COPENHAGEN, Denmark - UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai told an audience in Copenhagen, Denmark, this week that restrictions on civil society are a global trend, and not one limited to the so-called Global South. “Pressure on in developing countries is growing,” said Kiai, who is the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. “But the pressure on NGOs is a global tendency which affects the North just as much as the South. Fear of what the NGOs can do – and will do – threatens freedom of association in all countries.” The remarks came during a keynote address at a conference organized by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and DanChurchAid, held on June 16, 2014. The theme of the event was “Civil Society Organizations in the Global South under Pressure,” but Kiai noted that if the West wants to be taken seriously when talking about human rights, they must consistently take the lead. The event also marked the launch of ACT Alliance/CIDSE’s new report, Space for Civil Society. A full write-up on the event, along with video, is available at DanChurchAid’s... Continue reading →
Blantyre, Malawi – Maina Kiai told a conference of civil society leaders in Malawi today that African civil society is “under attack” from all angles and facing a crisis of shrinking space, as underscored by recent developments in Kenya and South Sudan. “Governments across the region are moving rapidly to squeeze civil society out of its rightful place in the public sphere,” Kiai said after the speech. “They see civil society as a competitor, challenging their authority. And they are attacking from all angles – cutting off their ability to seek funds, imposing improper registration requirements, and harassing people who speak out.” Kiai, the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the freedoms of peaceful assembly and of association, spoke of the attacks during a keynote address on the first day of the ACT Alliance regional consultation on civil society space in Blantyre. The consultation was convened to explore ways that civil society groups in the region can ensure their ability to operate in a so-called “enabling environment.” Such an environment includes a functioning democratic judicial system, vibrant freedoms of expression, assembly and association, and the ability to secure funding and participate in public affairs. Kiai pointed to numerous examples of shrinking civil... Continue reading →
