Pushed by fears of restrictions, NGOs seek dialogue with government

Nine non-governmental organizations have invited the Ministry of Social Solidarity for a transparent dialogue over the role of civil society organizations in the future as many fear a draft law in the works would confine their activities.

 

The NGOs, including the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights and the Arab Network for Human Rights Information, stressed they have nothing to hide from authorities, urging the government, in a statement, to engage in a serious dialogue in which the state could speak out of its suspicions and fears related to NGO activities.

 

The statement said the invitation comes after the Ministry of Social Solidarity declared last week the end of a deadline it had set for NGOs to register with the ministry in order to legalize their existence.

 

The statement maintained that the ministry’s announcement that it would study the legal statuses and activities of NGO case by case further complicates and prolongs the crisis of of freedom of association in Egypt.

 

“In fact, as long as the ministry will ultimately rely on a repressive law that is utterly incompatible with the 2014 constitution, Egypt’s international obligations, and international conventions, it only prolongs the crisis,” the statement added.

 

“The undersigned organizations confirm their support for a democratic and constitutional law to organize the monitoring of civic associations transparently and publicly, the organizations said.

 

Egypt had shut down and prosecuted several local and foreign NGOs since 2011 over accusations of receiving foreign funds and illegal operations. The 2012 raids of US democracy NGOs strained relations with Washington, prompting the US-based lobby PLM Group to end it's contract with the Egyptian government while many members of US Congress called to end aid to Egypt.

 

Many political figures in Egypt have blamed the political instability and discontent on US NGOs, saying the groups aim to destabilize Egypt through foreign interference.