CIVICUS LENS: PERSPECTIVES FOR A CHANGING WORLD –


Building on 10 years of State of Civil Society Reports, CIVICUS Lens offers timely analysis of the major events of the day from a civil society perspective. Complementing their ongoing tracking of civic space on the CIVICUS Monitor, CIVICUS Lens highlights stories of civic action and civil society breakthroughs; they explore contemporary political, economic and social trends and their impact on civil society, and also and most importantly, the ways in which people’s movements are responding, innovating and scoring victories.

Deeply rooted in the global south, CIVICUS Lens stand firmly for social justice and on the side of those who defend human rights, call the powerful to account, demand democratic freedoms and fight for progress on the great issues of today: problems like the climate crisis, systemic racism, widening inequalities and democratic regression.

CIVICUS Lens intends to demystify complex issues, encourage reflection and promote solidarity, allyship and progressive action, showcasing a plurality and diversity of experiences and voices, including through interviews and consultations. IPS Inter Press Service North America and its UN Bureau are partnering with CIVICUS Lens to raise questions about some of the predominant biases in how the world is understood and how current events are analysed.

CONTACT: research@civicus.org



Iran war deepens dangers for activists

Foreign strikes have given the regime an excuse to up its repression …

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Beyond COP deadlock: summit for fossil fuel transition shows promise

Fifty-seven states commit to adopt transition roadmaps, but financing gaps and political fragility test their resolve …

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Child social media bans: a growing global problem

Governments are restricting children’s social media access without consulting them or testing alternatives …

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Hungary’s new opportunity for democracy

Viktor Orbán’s defeat opens a new chapter – but there’s a long road of recovery ahead for civic space and human rights …

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The UN NGO Committee: civil society’s gatekeeper in hostile hands

Thirteen of 19 newly elected members severely restrict civil society …

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Indonesia’s genocide case: a landmark test of universal jurisdiction

Charges filed by a Rohingya survivor accuse Myanmar’s illegitimate leader of genocide …

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Russia’s African cannon fodder

Disinformation and economic despair drive recruitment of young men for distant war …

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Denmark’s normalisation of the extreme

Election results show that co-opting the far right’s agenda only validates it …

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Thailand: reform deferred again

Border war, systematic repression and electoral flaws hand power to conservatives …

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International Women’s Day 2026: feminist resistance in a world at war

With rights rollbacks deepening, women’s rights movements refuse to concede ground …

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Gender equality under siege at the UN

Commission on the Status of Women sees Trump administration attack women’s rights while civil society holds firm …

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Post-protest Bangladesh: restoration more than renewal

Bangladesh’s first credible election in almost two decades delivers change, but not the transformation Gen Z protested for …

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Nepal’s Gen Z electoral revolution

New government has strong mandate for change, but civil society needs to hold it to account …

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Gaza: ceasefire an illusion

Killings continue while Trump allies impose external governance plan …

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International tensions spark new nuclear threat

2026 Munich Security Conference confirms transatlantic rupture and the erosion of non-proliferation norms …

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Iran: revolt crushed but crisis unresolved

Thousands killed, tens of thousands detained – and the repression is far from over …

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Davos 2026: Multilateralism at a breaking point

States scramble for coherent responses to Trump’s onslaught on global rules …

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Venezuela: democracy no closer

US intervention violates international law and creates new dilemmas for civil society …

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UN Security Council: reform or irrelevance

Designed for 1945, the UN’s most powerful body can’t handle the crises of 2026 …

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Uganda: hollow election extends four-decade rule

Internet shutdown and suppression of dissent enable seventh presidential term …

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Guinea: military rule legitimised through stage-managed election

After four years in power, coup leader has become an elected autocrat …

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Chad: constitutional manipulation consolidates authoritarian rule

With dissenting voices silenced president can rule indefinitely …

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Democracy confined: Côte d’Ivoire’s elections

Presidential and legislative polls consolidate ruling party power amid civic space restrictions …

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Sudan in crisis: mass killings continue while the world looks away

Western allies shield the United Arab Emirates from accountability as it arms the militias …

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Diplomacy in troubled times: a G20 Summit without the USA

South Africa forges consensus and civil society mobilises as China seeks to fill the void …

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Women rise against the femicide epidemic

Struggles against gender-based violence persist in year marked by brutal killings and political backlash …

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Myanmar’s junta tightens its grip

Sham election looms as Trump shifts US policy, joining authoritarian backers of military rule …

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International Criminal Court: defying impunity

ICC secures convictions and detentions amid rising threats and collapsing multilateralism …

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Killer robots: the terrifying rise of algorithmic warfare

While states debate regulations, autonomous weapons are making kill-or-capture decisions from Gaza to Ukraine …

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COP30: fossil fuel industry tries to hold back the tide

The energy transition accelerates despite resistance at the climate summit …

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Burkina Faso: three years of broken promises

Military junta tightens repression and indefinitely postpones return to civilian rule …

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Tanzania’s bloodbath: the deadly consequences of an undemocratic election

Hundreds killed as security forces crush protests …

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Power, gender and secrecy: the struggle to reform the UN’s leadership

After 80 years of male leaders, civil society is mobilising to break the UN’s glass ceiling …

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Madagascar’s Gen Z uprising leads to uncertain future

President ousted but replaced by military following electricity and water shortage protests …

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Cameroon: world’s oldest leader holds back the tide for change

Stage-managed election secures eighth term for 92-year-old President Paul Biya …

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Troubling times ahead for Czech civil society

Billionaire right-wing populist wins election despite corruption allegations …

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System under strain: progress and setbacks at UN Human Rights Council

Civil society secures Afghanistan accountability win amid funding constraints and uncompetitive elections …

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Nepal’s Gen Z uprising: time for youth-led change

Social media ban sparks mass protests, forcing out prime minister and offering lessons for movements worldwide …

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Moldova’s democratic defiance

Extensive Russian interference operation fails – but threats are far from over …

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Mali’s blocked transition

Five years of broken promises and escalating repression under military rule …

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Fresh hope for healthy oceans: UN treaty set to take effect

Years of civil society advocacy led to High Seas Treaty breakthrough – but many states are yet to get on board …

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Oceania’s moment in the spotlight

Pacific Island states should use newfound geopolitical leverage to ensure climate action and uphold civic freedoms …

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UN at 80: a struggle for renewal in a time of crises

General Assembly discusses Palestinian recognition and UN reform while civil society remains shut out …

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Outsourcing cruelty: the offshoring of migration management

Global north states are making migration deadlier and strengthening repressive regimes …

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AI governance: the struggle for human rights

As tech giants and authoritarians converge, civil society demands ethical AI standards …

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Togo’s uprising: demands for democracy renewed

Youth-led resistance mounts unprecedented challenge to entrenched dynastic rule …

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Angola’s fuel protests express deep disenchantment
Diesel price rises unleash anger at decades of corruption, triggering a violent crackdown …

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Care as a human right: a feminist legal victory

Inter-American Court demands states redistribute care work and build universal support system …

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Overtourism: civil society mobilising

Campaigners demand sustainable tourism as neighbourhoods transform and housing costs soar …

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Israel must face accountability as Gaza genocide intensifies

International pressure is growing but states are still repressing civil society voices …

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SDGs: accountability under threat

Funding cuts and access barriers are undermining civil society’s role to hold states to account …

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Time running out for ambitious plastics treaty

As plastic pollution worsens, negotiators must listen to civil society rather than industry lobbyists …

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Civil society overcomes colonial legacy: LGBTQI+ rights breakthrough in St Lucia

Latest Caribbean victory proves advances can still come amid regression …

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International Court of Justice signals end to climate impunity

Groundbreaking decision resulted from civil society campaign …

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UN takes step forward on corruption

Civil society wins recognition that corruption harms human rights …

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Defending the defenders: civil society’s struggle for global space and voice

59th Human Rights Council session delivers advances but context grows more challenging …

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Pride 2025: resistance rising

LGBTQI+ groups assert defiant visibility amid political backlash and corporate retreat …

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Japan’s right-wing populist rise

Xenophobic party benefits from economic anger to win significant parliamentary presence …

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Financing for Development: another global letdown
Seville talks excluded civil society and failed to deliver the ambition needed …

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Kenya: systemic violence meets brave resistance
Youth-led protest movement demands end to police brutality …

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Climate: Bonn talks fail to bring breakthrough
As COP30 approaches, calls grow for fundamental reform of UN climate process …

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NATO’s missing watchdogs: civil society’s role in defence spending scrutiny
Planned military build-up needs proper oversight …

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Bangladesh’s next chapter: progress and pitfalls in democratic reform
Almost a year after an autocrat was toppled, the risk remains of a return to authoritarianism …

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Historic wins and hard truths at International Labour Conference
States must now translate advances in recognising workers’ rights into action …

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The silencing of Hong Kong
Five years of extraordinary repression have curbed a once vibrant democracy movement …

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