SO 2: Coordinate targeted advocacy

Our advocacy this year responds directly to the closing of civic space in numerous countries across global regions while building structures for longer-term influence. We support civil society, build solidarity and foster policy change through:

• Agenda setting: We bring civic space considerations into policy discussions at all levels, highlighting the importance of civil society work and the need to protect its space. At the United Nations (UN), we engage with the UNHRC, diplomatic missions, special procedures and other relevant bodies and processes, notably the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the Commission on Status of Women, the High-Level Political Forum and the UN General Assembly.
• Access and influence: We support members and partners to participate in UN sessions and push for better people’s participation at the UN through the designation of an annual civil society day and appointment of a civil society envoy. Through side events on thematic issues, we bring civic space concerns to the forefront. At the regional level, we support civil society engagement with bodies such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
• Global governance reform initiatives: We advance proposals to improve civil society participation, representation and access to UN processes through the UNMute Civil Society Initiative. We advocate for a fair, transparent and inclusive process to appoint the UN Secretary-General – pushing for the election of a feminist woman leader – as part of the 1 for 8 billion campaigns.
• Collaboration and coordination: Through initiatives such as the Diplomats and Defenders Dialogues, we facilitate collaboration between HRDs and other stakeholders to address civic space challenges. We continue to coordinate the Vuka Coalition and facilitate the work of its action teams, including through solidarity and advocacy calls. During ICSW, we will facilitate regional dialogues and joint action on the rights of environmental human rights defenders and address transnational repression.
• Stand as My Witness: Amid growing global repression, we will enhance our work on securing the release of arbitrarily detained HRDs. We will bolster featured profiles and add new HRDs facing limited visibility and support. We will escalate selected cases to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. We will strengthen partnerships with similar initiatives and explore innovative ways to engage publics.
• Strategic litigation: We are engaging with strategic litigation networks to advance civic space protection through legal channels at domestic, regional and global levels. Through the Vuka Coalition, we strengthen these efforts by connecting litigation initiatives with broader advocacy campaigns.

How we will measure progress

Learning question:

How is our targeted advocacy with members helping affected groups drive local change and influence global systems to better support civil society

Indicators: 

• Number of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) submissions – Target: 10
• Number of resolutions and other international agreements adopted, improved or blocked – Target:10 (average of 3-4 per Council session)
• Number of partners supported to participate in UN and regional human rights mechanisms – Target: 10
• Number of citations of CIVICUS positions in policy documents or diplomatic statements – Target: 50
• Number of joint advocacy and campaign initiatives at the national level – Target: 50
• Number of documented policy changes attributable to joint advocacy and campaigns – Target: 30