2026-03-26
Great Lakes When art transforms environmental challenges into opportunitiesIn the African Great Lakes region, initiatives combining craftsmanship, art, and citizen mobilization are transforming major ecological challenges into economic and social opportunities. Faced with environmental urgency, these initiatives demonstrate a strong commitment to taking concrete action.
Influence
2026-03-22
Civil society from over 80 countries unite to shape solutions across bordersCivil society leaders from over 80 countries are gathering in Siem Reap, Cambodia, for the 2026 Forus General Assembly, a unique platform where global civil society comes together to share knowledge, collaborate, and design actionable solutions for today’s most urgent social, environmental, and governance challenges.
Influence
2026-03-13
Democracy needs women: Feminist leadership in times of shrinking enabling environments for civil societyThe erosion of women’s rights to organize, speak, and lead is not collateral damage. It is an early warning sign of democratic decline. When women are pushed out of public life, – whether through legal restrictions, economic exclusion, media stereotypes or online harassment, – democratic institutions lose legitimacy and resilience.
Influence
2026-03-12
Rethinking Statutes of Limitations in Child Sexual Abuse Cases in TaiwanIn Taiwan, if sexual assault cases are categorized by the age of the victim, cases involving children and adolescents account for the largest proportion, representing more than half of all cases. Among these cases, the younger the victim, the more likely the perpetrator is a family member. For example, in sexual assault cases involving children under the age of six, as many as 57% of perpetrators are family members.
Influence
2026-03-08
The New Development Bank (NDB) at 10: Time to Build Meaningful PartnershipsAs global development finance undergoes a period of rebalancing, the BRICS-led New Development Bank (NDB) has emerged as one of the most visible alternatives to institutions historically shaped by advanced economies. Established in 2015 by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the Bank was designed to expand financing options for infrastructure and sustainable development across emerging market and developing countries. A decade on, as its membership broadens and its lending portfolio grows, the central question is no longer whether the NDB represents a shift in global governance — but how that shift is being institutionalized in practice.
Influence
2026-03-08
When women organise, democracy survives: Why gender justice cannot be a casualty of global crisesThis March, as the world marks International Women’s Day, women’s rights organizations are not waiting to be recognised — they are leading movements, defending rights, and redefining what democracy looks like.
Influence
2026-03-05
Upholding International Law, Protecting Civilians and Preventing Further Regional Escalation in the Middle EastForus, a global network of 74 National NGO Platforms and 7 Regional NGO Coalitions, expresses deep concern about the rapidly escalating war in the Middle East. Civilian lives are being lost, humanitarian needs are intensifying, and the risk of a further escalation is growing by the hour.
Support
2024-05-27
Democracy, civic space and fundamental freedoms are under attack, but civil society is here to stayAccording to research, elections in many jurisdictions have been affected by violence and arbitrary arrests, targeting opposition candidates and political leaders, as well as civil society, human rights defenders, journalists, media workers and election observers. At the same time political misrepresentation and manipulation online is a known concern.
2022-10-19
Public Development Banks can’t drag their feet when it comes to building a sustainable futureA coalition of civil society organisations is demanding public development banks (PDBs) to take radical and innovative steps to tackle human rights violations and environmental destruction. No project funded by PDBs should come at the expenses of vulnerable groups, the environment and collective liberties, but should instead embody the voices of communities, democratic values and environmental justice.
2021-10-18
“Transparency, Inclusiveness and Sustainability”: 3 things Public Development Banks must not forget about at this year’s Finance in Common Summit.Over 500 public development banks will convene on the occasion of the second edition of the Finance in Common Summit on October 19-20 in Italy, ahead of the Italian Presidency of the G20 and the COP26 conference on climate change. Ahead of the summit, a coalition of civil society organisations is demanding from public development banks that they transform the way they work for it to be based on human rights, community-led development as well as climate and social justice principles.
Influence
2020-11-12
Can the Finance in Common Summit be a key step towards a different model of development? We hope so.Far from the finishing line, but one step further towards building a sustainable future for all.
2020-11-12
Failing to deliver strong commitments, civil society groups call the Finance in Common summit a wasted opportunityPublic Development Banks now have a great collective responsibility to deliver concrete roadmaps and actions to make sure the announcements do not remain an empty shell.
2020-11-09
A Future in Common: Public development banks must put people and planet firstOn the occasion of the Finance in Common Summit 320+ civil society organisations signed a joint statement urging public development banks to transform their financing models.
2020-07-17
New Report looks at Civic Space in Times of COVIDShrinking civic space, "muted” civil society, could be among the biggest rights challenges in post Covid-19 times.
2020-07-17
Report: Civil Society Delivers Key Recommendations for Capacity DevelopmentForus and its members are urging accelerated action on capacity development for civil society organisations (CSOs) around the world. Capacity development was not mentioned at all by over one third of governments submitting their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) on progress in implementing the SDGs.
2020-07-14
Report: Civil Society Delivers Key Recommendations for Capacity DevelopmentDelivering on the Capacity Development of Civil Society and other Stakeholders to ensure a successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda - An analysis of the 2017 & 2018 VNRs to evaluate what national governments are doing in this area
2020-04-03
Forus appoints new Director Sarah Strack as Magda Toma leavesFrom end of March 2020, Sarah Strack took over and became the new Director of the network.
