Generate timely knowledge and analysis
Understanding the rapidly evolving civil society landscape requires more than collecting data – it demands analysis that connects global patterns to local realities and turns information into actionable insights for activists.
The 14th edition of our annual State of Civil Society Report, published in March 2025, identified 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 ongoing political analysis initiative, CIVICUS Lens, the report was informed by the voices of civil society affected by and responding to the major challenges of the day: it drew from over 300 interviews and 80 articles covering over 120 countries and territories.
The report’s latest edition features for the first time a chapter examining how technological developments are reshaping civil society’s operating environment. It analyses the environmental costs of growing generative AI use, tech billionaires’ strategic alignment with authoritarian movements, major platforms’ retreat from diversity and social responsibility commitments and the mounting obstacles civil society faces when attempting to hold these companies accountable. This focus on technology is essential as digital infrastructure increasingly shapes how civil society organises, mobilises and advocates, while algorithmic manipulation and disinformation campaigns systematically undermine the democratic processes civil society works to protect.
We also focused our attention on the shortcomings of global governance institutions and civil society’s efforts to improve them. Through the ENSURED project, we produced two policy briefs examining the UN Human Rights Council’s effectiveness and civil society’s role in global governance. We also published two research reports that analyse potential reforms to the Human Rights Council and explore how civil society views current global governance structures. This research addresses key questions about how international institutions can better respond to contemporary challenges.
Thank you for spreading the word. Educating people about the need for effective, equitable and accountable global governance is key to humanity avoiding catastrophic self-harm – go CIVICUS!
John Vlasto, World Federalist Movement
Through the Digital Democracy Initiative, we conducted research that reveals how democracy adapts to digital realities across diverse political contexts. Our studies tracked civil society’s response to digital repression during Senegal’s 2024 presidential election, mapped support networks for digital democracy activists in Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt and Uganda and analysed the digital democracy ecosystem across six global regions. This research generated practical recommendations for advocacy organisations and offered strategies for sustaining democratic engagement despite censorship, government surveillance and inadequate digital infrastructure.
Alongside tracking civic space conditions across 198 countries, the CIVICUS Monitor published nine country briefs that solidified its reputation as the definitive global resource on civil society freedoms. Academic recognition came through over 70 citations in peer-reviewed journals and major publications, from the Journal of Civil Society to the Oxford Handbook of the International Monetary Fund and Women’s Studies.
The CIVICUS Monitor’s influence transcended linguistic boundaries, appearing in scholarship published in German, Japanese, Portuguese and Turkish. Yale University underscored its importance by including People Power Under Attack, the annual CIVICUS Monitor report, among 12 essential resources for understanding contemporary democratic challenges. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights further validated the CIVICUS Monitor’s credibility by citing its data in a July 2024 assessment of global civil society space.
This research ecosystem has positioned CIVICUS as the definitive source for civic space monitoring. But our analysis doesn’t just document repression: it illuminates pathways to resistance and provides the strategic intelligence civil society needs to anticipate and respond to authoritarian tactics.
WHAT WE LEARNED
Our publications
