Parl't approves NGOs law canceling 2017 bill

CAIRO - 16 July 2019: Egypt's House of Representatives headed by Ali Abdel Aal approved on July 14, 2019 a 107-article draft law on NGOs, and referred it to the State Council for revision.

The legislative department will revise the bill as part of measures taken before it is passed into law. The draft law cancels the controversial law issued on NGOs in 2017.

The bill includes nine issuance articles, including an article preventing NGOs placed on terrorist lists to legalize its presence.

All NGOs, including regional and foreign organizations, have to operate while committing to their basic regulations, activities and funding, in a way that respects the provisions and principles of the Egyptian Constitution and laws and international conventions ratified by Egypt, according to the law.

All non-governmental organizations and associations, and regional and foreign non-governmental unions, organizations and entities exercising civil work in light of the law shall adjust their conditions in accordance with its provisions within a year since the date of implementing the executive regulations of the law; otherwise, the specialized court will dissolve them.

In order for any of the NGOs to legalize its presence, it has to notify the competent ministry of all the data of the organization or entity, and define its activities, sources of funding, programs, protocols and memoranda of understanding. It also has to amend its regulations to ensure compliance with the provisions of this law.

In case they are dissolved, their funds would be transferred to the national fund tasked with supporting the projects of civil institutions and associations. Also, the activities of the dissolved entities would be stopped by the power of law.

In all cases, civil institutions and entities included on the lists of terrorist entities or those that participated in terrorist crimes cannot legalize their presence in case final rulings against them were issued, according to the law.

The draft law stipulates that the prime minister shall issue the executive regulations of the annexed law within six months from the date of its publication. Until such regulations are issued, the executive regulations and the existing resolutions shall continue to be implemented in a manner that is consistent with the provisions of this law and the annexed law.

This law shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come into force on the day following the date of its publication.

In June 2017, Egypt's President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi signed law no. 70/2017 on NGOs and their operation in Egypt, as an annulment to the previous law no. 84/2002, after being passed by two-thirds of the Parliament in November 2016.

However, in November 2018, Sisi agreed to form an official committee to discuss the law issued in the previous year.

During his participation at the second edition of the World Youth Forum, the Egyptian leader said the law might be amended after several studies and discussions took place regarding its articles.