IFEX highlights the importance of a networked approach to international solidarity to the promotion and protection of civic space and human rights.
“As repression grows globally and civic space shrinks, international solidarity efforts become paramount for pushing back against the encroachment on human rights.”
IFEX has submitted a response to the UN Independent Expert on international solidarity’s call for inputs for their report on “the participation of civil society organisations pursuing expressions of international solidarity through transnational, international, and regional networks”. The Independent Expert’s final report will be presented at the 56th session of the Human Rights Council in June 2024.
Drawing on IFEX members’ experiences, we show how repressive legislation, alongside barriers to participation in high-level spaces at the UN, has targeted and obstructed the work of civil society organisations (CSOs). This underscores the need for international efforts to promote and protect an open and healthy civic space in which the rights to free expression, assembly, and association are upheld. We highlight how IFEX’s networked approach to expressing support for and solidarity with affected member organisations has been critical in pushing back against States’ repressive efforts.
The submission makes specific recommendations for the Independent Expert to urge States and other relevant stakeholders to help promote and strengthen the work of CSOs and civic space by: adhering to international human rights obligations that create conditions for international solidarity; refraining from implementing harmful legislation that targets CSOs; committing to reforming institutional systems that allow for greater public participation; and guaranteeing an enabling environment for greater international solidarity pursuits.
You can read IFEX’s submission below.
