The right of citizens to form associations and receive funding to pursue their missions is enshrined in international human rights law. Yet, in recent years an increasing number of states have adopted or amended laws and regulations constraining the right of CSOs to access funding, particularly foreign funding. These measures severely constrain the ability of CSOs to implement programs that serve their communities and threaten their sustainability. Recognizing this negative impact, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association published a report in June 2022, asserting that the right for civil society “to freely access human, material and financial resources –from domestic, foreign, and international sources – is inherent in the right to freedom of association and essential to the existence and effective operations of any association.” Read more here.
Source: World Movement for Democracy