The OECD’s work on civic space is anchored in the OECD Recommendation on Open Government and, as such, civic space is understood as an essential facilitator of open government reforms and good governance more broadly. Related activities were drawn together and branded as the OECD Observatory of Civic Space in 2019 to increase the visibility of current and planned work in this area. Since then, OECD Members have explicitly recognised the need to protect and promote civic space as part of Pillar 2 of the OECD Building Trust and Reinforcing Democracy Initiative on enhancing participation, representation and openness in public life.

Civic space is a cornerstone of functioning democracies. Defined as the set of legal, policy, institutional and practical conditions non-governmental actors need to access information, express themselves, associate, organise and participate in public life, civic space is anchored in international and national legal frameworks and benefits the whole of society.

This chapter introduces the concept of civic space and its significance as a precondition for democratic governance and inclusive citizen and stakeholder participation. It reviews the OECD’s growing body of work on the protection and promotion of civic space. It provides an overview of the report, in addition to a summary of the methodology. Finally, it reviews the state of civic space in OECD Members and presents selected key findings from the report, in addition to ten high-level recommendations.

This chapter provides an overview of the status of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association and the right to privacy as cornerstones of democratic life. It discusses related legal protections and exceptions to the full enjoyment of these rights, followed by a review of implementation trends, challenges and opportunities, including in the context of COVID-19. It examines discrimination as an obstacle to equal participation in public policy making. It reviews legal frameworks and practices protecting human rights defenders. Finally, it examines the types of mechanisms that exist to counter violations of civic freedoms, including oversight and complaints bodies and the role of public communication in promoting civic space.

This chapter provides an overview of the fundamental right to access information as a key element of civic space and open government. It first outlines the role of access to information as a right, its intersection with other civic freedoms, and how the right is protected and promoted through international treaties and conventions. The chapter then focuses on the legal framework for access to information (ATI), including constitutional recognition and ATI laws, and how their various provisions can be more effectively implemented to foster civic space. Finally, it outlines trends, challenges and opportunities for strengthening the right to access information.

This chapter provides an overview of the status of press freedom and civic space in a digitalised world, including relevant legal frameworks. It discusses harassment and attacks targeting journalists and makes suggestions on building the necessary enabling environment for reliable, fact-based journalism. It considers the protection of online civic space for citizens and related challenges such as hate speech and mis- and disinformation. It concludes with an analysis of the importance of personal data protection for civic space and safeguarding civic freedoms in the context of increased use of artificial intelligence (AI).

This chapter explores the measures countries can take to foster an enabling environment for civil society. It examines legal and regulatory frameworks governing the establishment and operations of civil society organisations (CSOs), in addition to registration requirements and appeal mechanisms. It focuses on good practice in improving the enabling environment through government strategies to protect civil society and offer support in the aftermath of COVID-19. It discusses key challenges such as Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs). It examines support for civic space as part of development co-operation. It also assesses key regional challenges and opportunities within Africa, the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean, providing proposals for consideration.

This OECD report, The Protection and Promotion of Civic Space: Strengthening Alignment with International Standards and Guidance, is based on data collected through the 2020 OECD Survey on Open Government (hereafter “the Survey”) and desk research. The Survey was primarily aimed at monitoring the implementation of the 2017 OECD Recommendation of the Council on Open Government. The Survey was sent to 67 OECD Members and non-Members in November 2020 (43 Adherents to the Recommendation and 24 non-Adherents).. This document as well as any data and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. It builds on the mandate of the OECD Public Governance Committee and draws on the OECD Civic Space Scan Analytical Framework in the Area of Open Government (GOV/PGC/OG(2020)6).