Civil Society Leaders Convene in Amman

Ahead of the this month’s Forum for the Future, some 40 civil society leaders from across the Middle East and North Africa met to discuss the legal environment regulating the activities of non-governmental organization (NGO) in the region.

Hosted by the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), in partnership with MEPI, the dialogue was held October 29-31 in Amman, Jordan, not far from the site of the third Forum for the Future, convened earlier this month at the Dead Sea.

The preparatory dialogue focused on promoting an appropriate legal framework for civil society and enabling public participation worldwide through technical assistance and partnerships between civil society representatives. 

Participants discussed ways to ensure that basic provisions are included in legislation governing NGOs and that these provisions meet generally accepted international standards.  The meeting addressed one of the four thematic topics for this year’s Forum for the Future, as well as being an opportunity for the group to elect six representatives and four alternates to make presentations at this event.

The meeting included four working groups, which developed the substance of these presentations, as well as panels that discussed the following issues:

·         The role of international law in protecting civil society activities;
·         Integrity and good  governance;
·         Financial sustainability, accountability, and transparency; and
·         The value and purpose of the civil society sector.

ICNL is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a legal environment in which civil society and public participation can flourish.  As part of its MEPI-funded project, ICNL is working on the reform of laws governing associative life throughout the region, with a focus on legislation and the operation of civil society organizations.

Its objectives include developing and disseminating quality research on critical legal issues and challenges related to the operation of civil society; proving tangible civil society law reform-oriented projects; and building a network of civil society practitioners working on NGO law reform priorities throughout the region.