As reported by EU SEE network members from across the globe in May, the environment in which civil society operates saw significant developments in Hong Kong, along with police crackdowns on free media, funding cuts, legal pressures, attacks on free association, and an increase in instances of negative narrative framing of civil society.
From police crackdowns on newsrooms in Mongolia, the repatriation of 180,000 Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar from Bangladesh, and a series of significant turns in Hong Kong’s continued battle for a free and open civil society, May 2025 was a busy month for global civil society.
There were several emerging new contexts to watch, including restrictions placed on opposition parties in Algeria, conflicts around press freedom and the right to participate in protests in Hong Kong, and a survey showing reduced trust in institutions in Chile.
On the positive side, the Chilean government announced recommendations from the Commission of Peace and Understanding to resolve indigenous land issues, Timor Leste allocated government grants to promote civil society and community development, the courts in Bolivia set a precedent for the protection of environmental defenders, and the Lesotho National Assembly have approved a motion to develop a public participation Bill.
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