Fiji

The CIVICUS Monitor upgrades the condition of basic freedoms in Fiji to "Narrowed" from “Obstructed” as government tackles reforms

DECEMBER 4, 2024

The CIVICUS Monitor announced in a new report Wednesday that it has upgraded Fiji’s civic space to "Narrowed” from “Obstructed” in its annual ratings with the expansion of space for civil society and the exercise of fundamental freedoms.

Fiji’s upgraded rating, detailed in the People Power Under Attack 2024 report, reflects steps taken by the government over the last two years to improve civic space, including repealing a restrictive media law used to silence the press since 2010 and reversing politically motivated travel bans against government critics. It also indicates Fiji’s efforts to strengthen the independence of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission and steps taken towards establishing a Truth and Reconciliation commission to address past abuses.

“After years of suppression of critical voices, over the last two years we have witnessed positive steps by the government to end the climate of fear and expand civic space which has contributed to this upgrade," said Josef Benedict, the Asia Pacific Researcher at the CIVICUS Monitor. “Civil society was critical to this progress and must continue to be consulted and engaged with by Fiji’s government if things are to move forward.

The CIVICUS Monitor, which is a research consortium led by global civil society alliance CIVICUS, tracked civic space conditions in 198 countries throughout the year, which it compiled and analysed in People Power Under Attack 2024, released Wednesday. The Monitor determines each country’s rating based on data on incidents collected by civil society groups around the world. Incidents may include protests, censorship, arrests of human rights defenders, harassment, and more. Each country then receives a rating between 0-100 based on its incidents, with higher scores indicating more open civic space.

This year, Fiji’s score improved by 8 points from 56 to 64, moving it to join the ranks of “narrowed” countries worldwide. However, concerns about basic freedoms remain. The Public Order Act has yet to be reviewed and continues to be used by authorities to restrict peaceful assembly and expression. Authorities have denied permission for peaceful protests by civil society on the human rights violations in Palestine and intimidated protesters. Sedition provisions in the Crimes Act that were used by the previous regime to silence journalists and critics have yet to be repealed.

“For FIji to move towards becoming an open country in 2025” continued Benedict. “It must review and repeal all restrictive laws that could be used to stifle critical and oppositional of voices and ensure that the right to peaceful protest including on Palestine is respected and protected by authorities without discrimination

Notes to the Editor:

The CIVICUS Monitor is a research tool that provides quantitative and qualitative data on the state of civil society and civic freedoms in 198 countries and territories. The data is generated through a collaboration with more than 20 civil society research partners, and input from a number of independent human rights evaluations. The data provides the basis for civic space ratings and countries can be rated as either 'Closed', 'Repressed', 'Obstructed', 'Narrowed' or 'Open'.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: media@civicus.org