THE CIVIC SPACE CRISIS: A STORY FORETOLD

The further regression of civic space conditions should not come as a surprise. In many countries, the increased level of restrictions on civil society has been the subject of warnings by activists and human rights watchdogs. The CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist, which highlights serious civic space concerns, has in recent years included most of the countries now being downgraded.

Five countries are downgraded to the worst category: Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Russia and Tajikistan are now rated as closed. Guatemala, Lesotho and Tunisia are downgraded to the repressed rating as conditions for civil society continue to worsen.

In addition, three countries drop down into the obstructed category: Ghana, Greece and the UK. Very few countries are rated as open and narrowed in Africa, and there is now one less with the downgrading of Ghana, where attacks against journalists, including physical attacks, arbitrary detentions and prosecutions, have increased in recent years.

Although Europe has the most countries rated as open, ratings changes highlight that no region is immune to state restriction of civic freedoms, with Greece and the UK now downgraded to the obstructed rating and Cyprus to narrowed rating. Over the past five years, eight European countries have seen their ratings downgraded due to deteriorating civic space conditions.