Associative photo from Baltic Pride, Vilnius June 2025
16th June 2025 marked a deadline for providing input for the UNGA-80th thematic report on “Freedom of assembly and association rights, collective action and human solidarity facing existential threat: preserving the fundamental principles” with a purpose to inform the thematic report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, to be presented to the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in October 2025.
Partners of the Rise & Decriminalize Movement – Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA), Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity (ECOM) & Sex Workers Advocacy Network (SWAN) – have contributed to this report with the Submissions highlighting the shrinking civic space and its effects on key populations (people who use drugs, LGBTQI+ and sex workers):
— Sharp contraction of civic space driven by “foreign agent” and “propaganda” laws, which stigmatize NGOs and criminalize the dissemination of life-saving health information.
— Foreign agent laws being weaponized in countries such as Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Hungary to shut down or gag harm reduction services.
— Foreign agent and “LGBTQI+ propaganda” laws criminalize or put additional administrative punishments on the dissemination of positive or affirming information about LGBTQI+ identities, particularly in education and media, under the guise of protecting “traditional values or family protection, or child protection (Russia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan).
— Threats and restrictions faced by sex worker-led movements in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
— Affects of the disruption of the global aid (USAID, Global Fund) on key populations.
More information:
Due to heightened risks for SWAN members and partners, it was requested for SWAN input to be treated anonymously and not made public, therefore the Submission is not available.