The CIVICUS Monitor, a research initiative led by the global civil society alliance CIVICUS, assessed the state of civic space in 198 countries over the past year.

Its findings are detailed in the report People Power Under Attack 2024, which was released last week.

The monitor assigns each country a score based on data collected from civil society organisations worldwide, documenting incidents such as protests, censorship, arrests of human rights defenders, and harassment.

Countries are rated on a scale from 0 to 100, with higher scores reflecting more open and inclusive civic spaces.

The report revealed that CIVICUS has improved Fiji’s civic space rating from “Obstructed” to “Narrowed” in its annual assessment, citing increased opportunities for civil society engagement and greater respect for fundamental freedoms.

Fiji’s upgraded rating, highlighted in the People Power Under Attack 2024 report, acknowledges significant government efforts over the past two years to enhance civic space.

These include repealing a restrictive media law that suppressed press freedom since 2010 and lifting politically motivated travel bans on government critics.

The upgrade also reflects progress in strengthening the independence of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission and advancing plans to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address historical injustices.

“After years of suppression of critical voices, over the last two years we have witnessed positive steps by the government to end the climate of fear and expand civic space which has contributed to this upgrade,” said Josef Benedict, the Asia Pacific Researcher at the CIVICUS Monitor.

“Civil society was critical to this progress and must continue to be consulted and engaged with by Fiji’s government if things are to move forward.”

This year, Fiji’s civic space score increased by 8 points, rising from 56 to 64, and earning it a place among “narrowed” countries globally. However, challenges to basic freedoms persist.

According to the report, the Public Order Act remains unrevised and continues to be used by authorities to limit peaceful assembly and expression.

It also highlighted that authorities have denied civil society permission on certain occasions to hold peaceful protests on human rights violations in Palestine and have intimidated demonstrators.

Additionally, the report points out that sedition provisions in the Crimes Act, previously employed to suppress journalists and critics under the former regime, have yet to be repealed.

“For Fiji to progress toward becoming an open country in 2025,” Benedict stated,

“It must review and repeal restrictive laws that suppress critical and dissenting voices. Additionally, authorities must respect and protect the right to peaceful protest, including demonstrations on issues like Palestine, without discrimination.”

Asia-Pacific outlook

In the Pacific, civic space conditions are generally more favourable, with seven countries classified as ‘Open’ and five rated as ‘Narrowed.’ However, Papua New Guinea and Nauru remain in the ‘Obstructed’ category.

However, the report noted that the most common violation of civic freedoms in the Asia-Pacific region was the detention of protesters over the past year. Activists demonstrated on various issues, including demands for democratic reforms, labor rights, environmental justice, and an end to human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The report stated that in numerous instances, security forces responded with excessive force, resulting in injuries and, in some cases, unlawful killings.

Censorship remains a significant concern in the region, particularly in China, which operates one of the world’s most advanced censorship systems.

Other countries where censorship was reported include North Korea, Myanmar, Pakistan, and India.

Authorities frequently restricted access to state-critical information by blocking TV broadcasts and news portals, limiting access to social media apps, suspending mobile internet services, and targeting journalists and media outlets.

Censorship intensified in Pakistan and Bangladesh ahead of elections and in the Pacific, similar concerns were noted in Nauru and the Solomon Islands.