The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves the review of the human rights record of all 192 UN Member States once every four-and-half year. It was created by the UN General Assembly in 2006. The UPR offers an opportunity for the States to report on how they have fulfilled their obligations under the most important international human rights instruments. In addition, the UPR is a potentially powerful tool to improve the human rights situation in all countries and to address human rights violations wherever they occur. In this review process, the UN pays special attention to the information submitted by non-governmental organizations. Civilsociety organizations including members of the Civilisation coalition aim to assist the UN to better assess Hungary’s human rights performance by contributing to alternative reports within the framework of the UPR.

The European Civic Forum responded to the European Commission Rule of Law consultation. They covered 12 EU countries and proposed a methodology to structure civic space issues inside the RoL report. Feel free to share it and use it as it best serves you!

On 10 November 2020, the Parliamentary Committee of Justice Affairs submitted Bill T/13631 to the Parliament, proposing to abolish Hungary's equality body, the Equal Treatment Authority,[1] and transferring its tasks and competences to the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights (Hungary’s Ombudsperson)[2] as of 1 January 2021. Hungarian NGOs warn that this step is not only unnecessary and unjustified, but may also weaken the level of human rights protection in Hungary.

In its survey, the Civilization Coalition sought to map changes in the operation, activities and management of CSOs in order to obtain a more accurate picture of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and its political and economic consequences on the civil sphere.

We call on the European Commission to pay attention, in all the initiatives it takes, to including the CSOs in order to give them the place they deserve.

A case study about Civilizáció published by the International Civil Society Centre.

A new study, commissioned by Civilisation coalition and Political Capital broughts more detailed, and in some way unexpected results. Although there are unclarities as to what civil society comprises of, more than one tenth of the respondents (or someone they directly know) has already received help from a civil society organisation (CSO). Conversely, many people are ready to help CSOs: every third respondent has already supported an organisation and 70 percent of people are willing to do so in the future.

We, the undersigned civil society organisations working in the Civilisation Coalition, stand up for the freedom of research guaranteed by the Fundamental Law, and express our solidarity with researchers and organisations opposing the Government’s plans for the operation and financing of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Everyone is a ‘civil’ who makes efforts to make our world and Hungary a better and more livable place, where everyone's dignity and rights are respected, and where no one is left behind. To do this, we must preserve our independence, and guarantee the freedom of opinion and worldview, as well as a peaceful and fearless atmosphere that is in the interest of all of us. It is the duty of the Hungarian government to create these, and it is our, the citizen’s responsibility to participate in the shaping and preservation of these.

On Tuesday, 13 June, after two postponed votes, the Hungarian Parliament adopted the Law on the Transparency of Foreign Funded Organisations. The community of civil society organisations united in the Civilizáció campaign continue to believe that the law is unnecessary, stigmatising and harmful. Unnecessary, because Hungarian civil society organisations are already transparent in their operations, provide accurate information about their donors and finances in annual reports and carry out their activities before the public. Stigmatising, because the law implies that organisations which work for the benefit of Hungarian society by receiving foreign grants for their work pose a threat to the country. Harmful, because it undermines mutual trust in society and questions the right to freedom of expression.

On Tuesday, 13 June, after two postponed votes, the Hungarian Parliament adopted the Law on the Transparency of Foreign Funded Organisations. The community of civil society organisations united in the Civilizáció campaign continue to believe that the law is unnecessary, stigmatising and harmful. Unnecessary, because Hungarian civil society organisations are already transparent in their operations, provide accurate information about their donors and finances in annual reports and carry out their activities before the public. Stigmatising, because the law implies that organisations which work for the benefit of Hungarian society by receiving foreign grants for their work pose a threat to the country. Harmful, because it undermines mutual trust in society and questions the right to freedom of expression.