Latest news with #Civicus
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Only 40 countries guarantee full civil rights, global study finds
Only 3.5% of the world's population enjoy unrestricted civil rights and liberties, according to data from international civil society organizations published on Monday. The Atlas of Civil Society, published by the German relief organization Brot für die Welt (Bread for the World), found that 40 countries around the world respect all civil liberties, while the majority of people live with certain to severe restrictions on their rights. Brot für die Welt draws on data collected by the Civicus network of civil society organizations worldwide for its annual report covering 197 countries and territories. Over the last year, the protection of civil rights has deteriorated in nine countries, and improved in nine others, the atlas found. "Democracy and human rights are under attack worldwide in a way we have not seen for decades. The rule of law, the separation of powers and protection against state arbitrariness are under threat or no longer exist in more and more countries," said Dagmar Pruin, president of Brot für die Welt. The atlas divides countries into five categories. In the 40 countries listed in the top category as "open," the state guarantees all civil liberties. Less than half of all EU countries - 12 in total - fall into this category. They include Austria, Estonia and the Scandinavian countries. New Zealand and Jamaica are also classified as "open."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Democracy, human rights face biggest threat for decades, study finds
Only 3.5% of the world's population enjoy unrestricted civil rights and liberties, according to data from international civil society organizations published on Monday. The Atlas of Civil Society, published by the German relief organization Brot für die Welt (Bread for the World), found that 40 countries around the world respect all civil liberties, while the majority of people live with certain to severe restrictions on their rights. Brot für die Welt draws on data collected by the Civicus network of civil society organizations worldwide for its annual report covering 197 countries and territories. Over the last year, the protection of civil rights has deteriorated in nine countries, and improved in nine others, the atlas found. "Democracy and human rights are under attack worldwide in a way we have not seen for decades. The rule of law, the separation of powers and protection against state arbitrariness are under threat or no longer exist in more and more countries," said Dagmar Pruin, president of Brot für die Welt. The atlas divides countries into five categories. In the 40 countries listed in the top category as "open," the state guarantees all civil liberties. Less than half of all EU countries - 12 in total - fall into this category. They include Austria, Estonia and the Scandinavian countries. New Zealand and Jamaica are also classified as "open." Some 42 countries making up 11.1% of the world's population are listed in the second category, where civil rights are classified as "impaired." These include Germany, Slovakia, Argentina and the United States. In these countries, the rights to freedom of assembly and expression are largely respected, but there are recorded violations. The atlas classifies 35 countries, representing 12.9% of the world's population as "restricted." According to the report, civil society organizations in the countries are harassed and the police often use violence on assemblies. Several European countries appear in this category, including Greece, the United Kingdom, Hungary and Ukraine. Civil society is considered "oppressed" in 51 countries, including Algeria, Mexico and Turkey. In these countries, governments monitor, imprison or kill critics, and exercise censorship, according to the data. Finally, Russia and 28 other countries are classified as "closed" and characterized by an "atmosphere of fear." Criticism of the government or regime in these countries is severely punished. A total of 29.9% of people worldwide live under these conditions, for example in Belarus, the Palestinian Territories, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
Daily Maverick
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
States' obligation to protect climate-related human rights heads to African Court on Human Rights
A group of lawyers and civic organisations have formally asked the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights to issue an advisory opinion on the obligations of African states to protect climate-related human rights on the continent in a 'heartfelt plea for justice'. As climate change wreaks havoc across the African continent, which is heating at a faster rate than the rest of the world with more severe climate and weather disasters, a request has been submitted to the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights. The court has been asked to provide an advisory opinion on African states' obligation to protect climate-related human rights in Africa under the African Charter — focusing on the right to life, health, development, and to a general satisfactory environment. Groups from across the continent began working on the request as far back as 2022, according to Paul Mulindwa, the advocacy and campaigns officer, and Africa Lead at Civicus. The formal petition was submitted to the Tanzania-based court on 2 May 2025 by the Pan African Lawyers Union (Palu), in collaboration with the African Climate Platform and other African civil society organisations including the Environmental Lawyers Collective for Africa, Natural Justice, and Resilient. The petition relays the disproportionate impact of climate change on Africa despite the continent's minimal historical greenhouse gas emissions, and presents detailed accounts of climate impacts across different African regions. 'We are launching this petition as a heartfelt plea for justice for the communities enduring these harsh realities,' said Alfred Brownell, lead campaigner of the African Climate Platform. The sharp increase in extreme droughts and floods, together with rising temperatures, was endangering natural habitats and threatening the wellbeing and livelihoods of vast numbers of people across the continent. Brownell said their mission was to put in place strong protective measures against these environmental harms, to ensure the dignity and resilience of the millions of Africans who were confronting these challenges were upheld. This is the first time African civil society is using the court's advisory jurisdiction to address the climate crisis, a development described by legal experts and climate activists as a 'transformational moment' for African jurisprudence on climate justice and intergenerational equity. Protests, water shortages, flooding and drought across Africa In North Africa, water scarcity has become a critical issue exacerbated by climate change. Reports indicate that approximately 83% of the population of North Africa faces extremely high water stress. Climate change continues to drive more frequent and intense droughts, lower average precipitation, and increased temperatures, worsening water shortages across the region. These shortages have triggered social unrest, including ' thirst protests ' in Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. In 2017, water shortages in Zagora, Morocco, led to protests, resulting in the arrest of 23 protesters and the imprisonment of eight. Morocco also entered its sixth year of drought in 2024, with the Al Massira Dam — the country's second-largest dam — registering its lowest fill level since its construction in 1976 at less than 6%, compared with almost 99% in May 2013. The document states that West Africa has reported changes in weather patterns, including climate-related droughts and flooding that are interrupting agricultural cycles and reducing food production. This extreme weather has affected the region's agricultural output, including products such as cocoa. The petition also addresses how climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, including women, children, the elderly, indigenous peoples, and environmental human rights defenders. In stating these impacts, the applicants request the court to clarify states' obligations regarding: Legal standards for climate change mitigation, adaptation, resilience, and the redress of loss and damage. The protection of environmental defenders and affected communities from reprisals. Participation, transparency, and accountability in climate-related decision-making. The just and equitable transition to low-carbon energy systems. The regulation of third-party conduct, particularly that of multinational corporations. The decolonisation of natural resource governance frameworks. Speaking to Lucien Limacher and Nomasango Masiye-Moyo from Natural Justice; lead drafter and international human rights lawyer Dzimbabwe Chimbga; and Brownell, they believe that the African Court is uniquely positioned to interpret the African Charter and issue authoritative legal guidance for all member states of the African Union on the matter. Its opinions carry moral and legal weight, particularly on matters of continental concern like climate change, which affects all African countries and disproportionately harms vulnerable populations. 'It [the petition] draws attention to how climate impacts — like droughts, floods, and food insecurity — are already undermining basic rights, especially in poor and marginalised communities,' they said. The petition asks the court to define what African states are required to do under the charter and related international and regional instruments, to prevent, mitigate, and adapt to climate change. This includes obligations to reduce emissions, protect vulnerable communities, and ensure inclusive and equitable climate action, to define what a just transition is and to hold third parties accountable. The organisations said its goal was to move from aspirational commitments to clear, enforceable standards. Shaping climate action across the continent When asked what a favourable opinion would be, Limacher said it should provide legal clarity and a normative framework that African states can rely on to guide climate legislation, policymaking, and international advocacy. 'It would help integrate human rights-based approaches into climate action and hold states to account for their obligations under the African Charter,' he said. While advisory opinions like these are not legally binding, Limacher said they were often used by courts, lawmakers, and regulatory bodies to interpret constitutional rights and shape legal reforms. This opinion could empower civil society, courts, and communities to push for stronger climate protections, and influence national climate strategies, environmental laws, and development plans. Courts, governments, and advocacy groups often use them to guide action, shape jurisprudence, and build legal precedent. Leading environmental lawyer Cormac Cullinan told Daily Maverick that an advisory opinion was a form of 'soft law', the idea being that while not actually law, it was often very influential and could become law at some point. 'It's quite a lot of work to produce an opinion like that; they'll have to look at the state of international law and the various conventions… If they come out with a statement, I would anticipate that in courts of law in Africa, if something comes up, that the lawyers would probably refer to that opinion if it was helpful and bring it to the attention of judges with the hope that the judges would agree with the opinion and then make a ruling on that basis,' he said. Limacher added that on the ground, having a legal opinion on this could help amplify the voices and experiences of communities most affected by climate change, like indigenous peoples, smallholder farmers, women, and youth. It could do this by providing a legal basis to demand protection and redress. In practice, the lawyers said they often influenced both domestic and regional norms, especially when backed by public demand and civil society mobilisation. South Africa, as a state party to the African Charter and a key regional player, for example, would be expected to align its climate and human rights obligations with the court's guidance. The opinion could influence South African courts, Parliament, and policy frameworks, especially in addressing environmental justice, climate litigation, and community rights. 🎙️ Following the filing, PALU CEO @donalddeya spoke to the media, emphasising the urgency of legal clarity in responding to the climate crisis. Stay tuned as we continue to advocate for climate justice through legal accountability and continental collaboration. 🌍⚖️ — PALU (@LawyersofAfrica) May 2, 2025 Rooted in regional and global instruments Donald Deya, the Chief Executive Officer of the Pan African Lawyers Union (Palu), said their request was firmly rooted in a 'constellation of binding regional instruments that chart the course for human rights across the continent'. These include the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa (commonly known as the Maputo Protocol), the Kampala Convention on Internally Displaced Persons, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and the Revised African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. In addition, they also draw on widely ratified international treaties that resonated with African states. 'We remain steadfastly committed to the principle that the rights enshrined in the African Charter must be safeguarded, not just in theory, but in practice not only for the communities of today, but for the generations yet to come,' said Deya. Expected timeline for the African Court to respond If the court confirms admissibility, it will then invite submissions from stakeholders, including states and experts. But the lawyers warned that a ruling could take several months to more than two years, depending on procedural steps and complexity. One of the lawyers said that the court could reject the request based on grounds such as lack of jurisdiction, if it was not a human right matter, if the applicant lacked legal standing or if the matter was pending before the African Commission on Human and People's Rights. However, this seemed unlikely. 'This petition is an historic opportunity for Africa to lead in climate and human rights jurisprudence. It reflects growing recognition that climate justice is not only an environmental issue but a fundamental human rights concern. We hope the African Court will rise to the moment and offer clear, bold guidance for the continent's future,' said the lawyers. Cullinan said that he hoped that these would be progressive opinions that would speak to the fact that we were about to breach the 1.5°C level, which the international community found to be the level where climate risks would become unacceptable and would impose increasingly severe limitations on human rights. 'It's hardly disputable that a range of human rights (to life, to food, women's rights, many others) are going to be affected by climate change, and what that means is that states mustn't do anything that is going to unjustifiably limit human rights. In fact, they should be wanting to take measures to protect human rights,' he said. Parallel to ICJ proceedings This request for an advisory opinion from the African Court comes as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is also considering issuing an advisory opinion on climate change obligations for states upon request by the UN General Assembly. In December 2024, the ICJ held hearings on an advisory opinion request initiated by Vanuatu and supported by more than 100 countries. That request asks the ICJ to clarify states' obligations under international law to protect the climate system and the legal consequences for states that have caused significant harm to the climate system. The ICJ proceedings have been described as 'one of the most comprehensive advisory opinion processes in the ICJ's history', with 96 states and 11 international organisations presenting their perspectives. The ICJ is expected to deliver its advisory opinion in 2025. Globally there are other precedents of such climate-related advisory opinions by a human rights court. There have been three other advisory opinion petitions filed before international or regional legal bodies — the Inter-America Court of Human Rights, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas, and the International Court of Justice. Both the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the International Tribunal on the Law of the Seas have issued advisory opinions linked to climate change impacts and human rights. DM
Morocco World
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
US Dragged to Human Rights' Watch List for Declining Freedoms
Rabat – Civicus, a non profit organization that provides real-time data on the condition of civic rights and civil society in 196 countries, recently added the United States to their watchlist for a 'narrowing' civic space rating; alongside Serbia, Pakistan, Italy, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The organisation put the responsibility of this observed recline, especially, on President Donald Trump's second term, describing his actions as 'gross abuses of executive power [that] raise serious concerns over the freedoms of peaceful assembly, expression and association.' The monitor stated that, since his inauguration on January 20, Trump has signed 125 executive orders carrying severe implications for human rights and rule of law, citing his policies against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, as well as his policies against migrants and transgender people. Civicus also referred to the US decision to dismantle the United States Agency for International Developments (USAID), leading to the unemployment of thousands, as well as the withdrawal from the World Health Organization and Human Rights Council. The group also recalled the current administration's decision to exit the Paris climate agreements, reject the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, as well as sanction the ICC and threaten its personnel. US threats against the ICC started during the Biden administration when the court announced that it's intending to issue arrest warrants against not only three leaders of Hamas but also two Israeli officials, namely Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant. Members of the US congress responded to the latter by threatening retaliation. The report also cited the US government's 'onslaught on peaceful pro-Palestine solidarity,' citing Trump's January 30 executive order that claimed to combat anti-semistism through cancelling student visas and deporting non-citizens who show solidarity with Palestine through protest. While the US maybe has just starrted to reap what it has long sown, for many, the country's complete dismantling of its understanding of human rights was already forshadowed by its active support for the genocide on Gaza. In this way, the downfall of freedoms sounds like the round of applause that Congress held for Netanyahu when he visited the legislative body's hallowed halls.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republican Warns U.S. Might Not Be Leader of Free World Anymore
Republican Representative Don Bacon warned Monday that Donald Trump's botched handling of the negotiations to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine was forfeiting America's status as a global leader. During an interview on CNN, the Nebraska Republican was asked whether he felt that Trump's stance on Russia was 'too conciliatory' and amounted to 'walking away' from the American legacy as the leader of the free world. 'We are the leader of the free world, but right now, many countries are questioning, are we still the leader of the free world?' Bacon said. 'We may be the most powerful country in the world, we were the leader of the free world, but it appears to many leaders and people all over—to include Republicans in Nebraska—that this administration is walking away from that legacy,' Bacon said. 'I'm not interested in a foreign policy that is totally built on realism, or transactionalism, where it's just, 'What do we have in it for us?' I believe in having a foreign policy where it's a mix of realism, protecting our country, and idealism,' Bacon said. Bacon urged Americans to be 'clear-eyed' and have 'moral clarity' when it came to negotiating with Russia. To him, that meant understanding that Russian President Vladimir Putin is the aggressor, period. Bacon cited Russia's invasion of Ukraine—which Trump has suggested was somehow Ukraine's fault—the Kremlin's lethal attacks against its critics, and Russia's seemingly renewed aerial attack campaign in Ukraine. '[Putin's] ramped up the bombing of cities since President Trump has been harsh toward President Zelenskiy,' Bacon said. 'We're playing into the hands of Putin and it's devastating for our national security, and our foreign affairs for the years to come. So, I'm very concerned,' he added. Trump has continued to make outrageous demands of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, while asking absolutely nothing of Putin, who is responsible for the continued fighting in Ukraine. During an interview on Fox News Sunday, Trump suggested that Ukraine 'may not survive anyway'—a startling admission for someone who has placed himself at the head of negotiations. It does seem that the United States is well on its way back from being a 'city upon a hill,' and was recently included on the Civicus Monitor Watchlist, a selection of countries experiencing a rapid decline in civil freedoms published by the Civicus, a civil-rights tracking watchdog. The list referred to Trump's onslaught of executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, undocumented immigrants, and transgender Americans, as well as other legislative actions infringing on the freedom of association, peaceful assembly, and expression.
