Background

In its resolution 53/13, the Human Rights Council requested “the High Commissioner to prepare a thematic report that identifies challenges and best practices in regularly assessing civic space trends and contains recommendations with a view to enhancing information-gathering on civic space, and to present the report to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-sixth session.”

Key questions and types of input/comments sought

To prepare the report, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights welcomes relevant information, including:

1. With a view to regularly assessing civic space trends, both offline and online, please specify what data or information is available from official sources (government administrative records, statistical agencies, judicial records, or other official sources) at the national and sub-national levels? For instance, in relation to assessing who participates in public affairs at different levels, what type of information is made available in which languages and how often, who accesses information and on which media/channels, on how laws relating to expression, association, peaceful assembly, online and online, are implemented (including by-laws, sub-national regulations, internal instructions, cases before the courts). Do you make use of citizen-generated data? Do you use other non-official sources to collect information, including digital tools or online platforms?
2. What information or data do your agencies/institutions/organizations collect, record or use on (offline and online) threats and attacks against civil society, including human rights defenders, journalists, trade unionists and from specific population groups (for example: women and girls, children, youth, minorities, indigenous peoples, migrants, older persons, persons with disabilities, LGBTIQ+ etc.)? Do you record threats and attacks against civil society by non-state actors?
3. Would you like to highlight any best practices in assessing offline and online civic space trends in your country or by your institution? What are the main challenges in doing so systematically or on regular basis? Have any measures been taken by relevant agencies, institutions, or organizations to improve data collection at national and sub-national levels, including through investing into data collection capacities and structures, as well as in the context of implementation and measurement of progress under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?