File photo: Some of the fourteen Egyptian activists who were accused of working for unlicensed non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and receiving illegal foreign funds, stand in a cage during the opening of their trial in Cairo February 26, 2012. (Photo: Reuters)
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay issued a press statement on Wednesday in Geneva condemning proposed Egyptian legislation aimed at curtailing the activity of foreign-funded civil society organisations operating in Egypt.
If the draft law is adopted in its current form, Pillay said in the statement, it "will seriously undermine the spirit of Egypt’s revolution, in which civil society played such a pivotal role." Pillay asserted that the proposed legislation, recently approved by parliament's religious affairs committee, "gives the government too much power to regulate, monitor and restrict the work of civil society organisations."
Pillay went on to urge Egyptian lawmakers to withdraw the bill, which she described as "a potentially serious blow to the human rights aspirations and fundamental freedoms for which so many Egyptians have struggled for so long and at such cost."
"NGOs must be able to operate free from executive interference," the UN rights chief added. “They must be consulted and included in policy decisions, particularly when a state is undergoing major transformational or transitional processes. And they must not be penalised for criticising or questioning state policies and processes."
According to parliament's human rights committee, steps will be taken towards ratifying the bill in coming weeks. The committee will publicise details of the draft law when it is referred to the People's Assembly (the lower house of Egypt's parliament) for discussion.
At a 23 April meeting in Cairo, representatives of 25 Egyptian NGOs rejected the proposed law, which, they said, was "aimed at turning civil-society organisations into local government units." Under the terms of the draft legislation, they added in a joint press release, "NGOs would not be allowed to defend the rights and interests of the Egyptian groups, for example, private- and public-sector employees."
In a related development, Egypt on 23 April turned down a request from eight US-based civil society groups for licences to operate in the country.
Egypt's relations with Washington fell into crisis earlier this year after Egyptian authorities summoned a number of foreign NGO workers to answer charges of engaging in unlicensed activity. On 1 March, Egypt allowed 13 of the defendants – including six US nationals – to leave the country, leading to charges of "foreign interference" in Egypt's internal judicial affairs.
Short link: