A new analysis by the EU System for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society (EU SEE) highlights the growing global use of “foreign agents” legislation to restrict civic space, limit access to funding and undermine the legitimacy of CSOs. Drawing on evidence from 86 countries through the EU SEE Early Warning Mechanism, it shows how governments increasingly use transparency and national sovereignty narratives to justify burdensome reporting obligations, administrative controls and restrictions on foreign funding. The trend spans countries from Russia to El Salvador, India, Paraguay, Peru and Republika Srpska, contributing to the stigmatisation of civil society and weakening organisations’ ability to conduct advocacy, human rights and public interest work. The analysis underscores the need to protect access to domestic and international funding, strengthen legal safeguards, counter hostile narratives and reinforce international support for an enabling environment for civil society. Read more here.
Source: EU SEE