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Civil society crushed by Law 84 [2002]
Registration of the Center for Trade Union and Workers’ Services refused for security reasons
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15/8/2007
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) strongly condemns the refusal by the Social Solidarity Directorate to register the Center for Trade Union and Workers’ Services (CTUWS). The Social Solidarity Directorate attributed this refusal to the ‘objection of security bodies’- the standard refusal employed by the Social Solidarity Directorate. The CTUWS presented its registration papers in accordance with NGO Law 84 [2002].
The Social Solidarity Directorate’s response read as follows: “After consulting Law 84 [2002] on civil society groups and institutions, its implementing statute issued in accordance with Decree 178 [2002], Law 43 [1979] on the organisation of local administration and its implementing statute and the Social Solidarity Directorate’s ??ketaab number 17421, year 2007, registration of the organisation has been refused for security reasons.
EOHR is astonished by this response, since the ‘objection of security bodies’ is not one of the reasons described in law 84 for the refusal of an NGO’s registration. The refusal comes at a time when the government is planning to impose more administrative, financial and security restrictions on civil society organisations - and in particular human rights NGOs – through the planned introduction of new amendments to Law 84. What is astonishing is that the government is introducing to amendments to NGOs and civil society organisations alone.
EOHR is launching a campaign in response to the proposed amendments and the refusal to allow the registration of the CTUWS. The campaign seeks to prevent these amendments being passed and revise Law 84. The campaign’s primary objective is to liberate civil society organisations from the clutch of security and administrative bodies.
EOHR reiterates that the decision to refuse the registration of the CTUWS is in contravention of article 55 of the Egyptian Constitution, which guarantees the right form NGOs, article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 22 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, which latter has been ratified by the Egyptian government and incorporated into Egyptian domestic legislation according to article 151 of the Constitution.
EOHR announces its full solidarity with the CTUWS, and urges political movements, civil society organisation, human rights activists and trade unions to form a permanent committee in solidarity with the CTUWS and to offer support to it. EOHR also calls for the annulment of Law 84, which hinders civil society activity and impedes the development of civil society, and a return to the provisions of the law which governed civil society activity previously, and which was abolished by Decree 384 of the year 1956. This will ensure the future of NGOs, because the freedom to form, and belong to, NGOs must be entirely removed from government and security bodies
interference. The registration and formation of NGOs, and their activities, must not be subject to the interference of these bodies, and State interference in the freedom to form NGOs must be subject to judicial supervision. This will allow the development of a free civil society, able to contribute to the improvement of values of democracy and human rights.
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