The International Consortium on Closing Civic Space

The Human Rights Initiative (HRI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) created an international consortium (iCon) of scholars and experts from around the world to conduct research and develop concrete recommendations on how best to address and push back on closing space around civil society. The ultimate goal of iCon is to develop evidence-based solutions that enhance the resilience and sustainability of civil society and broaden constituencies for human rights. The consortium works with a wide variety of stakeholders from civil society, government, and the donor community to implement remedies.

iCon blogs take a deeper look and provide analysis of issues related to closing civic space. The blogs, developed by iCon members, aim to keep the discussions on closing civic space ongoing and shed light on recent attempts to curtail the work of civil society actors. The iCon blog is a useful platform for constructive debates on the centrality of a vibrant civil society.