Sub-Saharan Africa Program

ICNL believes that civil society law reform must be designed and led by local actors. We have had the privilege of working with civil society leaders, government officials, lawyers, academics, and other stakeholders in eighteen countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We seek to empower local partners by providing comparative information, international legal expertise, and technical assistance on the legal framework for civil society. We also undertake a number of initiatives to enhance the law reform capacity of local partners. Learn More

• ICNL has supported Ethiopian civil society organizations (CSOs) and their lawyers in developing strategies to cope with the highly restrictive Proclamation on Charities and Societies. Among other restrictions, the Proclamation precludes organizations receiving more than 10% of their funding from abroad from promoting children’s rights, disability rights, gender equality, and a range of other objectives.
• In Uganda, ICNL has analyzed current legislation governing civil society organizations, associated regulations, and the draft NGO Registration Act. ICNL has also commented on the draft Public Order Management Bill.
• In Rwanda, ICNL assisted civil society and the government to develop new legislation governing national NGOs, international NGOs, religious organizations, and political parties. In addition, working with the CSO sector, ICNL has provided support on the drafting of a Code of Ethics for civil servants, with consultative meetings throughout the country.
• ICNL has conducted or supported in-depth assessments of the legal framework for civil society in several countries in Africa, including Mauritius (2006-2007), Senegal (2010), and Somaliland and Puntland (2011). ICNL is currently conducting an assessment of the legal environment for civil society in Malawi.
• ICNL has provided extensive assistance to civil society and government officials working on amendments to the CSO legal framework in Kenya. This support included hosting two research fellows (from the government and civil society) who are directly participating in the reform process.

For additional information or to request assistance, please contact Stephan Klingelhofer, Senior Counsel, at sklingel@icnl.org.