Speaking Out for Human Rights: A Tough Road Ahead for Civil Society Worldwide
Straitened Circumstances for Civil Societies Across the Globe: Majority of Nations Experience Restricted NGO Activity - Strict Limits on Civil Society: Majority of Countries Impose Significant Barriers for Public Organizations
Let'stalk about the state of democracy and human rights across the globe, shall we? Dagmar Pruin, at the helm of Bread for the World, highlighted worrying trends in her presentation - rule of law, judicial independence, and protection against arbitrary state action are all under siege in an alarming number of countries.
You see, civil society plays a crucial role in safeguarding democracy by advocating for justice and promoting open dialogue. But it's a tough battle, according to Bread for the World, which bases its findings on the insights of the global network Civicus. The grim reality is that less than 1 in every 30 people worldwide resides in a country where freedom of expression and assembly is unrestricted. That's just 40 countries with strong civil liberties protections!
The 2025 Atlas of Civil Society breaks down civil rights freedom into five categories, ranging from "open" to "closed." Only 40 countries are considered "open," whereas 115 countries fall into the "restricted," "suppressed," or "closed" categories.
Unfortunately, matters have grown even worse in nine countries over the past year. This includes democratic heavyweights like Georgia, which passed the "Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence" in 2024, causing hardships for non-governmental organizations and media alike. Other nations experiencing deteriorating civil liberties include the Netherlands and the Palestinian territories.
On the brighter side, there have also been improvements in nine countries, such as Poland and Japan. Though Germany remains in the "restricted" category, it had previously ranked higher in the "open" category in 2023, due in part to excessive restriction of the right of assembly at climate protests and increasingly forceful police action against protesters.
Pruin pressed the new federal government to boost their commitment to democratic civil society engagement. Wise words indeed: in order to defend democracy, the rule of law, and free media worldwide, global cooperation is vital.
- Civil Society
- Democracy
- Human Rights
- Bread for the World
- Global Landscape
- Challenges
- Progress
- Germany
Insights:
- Only 3.5% of the world's population lives in countries considered fully “open” for civil liberties.
- The overall trend points toward increasing challenges to freedom of expression and assembly for much of the world’s population.
- A key global trend is an erosion of civil society actors facing new legal and extralegal barriers.
- Activists are increasingly relying on digital platforms, but digital surveillance and censorship are also on the rise.
- Progressive civil society groups are forming broader coalitions to combat common threats from right-wing populist and authoritarian actors.
- Germany, Poland, and Japan provide distinct examples of the varying states of civil liberties across the globe.
- In light of the increasing challenges to democracy and human rights worldwide, it's crucial to enhance the commitment of governments, such as the new federal government, towards fostering democratic civil society engagement.
- As digital platforms become increasingly crucial for civil society actors, there is a concurrent rise in digital surveillance and censorship, adding another layer of complexity to the struggle for freedom of expression and assembly.
