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The National Council of Kurdistan of Iraq

Law on Non-government Kurdistan Organizations
 
 
Introduction 
 
On  24  Jan.  2001 and  based  on our  people’s  legitimate  rights  and  interests  in  having  non ‐
government  organizations  to  help  meet  its  needs  in  terms  of  the  activities  of  relief  and  
reconstruction  in Kurdistan,  and  in  order  to regulate  the tasks  and objectives  of  Kurdistan  
organizations  being  active  in  such  fields,  and  to  grant  them  more  freedom  and  legal  movement  
in  achieving  its  objectives,  the National  Council  of  Kurdistan  of  Iraq  has  declared  its  
endorsement  for  its  taken  decision  in  its  ordinary  meeting No.  (9)  held  on  23/1/2001  on  the  Law 
on  Non ‐government  Kurdistan  Organizations,  No.  (15)  of  2001  
 
 
In  the  name  of  Allah,  the  Merciful,  the  Most  Compassionate  
 
In  the  name  of  the  people  
The  National  Council  of  Kurdistan  of  Iraq  
Issuance  No.  15 
Issuance  date:  24/10/2001   
 
Based  on  the  paragraph  (1)  of  the  Article  (56)  and  the  Article  (53)  of  the  revised  Law  No. (1)  of  
1992,  and  based  on what  was  presented  by  the  Council  of  Ministers  and  on  what  legislated  by  
the  National  Council of  Kurdistan  of  Iraq,  in  its regular  session No.  (9),  held  on 23/10/2001  and  
the  authorized  power  by the  paragraph  No.  (3)  of  the  Law  No. (10)  of  1997,  we  decided  to  issue  
the  following  law:   
 
Law  No. (15)  of  2001  No.  Law  on Non ‐government  Kurdistan  Organizations  in  Kurdistan  of  Iraq  
 
Article  1   
 
For  the purpose  of  law,  the  following  expressions  will  have  the  following  corresponding  
meaning:  
  1. Region:  Region  of  Kurdistan  of  Iraq   
2. Ministry:  Ministry  of  Interior  
3. Minister:  Minister  of  Interior  
4. Organization:  Any  non ‐government  Kurdistan  organization  for relief,  reconstruction,  and  
human  activities  with  public  benefits.   
 
 
  Chapter One  
Foundation  

 
 
Article 2   
 
1. An  organization  is  a  non ‐government  and  independent  agency  that  is  comprised  of  
natural  persons  to  achieve  its  objectives  in  the  fields  of  relief,  reconstruction,  and  basic  
activities  in  the  region.   
2. It has  the  right  to  have  legal  personality  and  the  right  to  possess  movable  property to  
achieve  its  objectives  stated  in  this  law.   
3. It is  allowed  for  the  organization  to  work  in  the  fields  of  human  activities  outside  the 
region  after  receiving  the  approval  from  the  Minister.  
4. The  organization  shall not seek  for  profits  to  achieve  its  objectives.   
 
Article  4   
 
To  establish  the  organizations,  the  following  are  required:   
  1. To  submit  an application ‐ signed  by the  founding  members  not  less  than  five  members  
who  have  legal  capacity ‐ to  the  Minister,  provided that  its  internal  statute  should  be  
attached  with the  following  data:   
  a. Name  of organization,  purpose  of  establishment,  provided  that  its  headquarter  in  the  
region.   
b. Name  of each  member,  his  surname,  nationality,  age,  profession,  his  residence,  
scientific  qualifications.   
c. Financial  resources  of  the  association  and its  resources.   
d. The  agencies  which  represent  the  association  and  run  it  and  the  list  of  its  duties  and  
methods  of  selection.   
2. Its  purpose  should  be  clear  and  publicly  declared  and  should  not  be  in contradiction  
with  the  general  system.  
3. The  organization  should  achieve  its  objectives  with  legitimate  means  according  to the  
provisions  of  the  laws  in  the  region  and  should  not  contradict  with  the  requirements  of  
the  federal  governance  regime.   
4. Should  not  aim  at  sowing  dissidence  or  discrimination  amongst  ethnicities,  and  different  
sects.   
 
 
Article  5  
  1. The  Minister  should  take  the  decision  about  the application  within  sixty  days  from  the  
registration  date  with  the  Ministry  and  in  case  of  not  fulfilling  all  legal  requirements  of  
establishment  application,  it  should  be  returned  to  its  founders  to  complete  the  short  
documents,  then  the effectiveness  starts from  the  date  of  application  submission  once 
again.   
2. If the  Minister  rejects the establishment  application  for  any  reason,  the founding  
members  have  the  right  to  raise  the  decision  of  rejection  to  the  Court  of  Region  within  
fifteen  days  from  the  notification  date  and  the  decision  will  be  decisive.   

3. In  case  of  not  taking  decision  about  the  application,  though  the  stated  period  in  the  
paragraph  (1)  has  already  passed,  the  application  will  be  considered  as  approved  by  the  
law.   
 
 
Article  6   
 
In  the  organization’s  internal  statute,  the  provisions  related to  regulating  its administrative,  
financial,  technical  affairs  and  how  to select  its  members  and  acceptance  of  its  members.   
 
Article  7   
 
The  organization  should keep  the  following  records,  provided  they  should  be  endorsed  by  the  
Notary  office.   
 
  1. Record  of  members   
2. Record  of  decisions  and  minutes  of  sessions  
3. Record  of  projects  
4. Record  of  accounts  
5. Record  of  properties  and  furniture  
 
 
Chapter  Two   
 
Objectives  and  Methods 
 
Article  Six:  the  Organization  is  aiming  at  achieving  the  following:   
 
[  Not  clear in the scanned  sheets] 
 
 
The organization  will achieve  its  objectives  by  the  following  means:  
  1. Available  financial resources.   
2. Contracting  and entry  into tenders  and  bids  to  implement  reconstruction  projects  of  
Kurdistan.   
3. Contacting  with  refugees  and  expatriates  of  Kurdistan  who  live  abroad  and  to  encourage  
them  to  invest  their  money  in  the  projects  of  relief  and  reconstruction  and  development  
in  the  region.   
4. Invitation  to  hold  internal  and  international  conferences  to  study  and  develop  projects  
with  aim  of  achieving  its  objectives.   
5. The  government  of  the  region  for  the  required  public  interests  has  the  right  to  
contribute  with  the  organization  to execute  development  projects  in  the  region.   
 
  Chapter three  

 
Organization’s  Financing  
 
Article  10  
 
The  organization  will assume  the  management  of  its  money  through  an  annual  budget  to  
regulate  and  execute  according  to  the  accounting  system  adopted  by  the  official  circles and  its  
accounts  should  be  subject  to financial  controlling  and  auditing  in  the  region.   
 
Article  11  
 
The  financial  resources  of  the  organization  consist  of  the  following:   
  1. Contributions  of  its  members  
2. Donations,  gifts,  presents,  endowments,  and  wills  from  individuals  and  other  agencies.   
3. Revenues  received  by  the  organization  due  to  its  activities  or  investments  of  its  money.   
 
Article  12  
 
The  organization  has  the  right  to  contract  with  the  foreign  organizations  or  accepting 
assistances  or  cash  or  in‐kind  donations  from  abroad  and  should  notify  the  Ministries  of  Interior  
and  Human  Assistance  and  Cooperation  about  such  resources.    
 
Article  13  
 
The  organization  should  submit  the  following  reports  in the  end  of every  financial  year  or  when  
necessary  to  the  competent  agencies  
 
‐ Financial  report  including  revenues  and  expenses  
‐ Detailed  confidential  report about  its  services,  projects in  the domain  of  relief,  
reconstruction,  and  human  activities  and  beneficiaries.   
‐ Reports  including  its  plans,  programs  of  its  new  financial  year  in  the  domain  of  relief,  
reconstruction  and development  in  the  region.   
 
 
Article  14  
 
The  organization  is exempted  from  the  establishment  fees and  those  of  record  endorsement.   
 
Article  15  
 
The  organization  has the  right,  after  the  approval  of  the  Minister,  to  decide  the  dissolution  of 
the  organization  or merging  it  with  another  organization  having similar  objectives  with  the  
approval  of  the  majority  of  its  members.  The  minister’s  rejection  decision  can  be  challenged  
before  the  Cassation  Court  within  15  days  from  issuance  date.   
 
 
Article  16  

 
The dissolution  of the  organization  is  written  from  the  primary  court  after  acquiring  the  degree  
of  decision  based  on  a  request  to  be  submitted  by  the  Minister  or  any  one authorized  in  the  
following  case:   
  1. If one  year  of  the  establishment  of the  Association  has passed  but  the Association  has  
not  embarked  its  activities  stated  in  the  bylaw  or  stopped  its  activities  for  unidentified  
reasons.   
2. If its  activities  have  violated  the  purposes  and  means  stated  in  the  two  articles  (4  and  5)  
of  this  law.   
3. In  case  the  association  has  become  unable to  meet  its  commitments  or  dedicated  its 
funds  or  profits  for  unintended  purposes.   
 
 
Article  17  
 
If  the  association  has been  dissolved,  a  liquidator  or  more  will  be  appointed  by  authorities  if   
such  a  dissolution  is  voluntary  or by  the  primary  court in  case  of  the  dissolution  is judiciary.  The  
above  court  will  proceed  putting  the  upper  hand  on  the  association  while the  legal  liquidation  is  
carried  out.   
 
Article  18  
 
The  decisions  of  the  court  in  the  cases  stated  in  the  two  articles  (16  and  17)  of  this  law  are  
challenged  before  the  Cassation  Court  within  fifteen  days  from  the  following  date  of  notification  
date.   
  General Provisions  
 
 
Article  19  
  1. The  existing  non‐government  Kurdistan  and Iraqi  organizations  must  correct  their  
situation  in  a  way  that  is  consistent  with  the  provisions  of  this  law  within  six  months  
from  the  effectiveness.   
2. The  organizations  which  are  not  abiding  by  the  provision  of  the  paragraph  (1)  of  this  
article  is dissolved  by  the  law.   
 
 
 
Article  20  
 
[The  text  is  not  clear  in the  scanned  sheet  ]  
 
 
Article  24  
 

6
The Minister  of  Interior  has  the  right  to  issue  instructions  to  facilitate  the implementation  of  this  
law.   
 
Article  25  
 
The  Council  of  Ministers  should  implement  the  provisions  of  this  law.   
 
 
Article  26  
 
This  law  is effective  from  the  publication  date  in  the  gazette  of  Kurdistan  
 
 
Dr.  Routh  Nouri  Shawi  
Chairman  of  National  Council  for  Kurdistan  of Iraq  
 
 
 
 
Reasons:   
 
For  the interests  of  our  people  and  its  legitimate  rights  to  have  organizations  in  the  fields  of  
relief  and  reconstruction,  especially  in  the  period  through  which  our  democratic  experience  and  
to  allow  for  Kurdistan  organizations  to  contribute  through  providing  services,  projects  and  
assistance  to  build  up  the  national  economy  and to  benefit  from  experiences  and  energies  of  all  
sections  of  community,  this  law  has been  legislated  accordingly.