Originally published on The Global Anticorruption Blog. Written by Blair Glencorse. As many readers of this blog know, the annual G20 meeting has a variety of associated processes, including a forum for engagement with global civil society known as the C20. This is an opportunity for civil society organizations (CSOs)—including grassroots groups, rights-focused organizations, and other activists—to feed policy recommendations directly to the most powerful governments in the world. This process has not been without challenges, especially when the G20 meeting is held in a country that is not exactly friendly to civil society activism (including Russia in 2013, China in 2016 and this [...]

By Blair Glencorse The dusty border town of Taftan in western Pakistan is a frequent stopover for religious pilgrims. Many members of the country’s Shiite minority pass through it en route to visit holy sites in neighboring Iran. But after Iran emerged as one of the countries hit hardest by the coronavirus, the Pakistani government set up a quarantine camp in Taftan to prevent further movement, inadvertently turning the town into an epicenter for the spread of COVID-19. Testing in the camp is sporadic at best, while health facilities are abysmal. Many pilgrims reportedly paid bribes to escape back into Pakistan, [...]

As the world braces itself through the COVID-19 epidemic, the United Nations has warned that Pakistan could be amongst the hardest hit countries. The country’s current number of coronavirus patients stands at around 3000, but this is against the backdrop of some of the lowest testing rates in the world. The poor health infrastructure in Pakistan has never been exposed in the manner it is being now. A complete lockdown seemed  to be the surest bet. By Fayyaz Yaseen However, the kind of confusion this lockdown has caused is unprecedented. First, there was a clear lack of coordination between the federal and provincial governments. Secondly, [...]

Having grown up through Nepal’s Civil War and the fight for democracy, Pratik Kunwar has seen first-hand what civic engagement looks like at its best and its worst. Through the support of the Lab, he aims to encourage all Nepali people to become active citizens and collectively hold government accountable. By Kibo Ngowi. The devastating earthquake of 2015 was a major turning point in the history of Nepal which sent shockwaves throughout the country and forever altered the lives of millions. For Pratik Kunwar, this event was the spark that would send him on a path into civil society. At [...]

Les défis en matière de gouvernance consistent essentiellement à rassembler les gens pour travailler à atteindre un but commun. Diana SIDIDI s'attache à montrer que l'incompréhension des différences de chacun est à l'origine d'une grande partie du conflit au Mali et qu'une partie de la solution réside dans la mise en évidence de la beauté de ces différences. Par Kibo Ngowi Diana SIDIDI est la fondatrice de Derhane, un vlog qui prône l'acceptation des personnes vivant avec des attributs différents de la norme dans la société malienne. Les groupes que Derhane préconise vont des personnes handicapées aux personnes appartenant à [...]

Mariam Odunayo Nurudeen-Arole is a legal practitioner with two years of post-call experience. She is also the Director of Programme for the Pro bono Centre, an emerging public interest litigation initiative. The initiative provides pro bono  legal services to indigent, disadvantaged and marginalised residents of Lagos State, particularly victims of gender-based violence, child abuse and unfair dismissals. She was selected to be a part of the 2020 cohort of Accountability Lab Nigeria's Accountability Incubator program. Through the incubator, she also intends to create an Accountable Endowment fund to cover the out of pocket expenses of pro bono lawyers  such as transport, cost [...]