When the 19 member countries and the EU gathered in Hamburg, on 7 and 8 July 2017, for the G20 Summit, one important topic was not on the agenda: from China to Mexico, Turkey to Russia, Saudi Arabia to India – the respect for fundamental human rights can no longer be taken for granted. This also holds true for some EU member states such as Hungary or Poland. Freedom of expression, assembly and association are universal human rights enshrined in international law. They are the backbone of any democracy worth its name. What we are currently witnessing is an unprecedented clamp down on civil society activists, human rights defenders, journalists, bloggers, unionists, and dissenting political voices. Their space for action is under attack, it is shrinking. And in reality spaces are not just shrinking anymore, in most places civic spaces are closed. More information is available here.
Source: Disrupt & Innovate