Split screen iimage showing a Ukrainian man traversing over the rubble of a youth center in Chernihiv, Ukraine that was destroyed by an aerial bomb, a refugee camp from Number of Refugees Who Fled Sudan for Chad, and two Palestinian boys sitting atop a pile of rubble that used to be their home.
Image Credit: photos by Mohammed Ibrahim on Unsplash, Anzhela Bets on Unsplash, Henry Wilkins via VOA, and Steve Sandford via VOA

“Civil society is being tested like never before by a series of multiple and accelerating crises” (4).

So begins the 2024 State of Civil Society Report by Civicus, a global alliance of organizations dedicated to preserving and strengthening civil society—a broad term referring to the many non-governmental institutions, from nonprofits and NGOs to unions to social movements, that work to represent and advocate for the people.

The latest report from Civicus is, sadly, not for the faint of heart. Building on themes identified in its 2023 report, Civicus describes a world that continues to be “plagued by conflict and crises, including of democratic values and institutions, but in which civil society works to hold the line in difficult times” (2).

A staggering 72 percent of all people, the report states, live under authoritarian regimes. And civil society—the purpose of which is as much to advocate for those people as it is to support those in stronger democracies—is being targeted amid increasing global conflict:

Civil society is under attack amid deepening and intensifying conflict. In too many countries, people can’t take the most fundamental rights for granted. When they wake in the morning they can’t assume they’ll live to see another day. One in six people are currently exposed to conflict. Conflict-related deaths are at their highest in decades, with civilian casualties up 62 per cent in 2023. Global military spending rose a record US$2.2 trillion. The spectre of genocide has returned (4).

The 2024 report, which reviews data from the prior year, documents many fronts where civil society is under siege, as well as the many examples of this sector drawing upon resourcefulness to stand up to these adversarial forces.

Across the globe, regions gripped by conflict are multiplying. The report highlights ongoing crises in places like Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and Myanmar, where one tragic commonality is that civilians bear the brunt of violence.

The report condemns a multitude of actors—both nonstate and state—who ignore human rights laws and utilize brutal tactics like starvation, displacement, and sexual violence as weapons of war.

But as the report emphasizes, these groups are being targeted for this very work.

Threats to US Civil Society

These threats to civil society include the United States. The report criticizes an inconsistent application of human rights standards, notably regarding the Israel–Palestine conflict where, the authors argue, the United States has ignored evidence of war crimes.

By contrast, the United States has attempted to hold Russia accountable for alleged war crimes in its conflict with Ukraine. Such selective advocacy, the report argues, undermines global human rights standards.

Among the other threats to civil society, the report highlights:

  • The expansion of laws restricting abortion rights
  • A persistent backlash against LGBTQ+ rights
  • The increased politicization of migration politics (the report specifically calls out an election-year policy of resuming deportations to Venezuela) and the ongoing potential for brutal policies, especially at border crossings

Civil Society Stepping Forward

Despite facing repression and violence, the report does note that civil society worldwide showed remarkable resilience in 2023, detailing how organizations have continued to provide essential support in conflict zones (Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and Myanmar).

In these areas, civil society plays a critical role in offering humanitarian aid, documenting human rights abuses, and advocating for peace, often at great risk to personnel.

For instance, in Ukraine, local organizations are not only delivering aid to civilians but also building a comprehensive evidence base for international war crimes investigations. Meanwhile, in Gaza and Sudan, activists work tirelessly to support displaced communities. Both show how civil society remains a powerful force for accountability and human rights, even—or especially—in the darkest circumstances.

Civil society’s resilience is also evident in its response to global democratic and environmental crises, the report notes, applauding the fact that groups have persisted in pushing for democratic freedoms and climate action despite increasing restrictions.

In regions with growing anti-rights movements, civil society is standing firm against regressive policies on gender and LGBTQ+ rights, achieving significant, if incremental, victories.

In countries where protest rights are increasingly restricted, such as Germany and the United Kingdom, activists still found ways to mobilize public opinion and demand urgent climate reforms, often winning key legal battles.

Through grassroots organizing, litigation, and advocacy, civil society continues to confront authoritarianism and resist attempts to silence progressive voices.

Reforms Needed

The crises we face today are exacerbated by failing global governance structures, according to Civicus.

The report highlights how institutions like the United Nations are increasingly paralyzed by powerful states that use their influence to block meaningful action, especially around conflicts and human rights abuses:

International rules are supposed to make sure atrocities such as those being systematically perpetrated in Gaza don’t happen, and if they do, they’re quickly halted and those responsible face justice. But the key United Nations (UN) body, the Security Council, is immobilised by powerful states using their veto. Among those who hold the cards, principled and empathetic leadership is in short supply, as are humility and a willingness to listen (5).

In other words, the UN Security Council remains deadlocked on critical issues like the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine due to the veto power wielded by its permanent members. In response, Civicus advocates for reforms that limit the veto’s obstructive impact and give civil society a more prominent seat at the table.

Civil society, the report emphasizes, brings valuable perspectives and solutions that are often overlooked. Incorporating these insights could significantly strengthen global responses to crises.

Civil Society Will Persevere

Although the report paints a bleak, disappointing picture on many fronts, as the authors point out, “things could have been much worse without civil society’s steadfast defense” (135).

Around the world, civil society stood up against challenges by protesting, campaigning, showing solidarity, and lobbying for better laws. Though global progress took a step back, many landmark gains withstood the attrition.

As the report concludes, “In 2024 and beyond, civil society will persevere and once again look to make breakthroughs wherever it can and as opportunities arise.”