ICNL

As Chair of the Freedom Online Coalition, Switzerland supports today’s Joint Statement on internet shutdowns in Iran.
The near-total shutdown of Jan 8 2026 undermines fundamental rights. We call for full access and respect for freedoms. #KeepItOn #HumanRights

The criminalizing of protest and dissent has a long history in America The Trump administration is accusing protesters of ‘domestic terrorism’ but this brazen tactic is as old as the country itself

📰New in the @theguardian.com: an in-depth look at the history of protest criminalization in the United States, with analysis informed by ICNL’s protest law tracker.

Read the article👇https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/03/criminalizing-protest-dissent-history

Call for proposals website revamp 2026 - 9

🚨 New opportunities are now open.

ICNL is accepting proposals for consultancies and grants supporting civil society work across Asia, Africa, and beyond.

👉 Explore current openings and apply:
Grants: icnl.org/work-with-us/grants-fellowships
Consultancies: icnl.org/work-with-us

Jordan: Rapid Response to Funding Restrictions Jordan’s Central Bank mandated that international civil society organizations (CSOs) obtain government approval before receiving funds from their headquarters — a move that threatened to delay vital h...

This month, we’re sharing stories that highlight ICNL’s impact over the past year 🌍👊
We’re starting in #Jordan 🇯🇴, where rapid legal analysis and constructive engagement helped prevent a new funding requirement from disrupting civil society work.
👉 Read the story here ⬇️ www.icnl.org/post/feature...

We welcome this important step toward more inclusive and rights-respecting AI governance. Initiatives like MAP-AI help ensure civil society and Global South perspectives are not an afterthought, but a core part of how AI frameworks are shaped and implemented.
Looking forward to the Summit in Delhi ⬇️

🌍 The #ACHPR Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa, aim to clarify evolving #HumanRights standards.

⚖️ ICNL's ACHPR checklists - available in English, Arabic, and French - help asses whether national laws meet the Guidelines’ standards: www.icnl.org/post/tools/a...

Call for proposals website revamp 2026 - 5

📣 🌍 Call for Grant Proposals: ICNL is pleased to announce a call for proposals to support civil society efforts to defend and expand civic space in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

🔗 Learn more and apply: www.icnl.org/work-with-us...

🌏 New Civic Freedom Monitor entry: 🇯🇵

We’re excited to share that #Japan is now featured in ICNL’s Civic Freedom Monitor, expanding our tracker to 50+ countries worldwide.

📊 The CFM provides an overview of the legal and civic space framework affecting civil society.

👉 www.icnl.org/resources/ci...

🌏ICNL invites proposals for two separate grant opportunities to support civil society organizations working to advance civic freedoms and strengthen civil society resilience in Thailand and the Philippines.

Learn more: www.icnl.org/work-with-us...

⚖️ 2. #Tajikistan: Comparative Overview of Legal Frameworks for Non-Commercial Organizations: www.icnl.org/post/news/ta...

🌏 1. Regulatory Issues Affecting Non-Commercial Organizations: International Practice and Implications for #Tajikistan: www.icnl.org/post/news/re...

New Resources - 1

🇹🇯 Tajikistan: New ICNL Analysis

We published two new resources exploring how Tajikistan’s legal framework for non-commercial organizations compares with international practice, and how regulatory approaches affect the operating environment for civil society.

Explore analyses in the links below⬇️

Ugandans silenced even before voting - IFEX Uganda's most recent internet shutdown was engineered to quiet dissent, fracture everyday life, and weaken collective political agency.

#Uganda 🇺🇬 In the post-election landscape, CIPESA cautions that internet disruptions fracture civic life and silence public accountability.

🇹🇳 Civil society in #Tunisia faces mounting restrictions under the rule of President Kais Saied. Our updated Civic Freedom Monitor examines recent legal and political developments shaping the space for civic action in the country.

🔎 Explore more: www.icnl.org/resources/ci...

#CivicFreedomMonitor

🌟🇲🇲 On Dec. 28, 2025, #Myanmar’s military authorities began a phased election set to conclude Jan. 25, 2026, after announcing an end to the post-coup state of emergency. Read more on recent developments and civic freedoms: www.icnl.org/resources/ci...

#CivicFreedom #CivicSpace #CivicFreedomMonitor

📙 Check out our #Asia Program page! www.icnl.org/our-work/asi...

ICNL works alongside local partners throughout Asia to:

🔸 Advance enabling legal reforms
🔸 Raise awareness about international norms & current legal environments for #CivilSociety
🔸 Monitor the exercise of #FundamentalFreedoms

👉 Track state and federal laws that restrict the right to #peacefulassembly with ICNL's U.S. Protest Law Tracker.

🔎 Use our interactive map to filter results based on location, status, issues and date!

➡️ Use the tracker HERE: www.icnl.org/usprotestlaw...

Today, the U.S commemorates the life and work of #MLK. This is a time to recognize the efficacy of #civilsociety and the power of protest.

👉 Learn about ICNL's ongoing work to protect civil liberties in the U.S. HERE ➡️
www.icnl.org/our-work/us-...

Curious about the current state of civic freedoms in the Philippines? Our Civic Freedom Monitor provides detailed analysis of the legal environment and its impact on civil society organizations.

🔗 Discover more: www.icnl.org/resources/ci...

#CivicFreedoms #Philippines

🔎 ICNL's global analysis bit.ly/49DDa8m provides #civilsociety with:

✅ Substantive arguments against overbroad #ForeignInfluence registration laws
✅ Potential response strategies
✅ An assessment of how CSOs are likely to be impacted

#Uganda @marylawlorhrds.bsky.social and I wrote to the gvt expressing our deep concern over developments ahead of today's general elections. This is the third communication we have sent to the gvt in less than a month. 1/

Anti-corruption report (Dec. 2025).pdf - 5

📘 Anti-corruption measures are vital, yet in some contexts they’re being implemented in ways that narrow civic space. ICNL’s report examines global patterns and how these approaches can affect civil society organizations.

👉Read more: www.icnl.org/post/report/...

ICNL, as a member of the Digital Rights Alliance Africa, is sharing the Alliance’s statement concerning the recent suspension of internet and mobile services in #Uganda ahead of the elections.

🇲🇲 #Myanmar’s journalists continue to face extreme risks. ICNL’s newly updated database brings together five years of cases, legal charges, and emerging trends.
See what the data shows and why it matters ⬇️
www.icnl.org/post/report/...

Resolution on Internet Shutdowns and Elections in Africa - ACHPR.Res.580 (LXXVIII)2024 The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission), meeting at its 78th Private Ordinary Session, held virtually from 23 February to 08 March 2024

5/ ACHPR Resolution 580 highlights that election-period internet shutdowns harm civic space and violate regional standards. Keeping networks open is critical for transparency and participation.
🔗 achpr.au.int/en/adopted-r...

Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa Foreword

For context and standards, the ACHPR Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly remain a key resource for ensuring that state actions—including during elections—respect regional human rights standards
🔗 achpr.au.int/en/special-m...

Uganda elections 2026: Communications authority imposes an internet blackout ahead of vote The communications authority says the suspension is aimed at preventing misinformation and violence.

3/ Reports of nationwide internet restrictions and selected mobile services raise additional concerns. Such measures can undermine civic space by limiting access to information, hindering independent monitoring, and affecting the ability to participate freely.
www.bbc.com/news/article...

Uganda Suspends Five Prominent Human Rights NGOs, Banks Ordered To Freeze Their Accounts » Business Focus Robert Ssempala, the Executive Director of the Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda/Courtesy photo The Uganda National NGO Bureau has ordered at least five prominent human rights organisations ...

2/ At the same time, recent reports on the suspension of several human rights NGOs underscore the pressures facing civic actors in Uganda today.
More here: businessfocus.co.ug/uganda-suspe...

Elections and Civic Space: Lessons from Africa Election periods in Africa are frequently marred by increased restrictions on civic space, hindering the ability of civil society organizations (CSOs) and other defenders of democracy to ensure that e...

🧵As #Uganda heads into elections, safeguarding civic space is essential. Free and fair elections require an environment where civil society can operate independently, monitor developments, and support public participation.

ICNL’s 2024 analysis offers a timely reminder: www.icnl.org/post/report/...

Kyrgyzstan’s New Assistance Framework Your quick guide to the new approval and oversight system. - 2

📣 New rules for international assistance in #Kyrgyzstan.
What do they mean for organizations planning or implementing development projects?

ICNL breaks down the changes — and the questions that still need clarity.

🔗 Learn more: www.icnl.org/post/analysi...