Civil society in Rwanda, weakened by many years of government intimidation and interference, is facing further challenges ahead of Rwanda’s July 2024 general elections. A draft nongovernmental organization (NGO) bill would place severe limitations on civic space and the right to freedom of association in a country where human rights organizations have historically been unable to publicly document violations by state agents. The bill received no opposing votes at its first reading in a parliament
On 31 March 2024, in response to a Call for Inputs on the Study to Assess the Level of Compliance of National Legislations with the Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) filed a submission on the existing legal framework relating t
Commissioner Rémy Lumbu is urging member states to develop, adopt and implement robust laws, policies and programmes for the protection of human rights defenders.