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Law on  Associations  of Kurdistan  Region  of  Iraq  
 
 
In the  name  of  Allah,  The  Most  Merciful,  the  Most  Compassionate 
 
 
In  name  of the  people  
 
The  National  Council  of  Kurdistan  of  Iraq  
 
Decision  No.  44 
 
Decision  date:  31/10/1993  
 
 
Decision  
 
Based  on  the  provisions  of  the  paragraph  (1)  of  the  article  (56)  of  the  law  No.  (1)  of  1992  and  
according  to  what  was  based  by  the  Minister  of  Interior  and  approved  by  the  Council  of  
Ministers,  the  National  Council  of  Kurdistan  of  Iraq  has decided  in its  session  held  on 
25/10/1993,  issuing  the following  law:   
 
Law  No. (18)  of  1993   
Law  on Associations  of  Kurdistan  Region  of  Iraq 
 
Article  1:   
 
1. The  association  is  a  permanent  group  comprised  of several  natural  or  legal  persons  for  
non ‐profit  purposes.  
2. Clubs,  organizations,  federations,  and cultural  and  social  centers  and  unions,  and  
charitable  institutions  are  considered  as  an  association  that  is  subject  to  the  provisions  
of  this  law,  unless  they  are  regulated  by  a  special  law.  
3. In  case  the  association  has  aimed  at  scientific,  social,  occupational,  technical  or  
charitable  purpose,  or  even  a  public  benefit,  then  such  an  association  is designated  
according  to  this  purpose.   
 
Article  2  
  1. The  association  which is  established  according  to the  provisions  of  this  law  will  have  
legal  personality  and  has  the  right  to  exercise  all actions  which  are  consistent  with  its  
objectives  and  it  has  the  right  to  possess  the  movable  properties  to  achieve  its  
purposes.   
2. The  legal  personality  can  be  effective  before  others  only  after  the  publishing  of  its  
internal  bylaw  in  the  official  gazette  by  a  request  from  it.   
 
Article  3  
 

The Association  is represented  before  courts  and  official  and non ‐official  agencies  by  its  
chairman  or  someone  authorized.   
 
 
Article  4   
 
The  objectives  of  the  association  should:  
  1. Be  declared,  clear  and  legitimate.   
2. To  serve  a  certain  group  of  the  people  of Kurdistan  of  Iraq.    
3. Not  to  aim  at  sowing  dissidence  and  racial,  religious  and  sectarian  discrimination  
4. Not  to  contradict  with  the  democratic  principles  and  Universal  Declaration  of  Human  
Rights.  
5. Not  be  in  violation  of the  public  order  and morals.   
 
Article  5  
 
The  association  should adopt  the democratic  and  peaceful  means  to achieve  its  objectives  
according  to  the  existing  laws.   
 
Article  6  
 
The  association  has  the  right  to  assemble,  to stage  protests,  goes  on  strikes  and  organize  
festivals  and  possess  the  means  of  media  according  to  the  applicable  laws.   
 
Article  7  
 
To  establish  the  association,  it  is  required  to  submit  an  application  to  the  Minister  of  Interior  
signed  by  the  founding  members  whose  number  is  not  less  than  (15) members  having  legal 
capacity,  provided  that its  bylaw  should  be  attached,  having  the  following  information:  
  1. The  Name  of association,  its  purpose  and  its  head ‐office,  provided  it  should  be  in  the  
regional  Kurdistan  of Iraq.   
2. The  name  of each  founding  member,  his  surname,  nationality,  age,  his  profession  and  
the  place  of  his  residence  and  scientific  qualification.   
3. Membership  conditions  and  loss.   
4. Association’s  financial  resources  and  sources  
 
The  authorities  which  represent  the  association  and run  it  and  the  responsibilities  of  each  
and  methods  of its  election  and  expiry.   
 
Article  8  
 
1. The  Minister  of  Interior  must  take  the  decision  about  the  application  within  a  period  of  
(30)  days  from  registration  date  with  the  Ministry.   
2. The  Minister  of  Interior  has  the  right,  in event  of  not  fulfilling  the  legal  conditions  by  the  
establishment  application  and  return  it  to  the  founders  within  the  period  stated  in  the  

above paragraph  (1)  to fulfill  the  incomplete  documents,  then  the  effective  date  of  
decision  starts  from  the  date  of  application  receipt.  
3. In  the  event  of  not  taking  decision  about  the  application,  despite  of the  mentioned 
period  in  the  above  paragraph  (1),  the  application  is  considered  approved by  the  law.   
4. If the  Minister  of  Interior  rejects  the establishment  application  for  any  reason,  the  
founding  members  have  the  right  to  raise  the  decision  of  rejection  with  the  General  
Authority  for  the  Court  of  Regional  Kurdistan  of  Iraq,  within  a  period  of  (15)  days  from  
the  notification  date.  The  court’s  decision  should  be  decisive.   
5. The  procedures  stated  in  the  above  paragraph  are  followed  in the  case  of  amending  the  
internal  bylaw  of  existing  association.   
 
Article  9  
 
The  Finance  of the  Association  consists of  the  following:   
  1. Subscriptions  of  membership;  
2. Annual  subscriptions  of  members  
3. Grants,  donations,  presents,  subscriptions  and  endowments  from  individuals  and  other  
agencies.   
4. Other  revenues  which  are  received  by  the  association  due  to  its  activities  and  
investments  of  its  funds.   
 
Article  10  
 
1. The  association  runs  its  funds  by  itself  through  an  annual  budget  to  be  organized  and  
implemented  according  to the  adopted  accounting  system  with  the  official  circles in  the  
region.   
2. The  accounts  of  the  association  are subject  to  financial  control  and auditing  in  the  
region  of  Kurdistan  of  Iraq.   
 
Article  11  
 
Every  association  and its  branches  should  keep  the  records  which  are  stated  below,  provided  
that  they  should  be  certified  by:  
1. Record  of  members,  in  which  names  of  the  association’s  members  are  listed  and  their  
addresses,  ages,  nationalities,  occupations, scientific  and  technical  qualifications  and  
their  affiliations.   
2. Record  of  decisions,  in  which  the  decisions  of  the  Board  of  Association  and the  General  
Authority,  signed  by the  Association’s  Board.  
3. Record  of  accounts,  in which  revenues  and  expenses  are  input.   
4. Record  of  money  and  furniture,  in  which  all  movable  and  immovable  properties of  the  
association  are listed.   
 
 
Article  12  
 
The  Association’s  General  Authority  has  the  right  to  decide  the  voluntary  dissolution  of the  
association  after the approval  of  two  thirds  of  the  authority’s  members.   

 
Article 13  
 
The  dissolution  of the  association  by a  decision  from  the  court  based  on  a  request  submitted  to  
the  Minister  of  Interior  or  his  deputy,  in  the  following  cases:   
  1. If one  year  of  the  establishment  of  the  Association  has passed  but  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  (four  and  
five)  of  this  law.   
3. In  case  the  association  has  become  unable to  meet  its  commitments  or  dedicated  its 
funds  or  profits  for  unintended  purposes.   
4. If it  stores  weapons  or  explosive  materials  or  crackers  in  its  headquarters  or  at  any  of  its  
branches.   
 
 
Article  14  
  1. The  court  will  look  into  the  application  of  dissolution  in  urgent  manner  and  the  decision  
of  the  court  will  be  published  in  the  local  newspapers  within  one  week  from  its  issuance  
date  and  those  who  are  affected  have  the  right  to  raise  it  to  the  Cassation  Court  of  
Kurdistan  Region  within  thirty  days from  the  publication  date.   
2. If the  court  has  refused  the  request  of  dissolution,  it  will  have  the  right  to  rescind  
challenged  request.   
 
Article  15  
 
If   the  association  has  been  dissolved,  a  liquidator  or  more  will  be  appointed.  Such  an  
appointment  will  be  made  by  the  Association’s  General  Authority  in  case  the  dissolution  is  
voluntary  or the  General  Authority  of  the  Cassation  Court  of  Kurdistan  of Iraq  if  the  dissolution  is 
by  a  court  ruling  and  the  primary  court  will  put  its upper  hand  until liquidation  is  finalized.   
 
Article  16  
 
After  completing  the liquidation  process,  the  liquidators  will  distribute  the remaining  money  
according  to  the  internal  bylaw  of  the  Association.  If  this  bylaw  has  no  a  provision  about this  or  
if  any,  but  the  method  of  distribution  was  not  impossible,  therefore  the  money  of  dissolved  
association  are transferred  to  an  association  or  associations  whose  purposes  are  the  most  
similar  to  the  purpose  of  the  association  or  to  any  charitable  association  determined by  the  
Council  of  Cabinet.   
 
Article  17  
 
1. The  Minister  of  Interior  has  the  right  to  warn  the  association  or  to  bring  to its  notice  
about  its  legal  violations.   
2. The  association  has the  right  to  protest  the  decision  of  the  Minister  of  Interior  before  
the  General  Authority  of  Cassation  Court  of  Kurdistan  Region  of  Iraq  within  thirty  days 
from  notification  date.   

 
 
Article 18  
 
1. Each  decision  issued  by  the  General  Authority  in  violation  of the  law  or  internal  bylaw  of  
the  association,  and  every  action  made  by  the  Board  of  Association  and the  councils  of  
branches  going  beyond  its  duties  or  in  violation  of  the  law  provisions  or  the  statute  of  
the  association  or  the  decisions  of  the  General  Authority,  it  is  allowed  to  rescind  it  by  
the  primary  court  within  the  jurisprudence  of  the  association  based on  any  relevant  
person.  This  should  be  made  within sixty  days  from  the  issuance  date  of  the  decision  or  
action.  The  above  is  applicable  to  the  civil  rights  only.  
2. The  call  for  revoke  should  not  be  addressed  to others  with  good  intentions  who  had  
gained  rights based  on  the  decision  or  the  challenged  action.   
 
Article  19  
 
Military,  or  quasi ‐military  non ‐government  associations  are  not  allowed  to  be  established;  as  
well  as it  is  allowed  to  establish  professional  or occupational  associations  only  by  individuals  
who  can  practice  similar  professions.   
 
Article  20  
 
The  association  is  exempted  from  the  fees  of  establishment  and  those  of  its  record  certification.   
 
Article  21  
 
Every  member  of the  Board  of  the  Association  and those  of  branches  will  be  penalized  by  a  fine  
not  more  than  five hundred  dinars, and  not  less  than one  hundred  dinars,  in  addition  to  his  
responsibilities  toward  the  association,  if  it  has  been  proved  that the  association:   
  1. Has  not  kept  the  records  which  have  been  stated  in  this  law  or has  not  observed  the  
stated  requirements.   
2. Has not  notified  the  competent  agency  about  the  issues  stated  in  the  law.  
3. Has accepted a member who has not met the conditions of the
membership stated in its internal bylaw.

Article 22
1. The existing associations should amend its conditions in a way that conforms with the provisions of this law within six months from entry-into-
force date.
2. The associations which have not abided by the paragraph (1) of this
Article is considered dissolved by the ruling of the law.

Article 23

6
The affairs of the Kurdistan organizations
operating in the domains of relief
and reconstruction will be regulated by a special law.

Article 24

Any provision that contradicts with the provisions of this law will inoperative

Article 25

The Minister of Interior has the right to issue necessary instructions to
facilitate the execution of this law provisions.

Article 26

The competent ministers have to exec ute the provisions of this law

Article 27

This law will be effective from the date of being published in the official
gazette

Jawhar Nameq Salem

Chairman of National Council of Kurdistan of Iraq