To prepare the report, OHCHR conducted an online survey during February-March 2026, to which responses were received from 16 Member States, 14 national human rights institutions, and over 240 civil society and other actors.  The online survey was also complemented by desk research and targeted consultations with civil society.

States highlighted a range of good practices to create and sustain an enabling environment for civil society. These included institutionalized public participation mechanisms such as citizens’ assemblies, parliamentary networks, public consultations, electronic petition systems and participatory governance platforms; stronger transparency and access-to-information frameworks with independent review and digital monitoring systems; protection measures for journalists and human rights defenders, including relocation schemes, protection mechanisms, legal safeguards and reporting systems; and practical support for civil society through flexible, multi-year funding, direct grants, tax incentives and structured engagement channels. Collectively, these practices seek to make decision-making more participatory, transparent, safe and accessible while strengthening the sustainability and independence of civil society actors.

Civil society organizations and national human rights institutions reported a broad deterioration of civic space characterized by shrinking freedoms, increasing criminalization and securitization of civic action, restrictive administrative and funding measures, growing digital surveillance and online repression, stigmatization of civil society actors, and rising barriers to meaningful participation. They highlighted the cumulative impact of restrictive laws, burdensome registration and reporting requirements, “foreign agent” frameworks, funding cuts, surveillance technologies, disinformation, crackdowns on protests, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), and transnational repression, all of which contribute to self-censorship, weakened civil society sustainability, and reduced public influence over decision-making processes. Globally, between 2015 and 2025, at least 5,995 human rights defenders, journalists, and trade unionists were killed or subjected to enforced disappearance. Collectively, these trends and restrictions, both online and offline, create a chilling effect!

All responses to the online survey are acknowledged with gratitude! The following Member States, national human rights institutions, international and regional organizations, and civil society organizations have contributed to the report

States

1. Albania
2. Algeria
3. Angola
4. Armenia
5. Azerbaijan
6. Bosnia and Herzegovina
7. Chile
8. Ireland
9. Italy
10. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
11. Kuwait
12. Maldives
13. Mexico
14. Romania
15. Switzerland
16. Uzbekistan

National human rights institutions

1. Albania: Ombudsman Institution
2. Azerbaijan: Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman)
3. Bahrain: National Human Rights Commission
4. Belgium: The Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights
5. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Institute of Human Rights Ombudsman
6. Denmark: Danish Institute for Human Rights
7. Egypt: National Council for Human Rights
8. Finland: Human Rights Centre
9. Guatemala: Procuraduría de los derechos humanos
10. Iraq: High Commission for Human Rights
11. The Netherlands: Institute for Human Rights
12. Slovakia: National Centre for Human Rights
13. Spain: Defensor del Pueblo
14. Zambia: Human Rights Commission

International and regional organizations

1. Council of Europe
2. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
3. United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs

Civil society organizations

The below list includes the contributions by international and regional NGOs. In addition, numerous responses were received from individuals and local and national civil society organizations from all regions. We would like to warmly thank all contributors.

1. Access Now
2. Accountable Now
3. ActionAid chapter
4. Americas TB Coalition
5. Amnesty International chapter
6. Caritas chapter
7. Center for Global Nonkilling
8. Centre for Law and Democracy
9. Centre for Reproductive Rights
10. Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa
11. Derechos Digitales
12. Edmund Rice International
13. End Female Genital Mutilation EU
14. Espoir Pour la Solidarité
15. European Centre for Not-for-Profit Law
16. Eurasian Harm Reduction Association
17. Eurasian Movement for the Right to Health in Prisons
18. FIAN chapter
19. Fundación para el Debido Proceso
20. Fundación Tendiendo Puentes en Centroamérica
21. Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC
22. Good Governance Africa
23. Human Rights House Foundation
24. Human Rights Measurement Initiative
25. IFEX – The Global Network Defending and Promoting Free Expression
26. International Center for Not-for-Profit Law
27. International Dalit Solidarity Network
28. International Drug Policy Consortium
29. International Lawyers Assisting Workers Network
30. International Movement ATD Fourth World
31. Ipas Latinoamérica y el Caribe
32. "Our Rights Our Future!" Consortium
33. Oxfam chapter
34. Paradigm Initiative
35. PartnersGlobal
36. Power for Democracies
37. Protection International
38. Réseau des Plateformes Nationales d'ONG d'Afrique Centrale
39. Réseau Ouest Africain des Défenseurs des Droits Humains
40. Resource Justice Network
41. SMEX (Social Media Exchange)
42. The Journalists and Writers Foundation
43. Transparency International chapters
44. World Organization Against Torture