Background: The Human Rights House in Bergen 2002

Shrinking or closing civic space is not a new phenomenon for the OSCE region. Civil society across the region has been raising the alarm about attacks on democracy, rule of law, and human rights for decades.

The operating space for civil society organizations in Serbia is under severe threat, as human rights defenders and activists face escalating pressures ranging from smear campaigns to physical assaults.

At the OSCE’s second Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting of the year, HRHF highlighted issue of GONGOs within the multilateral system and the role they play in challenging human rights and liberal democratic narratives, including at the OSCE’s human dimension pillar proceedings.