International organizations record a decrease in space for NPOs

September 2025 recorded an increase in inspections and administration of NPOs in the region: audits, registration and reporting requirements intensified in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. The causes are widespread concern among states about “foreign interference,” but the effect is a narrowing of civic space. International human rights organizations fear that stricter rules will reduce the ability to monitor and assist vulnerable groups, limit freedom of speech and reduce the quality of public debate. For the countries of the region, this is a signal of the need to find a balance between national security and the rights of citizens. If the trend continues, the long-term consequences will be a decline in trust in institutions, a decline in international assistance, and difficulty attracting the expertise needed to modernize government systems.