The global NGO Alliance CIVICUS has just released a new Report, with the title “People Under Attack“. The new findings are based on the updated set of statistics resulted from all the updates undertaken between March and November 2018 within the CIVICUS Monitor Platform.
The new report provides evidence that repression of peaceful civic activism continues to be a widespread crisis for civil society in most parts of the world, with just 4% of the world’s population living in countries with open space for civil society (civic space).
The new data shows that there are now 23 countries with closed civic space, 35 countries in the repressed category and 53 in the obstructed category. This means that civic space remains under serious threat in almost 6 out of 10 of the world’s countries. Just 44 countries receive an open rating, while 41 countries are rated narrowed. In the Black Sea region, civic space is regarded as ‘Obstructed’ in three countries, ”Narrowed’ in 3 countries, ‘Repressed’ in other three countries, and ‘Closed’ in one.
People Power Under Attack 2018 provides analysis of the kinds of violations most frequently recorded on the CIVICUS Monitor over the past two years. Globally, attacks on journalists and censorship are the two most common violations recorded, followed by harassment of activists and the use of excessive force by security forces during protests.
The monitoring also documents improvements in civic space conditions. While violations dominate, the CIVICUS Monitor has documented many instances where civic space is opening up and progress is being achieved in improving respect for fundamental freedoms. monitoring also documents improvements in civic space conditions.
For more information, we invite you to consult the People Under Attack Report, available at: https://www.civicus.org/index.php/media-resources/news/3640-new-report-6-in-10-countries-now-seriously-repressing-civic-freedoms .
