadmap (2023-2025) relies on CIVICUS data and analysis, and International Service for Human Rights, which uses the CIVICUS Monitor as an advocacy tool. Amnesty International, Global Witness and Save The Children also use our datasets. Civil society in Portugal used CIVICUS Monitor findings to draft a manifesto of priorities for the June 2024 European Parliament elections.
The CIVICUS Monitor began as a research project and has evolved into a research-based advocacy platform. Next year, it will add an election tracker to provide relevant civic space monitoring around national elections.
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