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Read the latest articles from the Forus network, always translated into English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Do you have a story to tell? Contact us here.
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2026-07-16
Annastazia Rugaba: "Transformation Must Be Measured Not Only by What Government Reports, But by What Citizens Experience" A civil society perspective on why meaningful participation, accountability and inclusive governance are essential to turning sustainable development commitments into real change for communities.
2026-07-16
Local2030 Coalition Special Event "Advancing SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda: Local Action for Global Acceleration"(HLPF Side Event) The Local2030 Coalition Special Event will highlight how SDG localization is driving integrated, inclusive, and scalable solutions to accelerate progress across the 2030 Agenda, with a particular emphasis on SDG 11 and its interlinkages with other goals under review at the 2026 HLPF.
2026-07-16
The future of the SDGs is local: " participation becomes meaningful when it can change a priority, a budget or a decision" The final years of the Sustainable Development Goals will be won or lost locally, but bringing implementation closer to communities is not enough as power, resources and accountability will need to move with it. This discussios was at the centre of the Local2030 Coalition Special Event, “Advancing SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda: Local Action for Global Acceleration,” held on 15 July as part of the UN High-Level Political Forum 2026.Influence
2026-07-14
From National Evidence to Global Accountability: Mozambique, Tanzania and Norwegian Civil Society Bring SDG Realities to the UN High-Level Political Forum Voluntary National Reviews are intended to help countries assess progress, identify gaps and strengthen implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. But reviews can only generate accountability when they include evidence that is independent, grounded in communities’ experiences and able to challenge official narratives where necessary. During the 2026 UN High-Level Political Forum, Forus members representing national civil society platforms from Mozambique, Tanzania and Norway brought precisely this perspective into the global discussion.
Dr Jyotsna Mohan Singh
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Tanzania Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (TANGO)
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Norwegian Forum for Development and Environment - ForUM
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Joint - League For NGOs in Mozambique
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Forus
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Bibbi Abruzzini
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Marie L'Hostis
Influence
2026-07-14
Power, Rights and AI: What Geneva Digital Week Revealed about the Future of Governance Last week, the Forus network landed in Geneva for the Digital Week, where several discussion spaces emerged simultaneously: the United Nations Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance, the “futuristic” AI for Good Summit, and the World Summit on the Information Society. All this while the UN High-Level Political Forum kicked off in New York with complementing discussions on digitalisation, global cooperation, the future beyond 2030, and meaningful civic participation highlighting how technology is central to development debates.Influence
2026-07-10
#CADE: AI for good, but for whom? Reimagining AI Governance for the Global Majority - Recap video How do we build AI governance that redistributes power, protects human dignity, recognises labour, prevents harm and exploitation, and expands democratic agency, particularly in the Global Majority, where extractive AI value chains, informal economies, and diverse epistemic traditions are often erased from policy conversations? Discover the highlights from the event organised by the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE), led by Diplo, to test an AI regulation sandbox on the sidelines of the ITU AI for Good Global Summit 2026. This side session, structured as an AI regulatory sandbox, convened technologists, policymakers, civil society, trade union and labour representatives, legal specialists, and other specialists to reframe the global AI governance debate and draw on diverse experiences to tackle the questions facing us today. In the session, justice was centered as the fundamental test of whether AI truly serves humanity, using realistic scenarios to test governance structures and bring together varying – sometimes opposing – perspectives on regulation. This event was organised in partnership with the Arab Reform Initiative, the feminist collective Pollicy, the Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET), Women in Internet Governance, Tinuadeniyi Tech Foundation, and the Center for AI Ethics and Governance in Africa (CAIEGA). The video and interviews have been carried out by CADE partner #Forus. CADE is co-funded by the European Union. #DigitalWeek #D4D #CADE #AIregulation
2026-07-10
Beyond participation: Forus members and civil society partners call for stronger accountability in SDG implementation As the 2026 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) continues in New York, the message that sustainable development cannot be accelerated by commitments alone came through. It requires open civic space, meaningful stakeholder engagement, stronger accountability, and tighter links between global promises and local realities.
Dr Jyotsna Mohan Singh
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Marie L'Hostis
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Bibbi Abruzzini
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Leah Mitaba
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ZCSD - Zambia Council for Social Development
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Nayra Coca Perez
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Manon Delahaye
Influence
2026-07-09
From evidence to influence civil society claims its place in South-South and triangular cooperation Forus launched its new global report "Cooperation That Works: Civil Society in South-South and Triangular Cooperation" in a virtual side event on 7 July, marking the opening of the HLPF 2026. The launch brought together the Forus network and partners from across regions to highlight how civil society is already shaping South-South and triangular cooperation — often without being formally recognized by the systems it helps strengthen.
Nayra Coca Perez
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Manon Delahaye
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Bibbi Abruzzini
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Marie L'Hostis
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Aoi Horiuchi
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JANIC - Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation
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Justina Kaluinaite
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Lithuanian NGDO platform
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Dr Jyotsna Mohan Singh
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PIANGO - Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations
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KCOC - Korea NGO Council for Overseas Development Cooperations
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CANGO - China Association for NGO Cooperation
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Abong - Associaçao Brasileira de ONGs
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Harsh Jaitli
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VANI - Voluntary Action Network India
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Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Association (CCRDA)
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VENRO
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CNONGD - Conseil National des ONGD de Développement
Influence
2026-07-08
CADE Newsletter - May/June 2026 - CADE – Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment Dear colleagues, In this edition, we celebrate a milestone in how civil society engages with AI – not just as users but as builders. We also bring you updates from across the CADE network, from Bogotá to Kampala, Colombo to Geneva, and look ahead to a busy few months on the digital governance calendar. Inside: When CSOs build the tools themselves: highlights from our AI course Partner updates from around the world: Karisma’s open house, Sarvodaya’s capacity development programme, CIPESA’s latest UPR submissions, and more On 9 July, join CADE and partners for a live AI governance policy lab in Geneva or online. Plus, other upcoming events in July and August Dive in 👇
2026-07-07
Apply for the Digital Rights Exchange Programme: A Unique In-Person Global North–Global South Opportunity This programme is an initiative of Forus and the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL) within the framework of the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE), an EU co-funded project.
2026-07-02
Forus at the UN High-Level Political Forum 2026: bringing our global network’s voices to the centre of sustainable development Forus is participating in the the 2026 United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) with a strong delegation of members and partners from across the globe, bringing national civil society experiences, and localised solutions to one of the most important global spaces for sustainable development dialogue.
2026-06-09
Foreign agents laws: stigmatising civil society and choking funding flows Laws imposing restrictions on CSO operations such as foreign agents laws, are an increasing threat to the enabling environment for civil society worldwide. The ability of associations to seek, obtain, and use resources—including those from foreign and international sources—is a key and essential part of the civil society ecosystem, prohibiting or heavily restricting foreign funding affects their operating space and undermines important advocacy efforts.
2026-06-05
C7 Summit Recap Video At a time of growing inequalities, shrinking civic space, conflicts, climate impacts and declining development finance, civil society is calling on #G7 leaders to put justice, solidarity and international cooperation back at the center of global action - in both narratives and actions. As the #C7Summit2026 closes, the message to G7 leaders meeting in Evian is clear: civil society is essential in shaping solutions that respond to people’s needs and leave no one behind.
NNNGO - Nigeria Network of NGOs
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Marie L'Hostis
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JANIC - Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation
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VANI - Voluntary Action Network India
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Coordination SUD – Rassembler et agir pour la solidarité internationale
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Cooperation Canada
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Bibbi Abruzzini
2026-06-03
David Griggs: “The SDGs moved us from the Wild West to a common sense of purpose.” One of the scientific architects of the Sustainable Development Goals reflects on how they came to be, what they have and haven’t achieved, and why starting from scratch in today’s political climate would be a gamble the world cannot afford.
2026-06-03
Planting the Seeds of the Post-2030 Future Forus launched the network’s Post-2030 Vision. And the room — virtual as it was — was electric. On May 21st, we brought together voices from across the globe — from the Pacific to New York, from Helsinki to Santiago, from Tokyo to the UN Secretariat — to ask one of the most consequential questions of our time: what comes after 2030, and who gets to shape it?
Nayra Coca Perez
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Justina Kaluinaite
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ACCIÓN - Asociación Chilena de ONG
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PIANGO - Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations
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JANIC - Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation
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FINGO - Finnish NGO Platform
Influence
2026-06-03
Increased life expectancy as a driving force for reconstruction in Venezuela The traditional view tends to associate ageing with retirement, staying at home and withdrawing from the world of work. However, in a Venezuela that is rebuilding itself from the ground up, a new generation of leaders is emerging whose most valuable asset is their accumulated knowledge.Support
2026-06-03
Minds over asphalt: The challenge of empathy and inclusion in Venezuela The global debate on accessibility tends to focus on physical infrastructure: the construction of ramps, the design of lifts, or the adaptation of transport services. However, for human rights defenders and civil society organisations in Venezuela, the most urgent transformation does not require building materials, but rather a change in perspective. On the path towards achieving the 2030 Agenda, one premise takes on great significance: prejudice and social stigma are the true disability of a society.Support
2026-06-01
Civic spaces under pressure in the Great Lakes region: between restrictions and self-censorship In the Great Lakes region, speaking freely is becoming a balancing act - sometimes between freedom of expression and personal safety. Faced with administrative restrictions, political pressure and a tense security situation, journalists and civil society actors are operating in an increasingly constrained environment.Support
2026-06-01
Data-Based Narrative: How Civil Society Is Reshaping the Case for ODA and Global Cooperation Forus hosted the interactive session: Data-Based Narrative: Shaping ODA and Global Cooperation, creating a dynamic space to explore how CSOs are leveraging data to strengthen communication, advocacy, and public engagement.
Dochas
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Coordination SUD – Rassembler et agir pour la solidarité internationale
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CNCD 11.11.11 (Centre national de coopération au développement)
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UNNGOF - Uganda National NGO Forum
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La Coordinadora de Organizaciones para el Desarrollo
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Nayra Coca Perez