3. Supporting Civil Society – Defending international norms
Independent civil society groups are essential in promoting democratic values and practices. In 2024, the NHC continued to support partners who promote and protect human rights in hostile, authoritarian environments. In 2012, Russia introduced its now infamous Foreign Agent Law. The Kremlin has used it to marginalise and destroy civil society. Similar laws are being adopted in authoritarian states across Europe and Central Asia. Cooperating with foreign donors and partners, like the NHC, has become more difficult but also more important. As an experienced and reliable partner, the NHC has an important role in keeping civil society alive and connected at a time when anti-democratic forces are strong.
We do this to ensure that civil society actors have effective tools and capacity to challenge authorities domestically and internationally on human rights issues.
In 2024, we have supported more than 80 initiatives by organisations working on fundamental human rights such as media freedom, election observation, justice reforms, rule of law, detention conditions, equal rights, LGBTIQ rights, freedom of religion or belief, countering disinformation, legal support to various at-risk groups, and documentation of violations.
One aim is for these organisations to be able to engage with various stakeholders, from the general public to local and national authorities and international organisations. Needless to say, this aim is practically impossible in some countries. Nevertheless, we are continuously impressed by the resilience and perseverance of our partners, who often achieve the unimaginable.
In Azerbaijan, in an environment of increasing state repression of fundamental freedoms, political participation and total control of media, two online media groups with large numbers of followers provide much-needed discussion space for vulnerable groups and CSO representatives. This space allows for sharing and receiving uncensored information and allows participants to articulate their views on various matters in a way impossible elsewhere. These platforms are significant because they offer wider space for the dissenting and marginalized voices to be openly shared and discussed without government interference and censorship.
To promote democratic development, our partners also aim to engage local and national decision-makers to improve laws and policies, proposing recommendations and human rights-based policy measures in support of various target groups.
In Armenia, the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor (HCAV) has long been working for a systemic improvement of detention facilities in the country. A significant achievement came in 2024 when all recommendations made by the organization were accepted by the Armenia Ministry of Internal Affairs when developing new procedures for public control over places of detention and temporary accommodation centres for asylum seekers. The Ministry also accepted all recommendations on the composition and competence of the group of public observers of places of detention. This is significant because the adopted procedures allow the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor to train and include new observers in public bodies of control of closed institutions. The trainings use a manual developed in a previous stage of the project cooperation between NHC and HCAV for training and monitoring places of detention․
Likewise, our partners also aim to engage and influence authorities' actions, holding them accountable for their actions. These are long-term initiatives where preparing, filing, and sustaining court cases can take years. Many of our partners have been doing this work relentlessly. In many cases, even small verdicts can be outstanding achievements, particularly for those involved.
The Human Rights Center in Georgia has been working to protect the rights of internally displaced people in their fight against impunity for the war crimes committed in August 2008. One employee of the Agency for internally displaced people in Tbilisi was unlawfully dismissed and turned to the Center for legal support. The Human Rights Center filed a case on behalf of this person and won. The Court ordered the Agency under the Ministry of Internally Displaced People to pay compensation and to reimburse lost salary during the months of dismissal.
Freedom for Eurasia has been working for several years on collecting and reviewing evidence and material on the situation in Tajikistan between 2010 and 2025. Evidence collected bears the hallmarks of crime against humanity characterised by systematic gross human rights abuses perpetrated over a period of twenty years (murder, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, forced displacement, persecution and other inhumane acts). This work is significant because it has allowed the collection of a dossier of evidence for a legal campaign at the international level, with a draft for submission to the International Criminal Court being ready.
We have supported many more significant initiatives that allow organisations to address human rights challenges, create awareness of human rights abuses, demand accountability and fight disinformation. The NHC’s approach to strengthening civil society includes long-term, close cooperation with local CSOs, including financial support, support
joint activities, capacity building of administrative skills, advocacy, and more. We consider the organisations we work with to be our strategic partners, meaning that cooperation continues beyond the timeframes of concrete projects. This trusted approach has resulted in an extensive, stable network of partners through various cooperation forms throughout a wide geographical area.
EEA Grants
For almost twenty years, the NHC has served as coordinator for Norwegian civil society under the EEA Grant’s Active Citizens Fund (ACF). ACF ended in 2024. The NHC has facilitated cooperation and meetings between Norwegian civil society groups and NGOs from Central and Eastern Europe in order to enhance visibility, accessibility, and user engagement and share information on opportunities and open calls. We have organised study trips and bridged networks, which have led to shared projects.
The ACF period ended with the Bergen Local Media Forum in June, where we brought together journalists and media professionals from Norway and Central and Eastern Europe. The consultations pinpointed support for local media and freedom of the press. ACF has played a crucial role for the support and development of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe, and we welcome the start of a new program period, hopefully in second half of 2025