A/HRC/44/25 (e) Put in place publicly available policies that spell out clear, impartial and non-discriminatory rules for civil society participation in programmatic processes and access to information, based on international human rights law, and strengthen policies on partnerships with civil society, including by providing funding to enable fuller participation, and regularly assess their effectiveness based on civil society feedback; (f) Support civil society participation in United Nations development and peace operations at the national and local levels, by putting in place direct, flexible and localized channels (e.g., regular meetings, physical hubs, and digital and online interactive forums); (g) Consider how to overcome barriers due to lack of capacity, funding and accessibility; adapt operational practices and arrangements to allow, strengthen and expand opportunities for partnerships, including the possibility of developing joint strategic plans for cooperation between civil society and the United Nations; and put in place “information feedback loops” that enable civil society to provide feedback on the implementation and evaluation of programmatic activities and projects. 64. With regard to the promotion of civic space, international human rights imply a State obligation to support institutional, legal and policy frameworks that enable effective and safe civil society participation in national decision-making processes and access to information. Promoting civic space will also render development and peace efforts more sustainable. Therefore, it is crucial for international organizations, including the United Nations, to strategically engage when opportunities for expanding civic space arise, both online and offline. Equally, when there are threats to human rights defenders and other civil society actors and their enabling environment, it is critical to react in a timely, targeted and coordinated way, in partnership with civil society and other actors in the areas of development, peace and security, and humanitarian assistance. 65. International and regional organizations, in particular the United Nations, should: (a) Create and reinforce channels for effective participation of different groups in debates and decision-making at the country level and support States in addressing patterns of discrimination and exclusion and key obstacles to civic space, both online and offline, including restrictions to media freedom, as well as the freedoms of expression, of assembly and association, of access to information, and of access to financial resources; (b) Track civic space trends and identify key obstacles, and partner with civil society and other actors with a view to developing strategies to overcome these obstacles, including with the private sector, the media community, academia, international financial institutions, and regional and subregional organizations; (c) Develop advocacy and communication strategies to highlight civil society’s important role in sustainable development, good governance, long-term stability and progress; promote and use positive narratives that celebrate civil society contributions to society, and counter narratives that seek to discredit and undermine civil society; (d) When necessary, lend political support, speak out on restrictions to civic space, and demonstrate clear commitment to the importance of civic space, including by intervening in relation to human rights violations against civil society actors; (e) Strengthen capacities and facilitate the work of broader coalitions across different segments of society, including networks, different population and community groups, media and journalists, independent national human rights institutions, parliaments, the private sector and financial institutions, among others; (f) Use the outputs of human rights mechanisms, including their specific recommendations related to all the above-mentioned points, to actively support civil society participation in national decision-making processes. 66. The safety and security of those who seek to participate in debates and decision-making at all levels is a precondition for effective participation, even when 15