The review “Freedom of Association and the Legal Status of Non-Profit Organizations in Belarus”

31.03.2014 | Society | Volha Smalianka, Legal Transformation Centre and Yury Chavusau, Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs,

Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs and Legal Transformation Center “Lawtrend” prepared an annual review “Freedom of Association and the Legal Status of Non-Profit Organizations in Belarus” for 2013.

The publication highlights the most important trends and developments related to the legal conditions for public associations and other forms of civil society organizations in 2013.

The Ministry of Justice has summed up the results of the past year’s registration of public associations and foundations. In 2013, 70 new associations were registered (2 international, 11 national and 57 local ones), one association of NGOs, 11 foundations (1 international and 10 local). According to experts of the NGO’s Assembly and the Legal Transformation Center, the number of new NGOs in 2013 is significantly lower than in 2011 and 2012, when during the year the registration was obtained by over a hundred associations and more than 20 foundations. However, the year of 2013 saw the same trend of registering sports associations – they constitute more than half of new NGOs.

As of January 1, 2014 there were 15 registered political parties and 1,057 party branches, 37 trade unions (33 national unions, 1 regional union and three trade unions in organizations) and 23,193 local offices, 2,521 public associations (including 231 international, 694 national and 1,596 local ones) in Belarus.

The paper notes that despite the adoption of a number of legislative acts that affect the interests of NGOs, their legal environment has not changed significantly. 70 new CSOs were registered last year. 53% of those are sports organizations, no gender or human rights CSO was registered in 2013.

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