"Shrinking Space is Top Concern of Civil Society", 3 Jan 2017

Preserving and expanding the political space for civil society in monitoring sustainable development is the top concern of civil society organisations worldwide, according to an online consultation by Civil20 (C20). More than 60% voted for the issue “the role of civil society and participation” to express the concern that civil society space is shrinking in many regions of the world, including in well-established democracies and G20 member countries. Thus, this will become a top demand by the C20 and a cross-cutting issue for the working groups. Through an online survey, participants were asked to vote for which issues they wanted to see the G20 take action on in 2017. People from 56 countries took part...representing almost 300 organisations from all parts of civil society and from all over the world...[Civil society] positions will be presented to the G20 Sherpas at the Sherpa Meeting on 23-24 March 2017. They will also be taken up in the C20 Communiqué that will be enacted at the C20 Summit on 18-19 June 2017 in Hamburg.