Research Partners

The CIVICUS Monitor is a collaborative research initiative, bringing together civil society experts and organisations from across the globe. Each of these organisations plays a vital role in keeping information on this platform up-to-date, accurate and grounded in local realities. The following are our core research partners. You can click on the partner's name to visit their website:

Asia Democracy Network (ADN)

A civil society led multi-stakeholders’ platform of democracy advocates and human rights defenders dedicated to the strengthening of democracy and human rights.

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)

FORUM-ASIA is a regional human rights group with 67 member organisations in 21 countries across Asia. FORUM-ASIA has offices in Bangkok, Jakarta, Geneva and Kathmandu. The organisation addresses key areas of human rights violations in the region, including freedoms of expression, assembly and association, human rights defenders, and democratisation.

Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)

The AHRC is an independent, non-governmental body, which seeks to promote greater awareness and realisation of human rights in the Asian region, and to mobilise Asian and international public opinion to obtain relief and redress for the victims of human rights violations. AHRC promotes civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights.

Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND)

A regional network, working in 12 Arab countries, with nine national networks, which between them have a membership of 250 civil society organisations from different backgrounds, and 23 CSO members. ANND was established in 1997 and has been headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon since 2000.

Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) 

BCSDN aims to empower civil society and influence European and national policies towards a more enabling environment for civil society development, in order to ensure sustainable and functioning democracies in Balkan countries.

Charity & Security Network (CSN)

CSN's mission is to protect civil society’s ability to carry out peacebuilding, humanitarian aid and human rights and development work without being unduly constrained by counterterrorism laws and policies.

DefendDefenders

DefendDefenders (the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project) seeks to strengthen the work of human rights defenders throughout the East and Horn of Africa by reducing their vulnerability to the risk of persecution and enhancing their capacity to defend human rights.

European Civic Forum (ECF)

The European Civic Forum (ECF) is a transnational network that brings together over 100 associations and NGOs across 27 countries in Europe, actively working on issues such as citizenship education, defence of human rights and the advocacy of democracy.

Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)

GCHR is an independent, non-profit NGO that provides support and protection to human rights defenders in order to promote human rights, including but not limited to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. GCHR is based in Lebanon and documents the environment for human rights defenders in the Gulf region and neighbouring countries, specifically Bahrain, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. GCHR was founded in 2011.

Human Rights Defenders Alert (HRDA)

Human Rights Defenders Alert – India (HRDA) is a network of concerned citizens promoting and protecting human rights while focusing on strengthening human rights defenders. HRDA has five regional desks in North, West, East, South and North-East of India. HRDA identifies cases of attacks, threats, detention and disappearances etc. of HRDs in their regions, does fact checking and based on the details, submits urgent appeal for action to the National Human Rights Commission India, concerned police and administrative authorities and in several cases, to the concerned United Nations Special Rapporteurs, as well as specialised international organisations working for HRDs. HRDA has a membership of over 2000 HRDs has intervened in over 500 cases in past five years.

International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR)

IPHR works closely with civil society groups from the former Soviet Union to raise human rights concerns at the international level and promote respect for the rights of vulnerable communities. IPHR cooperates with the following organisations on providing updates to CIVICUS Monitor: Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights, the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia, Legal Prosperity Foundation as well as other Central Asian human rights groups and defenders.

Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties)

Liberties is a non-governmental organisation promoting the civil liberties of everyone in the European Union (EU). Liberties, together with its members, carries out advocacy, campaigning and public education activities.

Media Institute of the Caribbean

The Media Institute of the Caribbean is a non-profit organisation, resource and training facility serving the Pan-Caribbean region. We provide media resources and training for journalists to adapt to the evolving industry to strengthen investigative techniques and leadership skills.

Pacific Islands Association of NGOs (PIANGO)

PIANGO is a regional network of CSO coordinating bodies based in 22 Pacific island countries and territories.

Rendir Cuentas

Rendir Cuentas is a group of CSOs in Latin America and the Caribbean that have joined together to promote transparency and accountability. Rendir Cuentas is hosted by the Instituto de Comunicación y Desarrollo (ICD), a regional civil society organisation based in Uruguay that promotes citizen participation and civil society's involvement in democracy and development.

Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe para la Democracia (REDLAD)

REDLAD is a non-profit platform of more than 480 CSOs, networks, activists, academics and others in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Reseau des Plateformes Nationales d’ONG d’Afrique Centrale (REPONGAC)

REPONGAC is a network of national CSO platforms in Central Africa aiming to promote good governance and economic and social development, and to raise civil society's influence over policy in a free democratic space.

Réseau des Défenseurs des Droits Humains en Afrique Centrale (REDHAC)

REDHAC is a Central Africa Human Rights Defenders Network that focuses on the rights and protection of human rights defenders in Central Africa.

Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network

SAHRDN is the regional human rights defenders network comprising of representatives from human rights organisations in ten countries in Southern Africa.

SOLIDAR

SOLIDAR is a European network of CSOs working to advance social justice in Europe and worldwide.

West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI)

Established by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) in 2005 to reinforce the capacities of civil society in West Africa. WACSI became operational in July 2007.

West Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (WAHRDN)

WAHRDN is a regional network formed in Dakar, Senegal in 2005 to support the work of human rights defenders in West Africa.