UN Expert Warns Global Aid Collapse Threatens Civil Society and Human Rights
Since the beginning of 2025, thousands of civil society organisations (CSOs) across the globe have been forced to scale down, suspend, or entirely shut down their operations.
Introduction: A Crisis Beyond Funding — The Collapse of International Solidarity
The global aid system is facing an unprecedented crisis that threatens to dismantle civil society, stifle peaceful activism, and undermine decades of progress on human rights, democracy, and social justice. That was the stark warning issued by Gina Romero, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, in her latest address to the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.
In a powerful and urgent report, Romero condemned the ongoing dismantling of international aid infrastructure, the increasing securitisation of global priorities, and the rising repression of civic space. These trends, she warned, pose a grave threat not only to civil society but to the entire framework of international cooperation and democratic resilience.
“What is unfolding is not merely a funding issue,” Romero said. “It is a structural crisis in the international solidarity ecosystem — one that places the future of peaceful collective action, international cooperation, and inclusive development at serious risk.”
Civil Society on the Brink: The Toll of Aid Withdrawal
Since the beginning of 2025, thousands of civil society organisations (CSOs) across the globe have been forced to scale down, suspend, or entirely shut down their operations. These include organisations providing essential services in health, education, human rights advocacy, peacebuilding, environmental protection, and humanitarian relief.
The brunt of the collapse, Romero noted, has been borne disproportionately by grassroots organisations, especially those led by women, LGBTQI communities, Indigenous peoples, and other historically marginalized groups. Many of these groups operated in fragile, conflict-affected, or impoverished regions where their services often filled the gaps left by under-resourced or failing state institutions.
“Civil society has been the backbone of humanitarian response and human rights progress in countless settings,” said Romero. “Their disappearance is not just a logistical setback — it is a blow to justice, equality, and hope.”
The Securitisation of Global Priorities: Militarism Over Rights
One of the core drivers behind the collapse, according to Romero, is the accelerating trend of securitisation within global politics. States, in response to geopolitical conflicts, migration challenges, and internal dissent, are increasingly redirecting funds and political will towards militarisation, intelligence, and border control — at the direct expense of civil society and development initiatives.
Romero warned that this shift is eroding the moral and legal foundations of international cooperation. National security narratives are now being weaponized to suppress peaceful protests, criminalize dissent, and shut down civil society spaces. Youth-led movements, environmental defenders, and social justice campaigners are particularly targeted.
“We are witnessing the militarisation of state responses to non-violent collective actions,” she said. “This has led to serious violations, including mass arrests, intimidation, surveillance, and the stifling of civic freedoms.”
International Aid Architecture: In Need of Urgent Transformation
Romero’s report makes it clear that addressing this crisis requires more than temporary relief — it demands a fundamental transformation of the international aid architecture.
She called for a participatory, transparent, and inclusive redesign of global aid systems — one that centers on people, rights, and equity rather than geopolitical interests. This means shifting away from top-down donor-recipient models and towards partnerships built on mutual accountability and respect for local agency.
“A fairer and more sustainable aid model must be rooted in international human rights principles and developed with the voices of affected communities at the forefront,” Romero said.
A Threat to the SDGs, Climate Justice, and Global Peace
The collapse of civil society financing and the curtailment of freedoms has broader implications beyond the NGO ecosystem. Romero warned that these developments directly threaten progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate justice, inclusive governance, and global peace and security.
When civil society is weakened, democratic checks and balances erode. Vulnerable communities are silenced. Corruption flourishes. Gender equality, environmental action, and anti-poverty efforts stall. Without empowered civic actors, the promises of Agenda 2030 and international peacebuilding frameworks become empty slogans.
“Severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms jeopardize decades of hard-won gains,” Romero cautioned. “They compromise our collective ability to respond to today’s greatest challenges — from the climate crisis to conflict prevention.”
Call to Action: Human Rights Must Guide Security Policies
The Special Rapporteur concluded her report with a forceful appeal to governments, international institutions, and donors: prioritize human rights in all security, governance, and aid-related decision-making. She urged states to adopt a human rights-based approach to security — one that enables freedoms, supports democratic resilience, and rejects authoritarianism.
“Security and freedom are not mutually exclusive,” Romero said. “On the contrary, democratic societies are more resilient, more secure, and better equipped to manage conflict and change.”
Romero also called on donor nations and multilateral institutions to reverse the defunding of civil society and recommit to international solidarity, particularly with those working in the most challenging environments.
Conclusion: A Defining Moment for Global Solidarity
Gina Romero’s message is a wake-up call: the global aid system, once a lifeline for civil society and a pillar of international cooperation, is now unraveling. Without urgent, coordinated action to revive and reform it, the world risks descending into deeper inequality, repression, and instability.
This is not merely about preserving institutions. It is about defending the fundamental rights of people to assemble, to speak, to organize, and to shape the future of their societies.
As Romero warned, “The collapse of international solidarity is a crisis of our collective conscience. We must act before the damage becomes irreversible.”
Tags: civil society, UN General Assembly, global aid crisis, securitisation, human rights, Gina Romero, freedom of assembly, international solidarity, grassroots organisations, LGBTQI rights, humanitarian aid, militarisation, civic space, Sustainable Development Goals, global governance
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