Prior to the Arab Spring uprisings, hostile restrictions on NGOs prevented the existence of an independent civil society in many Middle Eastern and North African states. Since the revolutions, ICNL’s work with local partners in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya has focused on creating new, enabling legislation governing civil society to overturn the restrictive legislation characteristic of many states in the region.
In a recent IMPACT blog post, USAID acknowledged ICNL’s ongoing work to improve the legal framework for civil society in Tunisia following the Arab Spring:
“In Tunisia, USAID assistance to ICNL enabled the first-ever meeting of civil society leaders and legislators to work toward replacing the existing, restrictive law governing associations with a new legal framework. The new law passed as a result of this meeting is now considered a best practice for a region undergoing tectonic shifts.”
In addition to its work in the Middle East and North Africa region, ICNL’s 4-year partnership with the USAID has helped promote an improved legal environment for civil society in over 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Eurasia, Asia, and Latin America.