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Eurasian Program

Since 1997, the ICNL Alliance has worked to foster an enabling legal and fiscal environment for civil society throughout Eurasia.

Country-specific activities are tailored to meet the needs of civil society in every country we work in: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Our activities include providing technical assistance to civil society and government representatives, increasing the capacity of local partners, and bolstering the legal literacy of civil society organizations. We also support cross-border activities that give local civil society representatives and lawyers the opportunity to exchange perspectives with colleagues from other countries.

Highlights

Amendment to the Implementing Regulation to the Law of Georgia on Transparency of Foreign Influence

On September 20, 2024, the Ministry of Justice of Georgia (MoJ) issued an order to amend the Implementing Regulation to the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence. The amendment removed certain requirements to submit personal data, as well as commercial and banking secrets, that are protected by other laws of Georgia. While this is a positive development, numerous requirements to disclose personal data, commercial, and banking secrets remain in the Implementing Regulation.

Implications of the Implementing Regulation to the Law of Georgia on Transparency of Foreign Influence

The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) and the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL) prepared the overview of the Regulation for the USAID Civil Society Engagement Program. In the overview, we provide interpretations and analysis of the requirements in the Regulation, including the submission of a Financial Declaration, to help NNLEs better understand the requirements and their implications for the activities of such organizations.

parliament hall, georgia. photo credit creative commons

Review of the Implementing Regulation to the Law of Georgia on Transparency of Foreign Influence

On August 1, 2024, the Ministry of Justice of Georgia (MoJ) adopted the “Rule for Registration, Financial Declaration Submission, and Monitoring of Organizations Acting in the Interests of Foreign Powers” (hereafter referred to as “the Regulation”) in implementation of the Law of Georgia on Transparency of Foreign Influence (hereinafter “the Law”).

Read the full Brief, available in English, here.

kazakhstan, photo credit Nozim Nurillaev via Unsplash

Legislative Overview for Financial Sustainability for Civil Society in Central Asia

This Overview, updated in July 2024, highlights the legislative opportunities and constraints affecting the financial sustainability of civil society organizations. It also offers a comparative approach, allowing readers to use examples from several countries and apply them to their practice. Moreover, the Overview provides information that can be used to improve civil society-related legislation across the region and is meant to be particularly useful for specialists, civil society representatives, government agencies, and parliamentarians. Find the full analysis in English or Russian.

ПРАВОВАЯ БАЗА ДЛЯ ФИНАНСОВОЙ УСТОЙЧИВОСТИ НКО В СТРАНАХ ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОЙ АЗИИ

Настоящий Обзор ознакомит читателя с возможностями и ограничениями в законодательстве, которые влияют на финансовую устойчивость НКО. Представленный в Обзоре сравнительный анализ позволит читателю познакомиться с опытом других стран и использовать этот опыт в своей практике. Обзор также поможет читателям в дальнейшем совершенствовании правовой среды, которая бы способствовала финансовой устойчивости НКО, и будет полезен специалистам, представителям НКО и государственных органов, парламентариям, которые стремятся совершенствовать законодательство для НКО в своих странах.

Overview of Georgia’s Foreign Influence Law

On May 14, 2024, the Georgian parliament adopted the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence. The law requires civil society and media organizations to register and submit information for a special registry maintained by the Ministry of Justice. Under the new law, the Ministry also gains broad inspection powers. The President vetoed the Law on May 18, but parliament can override it. If passed, the Law will take effect 60 days after publication.

Ala Too Square Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic, on a very sunny, cloudless day. There are fountains and a large Kyrgyz flag on a tall flagpole billowing. (Photo: Emil Akhmatbekov)

Analysis of the Kyrgyz Republic Law on Foreign Representatives

The Law on Amending the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic on Noncommercial Organizations (Law on “Foreign Representatives”), signed by President Japarov on April 2, 2024, establishes new burdensome requirements for noncommercial organizations (NCOs). Among other provisions, the Law provides state authorities with the right to interfere in an organization’s internal affairs, forces NCOs that receive foreign funding and engage in broadly defined “political activity” to complete a special “foreign representative” registration; and requires INGOs to work in Kyrgyzstan through a registered branch/representative office. Read the full analysis here.