News
24 June 2013: U.S. Supreme Court upholds free speech rights for CSOs
On June 20, 2013, the Supreme Court struck down a USAID regulation that required organizations to adopt the government’s anti-prostitution stance in order to receive funds to combat the worldwide spread of HIV/AIDS.
31 May 2013: UN Special Rapporteur Releases Second Report Focusing on CSOs and Foreign Funding
Maina Kiai, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, presented his second thematic report to the United Nations Human Rights Council on May 30.
10 May 2013: Civic Space Initiative Urges UN High Level Panel to Promote an Enabling Environment for Civil Society
We are pleased to announce that ICNL and the members of the Civic Space Initiative consortium made a submission on an Enabling Environment for Civil Society to the UN High Level Panel on the Post 2015 Development Agenda. Our submission will be considered in the Panel’s report to the UN Secretary-General in May 2013.
1 May 2013: ICNL’s President Joins Foreign Ministers on Community of Democracies Panel
The Community of Democracies organized its Seventh Ministerial Conference on April 27-29 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. ICNL’s President, Douglas Rutzen, participated in a plenary panel on threats against civil society.
25 April 2013: ICNL Global Trends Issue: The Muslim Brotherhood on the State of Civil Society Law in Post-Mubarak Egypt
In the latest Global Trends Issue, ICNL interviews Khaled Hamza of the Muslim Brotherhood to discuss the state of civil society and civil society law in post-revolutionary Egypt.
12 April 2013: Call for Research Project Applications in Bangladesh
The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) is pleased to invite applications for a research grant pursuant to the NGO Legal Enabling Environment Program (LEEP).
11 April 2013: ICNL Participates in UN Panel on Civil Society and Development
On April 9, ICNL’s Vice President of Operations Nilda Bullain participated in a panel entitled Civil Society and its Environment: Driving Sustainable Development, held at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York.
04 April 2013: Hudson Institute Releases Pilot Study on Philanthropic Freedom
Philanthropic Freedom: A Pilot Study assesses the level of philanthropic freedom in 13 countries and provides recommendations for policymakers.
28 March 2013: UN Human Rights Experts Urge Egyptian Shura Council to Reject Restrictive Draft NGO Bill
A group of United Nations human rights experts have urged the Egyptian Shura Council not to adopt a draft law that would violate international standards governing the right to freedom of association.
27 March 2013: Fellowship to Promote Research on the Legal Framework for Civil Society in Myanmar
The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are pleased to announce the availability of a new research fellowship for individuals from Myanmar.
25 March 2013: UN Human Rights Council Adopts Resolution Protecting International Funding for Human Rights Defenders
ICNL welcomes a new UN Human Rights Council resolution protecting human rights defenders, including the right to receive international funding.
15 March 2013: Restrictive Draft Amendments Withdrawn from Bulgarian Law
During the Bulgarian government’s last days in office, a group of MPs introduced amendments to existing anti-corruption legislation that would have severely threatened civil society.
11 March 2013: ICNL MENA Office Executive Director Appears on "Eye on Democracy" Live
ICNL’s MENA office Executive Director Dima Jweihan recently appeared on the Eye on Democracy Live Show to speak about new approaches for civil society following the Arab Spring revolutions in the MENA region.
01 March 2013: Research Fellowship Announcement: Fellowships to Support an Enabling Legal Framework for Civil Society
The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are pleased to announce the availability of 3 new research fellowships for individuals from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
01 March 2013: Research Fellowship Announcement: Fellowships to Support an Enabling Legal Framework for Civil Society in the Middle East/North Africa
The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are pleased to announce the availability of 2 new research fellowships for individuals from the Middle East/North Africa.
06 February 2013: New Opportunities for Cooperation in Designing and Delivering International Aid by Filiz Bikmen
ICNL Vice Chair Filiz Bikmen pens article on Turkey's expanding role in development aid and the importance of defining a strategic framework to include NGOs and foundations in the design, development and implementation of development aid programs.
01 February 2013: United Nations Special Rapporteur conducts country visit to the United Kingdom
UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, recently conducted a fact-finding mission to the United Kingdom. During the country visit, he assessed the protection of the rights to freedom of association and assembly and identified areas for improvement for the protection of these rights.
02 January 2013: European Court of Justice rejects NGO foreign funding case
The European Union Court of Justice (ECJ) recently rejected a lawsuit concerning European Union (EU) funding for NGOs.