| Type | International non-profit / civil society organisation |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Claire Nylander and Mandeep Tiwana | |
| Website | civicus |
CIVICUS is an international non-profit organisation focused oncivil rights and citizen action. It was founded in 1993 and is based inJohannesburg, South Africa.
In 1991, an international group of 20 leaders fromnon-governmental organisations and social movements met to explore how to supportcitizen participation in governmental decision-making processes.[1] In 1993, a founding board established CIVICUS, with the name derived from the Latin term meaning "of the community".[2]
CIVICUS has described itself as "a global alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action andcivil society around the world".[3] Its headquarters are in Johannesburg, and there are offices inGeneva andNew York City.[4]
The governing body of CIVICUS is an international board, which as of March 2025[update] comprised 12 civil society leaders from around the world.[4]
In 2014 the organisation had members in more than 145 countries.[5]
In 2023/4, their main funding partners were theNetherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, theFord Foundation, Denmark Ministry of Foreign Affairs,Open Society Foundations, and Lifeline Embattled Fund, among many others.[6]
Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah led the organisation from January 2013 to December 2018. Former heads of the organisation also include Miklos Marschall (Hungary),Kumi Naidoo (South Africa), Ingrid Srinath (India), and Lysa John.[when?]
In 2018, Anabel Cruz was chair of the CIVICUS Board of Directors.[7]
As of March 2025[update], Claire Nylander and Mandeep Tiwana are interim co-secretary generals of the organisation.[8][9]
CIVICUS receives institutional support from a variety of sources from organizations with similar goals, such as theFord Foundation andOpen Society Foundations,[10] as well as individual contributions, membership fees, and registration fees for the CIVICUS World Assembly. Aggregated income from 2017/2018 was roughly US$9.6 million.[7]
CIVICUS identifies countries that it believes are experiencing a fast decline in civic freedoms, adding them to a list known as its Monitor Watchlist. The organisation classifies the state of civic freedoms in countries according to its rating system of open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed, and closed. Past lists have included Zimbabwe, Argentina, El Salvador, and the United Arab Emirates.[9]
The first watchlist for 2025 was published in March, and included theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Italy, Pakistan,Serbia, and the United States. The decision to add the U.S. was made on the basis of what CIVICUS described as an "assault on democratic norms and global cooperation" by theTrump administration. The report cited numerous examples, including themass government layoffs, theappointment of loyalists, thewithdrawal from the World Health Organization, and thereview of all U.S. foreign development assistance programs. CIVICUS also identified the Trump administration's targeting of pro-Palestinian protesters,Trump's limiting of media access, and its attack on the rule of law and checks and balances, comparing it toMcCarthyism.[9]
In July, CIVICUS noted that the U.S. was experiencingdemocratic backsliding and moving towards a normalized form of authoritarianism in an escalated manner. It downgraded the state of civic freedoms in the U.S. to "narrowed", noting that U.S. citizens can still "exercise their rights and freedoms but 'violations of these rights also take place'".[11]
In December, CIVICUS once again noted the increasing transformation towards authoritarianism and decline of civic freedom. It downgraded the state of civic freedoms in the U.S. from "narrowed" to "obstructed", noting that civil rights in the U.S. are nowrestricted legally, often involving illegal means such as surveillance, government harassment, and attacks in the public sphere. "Citizens can organise and assemble peacefully", writes CIVICUS, "but they are vulnerable to frequent use of excessive force by law enforcement agencies, including rubber bullets, tear gas and baton charges."[12]
In an open letter of 25 July 2022 addressed to the UN Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres, CIVICUS sought the UN chief's intervention to protect human rights inNicaragua. The letter raised concerns over the continuous attacks on civil society organisations by PresidentDaniel Ortega's regime and his Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) party. CIVICUS also urged its members to sign the letter, which was available online.[13]
OnInternational Women's Day, 8 March 2024, a range of organisations, includingAmnesty International,International Service for Human Rights, and CIVICUS, reiterated calls for Saudi womanNourah al-Qahtani's release from prison, as well as those of other women sentenced for similar alleged activities.[14]
