Grassroots campaigners continue to face restrictions on access and participation at the United Nations

As world leaders gather in New York to mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations (UN), civil society continues to be left behind, it has been claimed

The warning comes from the global civil space alliance Civicus, which says grassroots groups must have better and more meaningful representation at the UN.

This year’s UN General Assembly takes place as the United States has been placed on the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist for sustained threats to civic freedoms under the Trump administration.

Despite US obligations under the Headquarters Agreement, visa delays, travel bans, and immigration crackdowns are restricting civil society’s meaningful participation.

Ahead of the assembly, Civicus called for stronger, continuous and protected access for civil society participation at the UN.

During High-Level Week the obstacles for civil society include the suspension of Economic and Social Council-accredited NGO badges, the absence of a permanent civil society engagement platform, and ongoing intimidation and reprisals by states for those engaging in UN processes.

These obstacles risk deepening the exclusion of people’s voices at a time when the UN urgently needs to adapt to multiple global crises and respond to closing civic space worldwide.

CIVICUS data shows that more than 70% of the world’s population lives in countries with repressed civic space. The global crackdown on civic space is increasingly mirrored within international institutions. Without urgent reforms that establish civil society as equal and independent development partners, UN80 will fail to deliver the inclusive and rules-based multilateralism it promises.

Jesselina Rana, UN advisor at Civicus, said: “Civil society participation is not a privilege; it is essential for the UN to remain representative, inclusive and responsive.

“Without urgent and targeted reform, UN80 risks repeating old patterns where states dominate discussions and people’s voices are sidelined.”

Several reforms are essential to strengthen civil society participation at the UN.

Establishing a permanent International Civil Society Day at the General Assembly would create a predictable and institutionalized platform for engagement, ending reliance on ad hoc arrangements.

Fully implementing the UN’s guidance note on civic space through system-wide dissemination and audits would move it from paper to practice, equipping the UN with the tools it already possesses to guarantee meaningful and accountable participation.

Rana said: “These proposals are essential to ensuring that civil society can consistently and safely contribute to policymaking, hold states accountable, and amplify voices often excluded from decision-making.

“UN80 presents an opportunity to reaffirm that ‘We the Peoples’ is not just symbolic language but the foundation of the UN’s purpose.”