Panel reviews shortfalls of CSO regulations

AMMAN — During a panel discussion for the Coordination Committee for Civil Society Organisations, Himam, members of the panel addressed various aspects of the Planning and International Cooperation draft law of 2023, which was published on February 22.


During the panel discussion, which saw the participation of members of parliament, government officials, representatives of international and civil society organisations, the challenges facing Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) were outlined along with various pieces of legislation governing the activities of CSOs.


Director of the Phenix Centre for Economics and Informatics Studies Ahmad Awa talking about the memorandum submitted by Himam on “the Planning and International Cooperation draft law of 2023”, said that the draft law has added further constraints, and at this point, the government should regulate legislation governing CSOs in order to have greater “transparency and governance.”

“The main problem is that the government’s trust in CSOs is still weak,” despite the fact that CSOs have an important role in promoting various development paths, Awa added. 

Additionally, the draft law has dealt with public institutions and CSOs in the same way, thereby CSOs lose their “independent status”.

Abeer Madanat, the Civil Society Committee Himam Coordinator, said in her opening remarks that Himam previously submitted a memorandum to the government to find a comprehensive solution for concerns related to foreign funding.

“Himam has also outlined some notes and recommendations on the 2023 draft law,” she said. According to Himam, “the proposed law does not distinguish between civil society organisations, government institutions and ministries, and deals with all of them as one unit.” 

Such ambiguity interferes with CSOs independence and contradicts Article 16 of the Jordanian Constitution, according to Himam.

Awad said that the draft law did not provide any guidelines to regulate approvals for foreign funding of CSOs. According to Himam, “there is a lack of criteria for rejecting or approving funding”.

The draft law came with additional restrictions, as it expanded the approval requirements. It has broadened and strengthened the powers of the Cabinet to monitor the operations of CSOs. 

“The problem is not with having censorship, but with the methods of censorship,” Awad said. 

Representing the Planning and International Cooperation Ministry, Ahmad Al Huweian, Assistant Secretary-General at the ministry, highlighted the ministry’s support for the CSOs, as a fundamental partner that plays a crucial role in the national development process. 

The draft law comes as part of a roadmap for modernising the public sector, he added. 

“There are a number of pieces of legislation that will be reviewed that focus on developing specific mechanisms to deal with foreign funding,” he said.