Summary

In its resolution 53/13, the Human Rights Council requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 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.

Based on inputs from States and civil society, combined with desk research, the report explores the roles played by different actors and identifies key civic space elements common to different assessment frameworks, as well as gaps and challenges. In conclusion, the High Commissioner calls on states to increase access to relevant data, draws attention to the need to ensure that contributors to civic space assessments on the ground can do their work safely and recommends stepping up work on assessing trends relative to online civic space.