Fundamental freedoms are under attack in countries and regions around the world, according to a report released Tuesday by CIVICUS Monitor, a global civil society alliance.

The report, entitled “People Power Under Attack 2018,” details the crisis facing civic activism. The statistics and information gathered by CIVICUS demonstrate the continued rise in the number of countries where civil society is threatened. Of 196 countries, 111 have governments where freedoms are threatened, if not directly attacked, and where the government does not respect these rights.

In order to categorize a country, CIVICUS looked at three freedoms: freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of peaceful assembly. These freedoms can be attacked or threatened in different ways, including through censorship, excessive force, banning protests, attacks on journalists (both physical and legal), harassment, intimidation and detention. In the report, CIVICUS repeatedly draws attention to the fact that in almost six out of 10 countries, civic spaces are under serious threat or attack.

The scale of ratings of countries ranges from open to closed, with narrowed, obstructed and repressed as the categories in between. Ratings have improved in seven countries, with some countries moving from closed to repressed and other from narrowed to open, since the last report. However, they have worsened in 11 countries.

Through this report, CIVICUS and their partners are seeking to hold countries and regions accountable for their response to civil society and to encourage improvement in governments’ response to the population exercising their civil rights.