Global Programs
ICNL has several internationally-funded projects that allow for rapid technical assistance, including an analysis of draft legislation. Should you require this type of assistance, please contact our Vice President of Legal Affairs, David Moore, at david@icnl.org.hu.
From time-to-time, we also provide research fellowships and small grants funding. When opportunities arise, we will provide calls for applications on our website.
Additional cross-border initiatives include:
Global Forum on Civil Society Law 2011
The Global Forum brought together over 200 representatives of civil society, governments, multilateral institutions, and the donor community from 80 countries. Opening remarks were provided by Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, as well as US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Keynote remarks were delivered by Swedish Ambassador-at-Large for Democracy Maria Leissner and Minister of International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson. Learn more by visiting the Global Forum 2011 website.
Defending Civil Society Project
The Defending Civil Society report, originally published in February 2008, was the first phase of the Defending Civil Society international campaign to promote the adoption of internationally-recognized principles that protect civil society. The report, written in partnership with the World Movement for Democracy, provided the first comprehensive look at a global backlash against civil society and was endorsed by a group of eminent civil society leaders, including Vaclav Havel, Anwar Ibrahim, the Dalai Lama, and Desmond Tutu. The World Movement for Democracy and ICNL are currently preparing a second edition of the Defending Civil Society report. In addition, ICNL has worked with the World Movement on the production of individual country reports and is contributing to a Defending Civil Society Toolkit, designed to provide practical guidance on how to engage most effectively in NGO law reform. Learn more about the project and read the reports at the World Movement for Democracy website.
Community of Democracies Working Group on Enabling and Protecting Civil Society
The Working Group coordinates diplomatic action to address threats to civil society around the world. The Group includes representatives of nine governments (Botswana, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Mongolia, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the U.S.) and four international CSOs, including ICNL.
Embattled NGO Fund
Civil society often faces an urgent need for emergency and advocacy funding support. In July 2011, ICNL’s president, Douglas Rutzen, was invited to attend a meeting with Swedish Foreign Minister Bildt, Dutch Foreign Minister Rosenthal, US Secretary of State Clinton, and the heads of delegation from Australia, Benin, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and the United Kingdom to launch Lifeline: the Embattled NGO Assistance Fund. ICNL is a partner in a consortium led by Freedom House responsible for implementing the fund. For more information, please contact David Moore.
UN Special Rapporteur
Recognizing that the freedoms of association and assembly were the only fundamental freedoms that did not enjoy special protection by UN human rights machinery, ICNL helped develop the idea of a UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association. In September 2010, the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution creating a mandate for this position, and the first-ever UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Maina Kiai, was appointed in March 2011.
United States International Grantmaking Project
The USIG project is a joint initiative of the Council on Foundations and ICNL, designed to facilitate effective and responsible international grantmaking by U.S. foundations. As part of this project, ICNL prepares Country Notes to help private foundations undertake “equivalency determinations” when making international grants. To learn more about the project and to view the Country Notes, please visit the USIG website.
The International Journal of Not-for-Profit Law
The International Journal of Not-for-Profit Law (IJNL) is ICNL's journal of analysis on global civil society. The first publication of its kind, IJNL was founded in 1998 to reflect the evolving worldwide conversation about civil society. In addition to legal topics, IJNL addresses social, cultural, political, and economic issues affecting the legal environment. Our readers include attorneys, government officials, grantmakers, scholars, and activists. IJNL is thematically focused, with several articles in each issue addressing a single topic in depth. All articles are available at the IJNL website.
NGO Law Monitor
Thanks to the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, as well as support from USAID, ICNL is pleased to produce the NGO Law Monitor. The NGO Law Monitor seeks to provide up-to-date information on legal issues affecting not-for-profit, NGOs around the world. A network of individuals and organizations works with ICNL to monitor legal developments affecting civil society in 34 countries as well as the activities of 8 multilateral institutions. Click here to view the reports online.
NGO Sustainability Index
ICNL serves as the Project Manager for several editions of the NGO Sustainability Index (NGOSI), published by USAID. The publication reports on seven dimensions of NGO sustainability, including the NGO legal framework, financial viability, and organizational capacity. The NGOSI is available for Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East/North Africa, and Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Educational Initiatives
ICNL develops curricula, provides guidance to professors, and helps teach civil society law in universities around the world. We are currently engaged in courses in Latin America, North America, Eurasia, and Central and Eastern Europe.
The NGO Legal Enabling Environment Program
The NGO Legal Enabling Environment Program (LEEP), funded by USAID, has enabled ICNL to provide technical assistance in countries around the world, including Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Macedonia, Nepal, Panama, Paraguay, Puntland, Senegal, Somaliland, South Sudan, Tunisia, and Zambia. In addition to providing flexible and rapid technical assistance, LEEP also supports research initiatives, such as the NGO Law Monitor, and provides several research fellowships.