NGOs react to stalled democracy summit

An international summit in Bahrain aimed at promoting democracy in the Middle East ended inconclusively after Egyptian delegates and other Arab leaders defied the United States over a clause in the event’s outcome document relating to civil society freedoms. “Egypt and other Arab states asked for a new clause stipulating that only institutions fully recognised by the government be allowed to receive funding,” explained Bahieddin Hassan, director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Research. The US delegation, meanwhile, argued that such an amendment would defeat the purpose of the initiative, which aims to promote democratic practice in the so-called “Broader Middle East,” stretching from Mauritania to Pakistan. The conference, whose stated aim was the establishment of a regional fund, dubbed the “Foundation for the Future,” focused on various aspects of democratic development within the region. The US, represented in Bahrain by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, has pledged $50 million to the fund, while Egypt announced its readiness to provide an additional $20 million. The delegation from the US, the prime mover of the forum, focused debate on the provision of greater liberties to civil societies and non-profit organisations working in the fields of human rights and democratisation. Before the signing of a final resolution, however, the Egyptian delegation, represented by Foreign Minister Ahmed Abu al-Gheit, insisted on tighter government control over the funding and activities of NGOs. Cairo’s position was supported by delegations from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Tunisia. While other members of the 22-nation gathering used the opportunity to establish new pro-democracy groups, the Future Foundation appears stalled, at least for the time being. “Discussions aimed at formalising the declaration are due to take place soon in Jordan,” explained Hassan, who attended the conference as a member of the Egyptian delegation’s non-governmental component. “But for now, the fund isn’t open.” Many civil society observers, meanwhile, said the Egyptian move came as no surprise. “The position that the Egyptian government took on the issue falls straight in line with their traditional policy vis-à-vis civil society and human rights,” said Mahmoud Ali of the Association for the Development of Democracy. According to an amended NGO law passed in 2002, the Ministry of Social Affairs enjoys wide-ranging authority over most aspects of civil society activity inside Egypt. For an NGO to be legally registered, for example, it must comply with a long set of prerequisites, the most crucial of which is that it promise to refrain from any activity deemed “political.” “When there is government interference on every level of our work in human rights – from administration to funding and policy – it becomes very difficult for us to function at all,” Ali complained. “If the ministry deems a particular initiative inappropriate, it will simply declare it politically motivated.” Magda Abdel-Halim, Director General Coordinator of NGOS in Egypt at the Ministry of Social Affairs, however, denied this claim. “We do not differentiate between human rights groups and other NGOs,” she said. “We treat all legally registered groups in the same way.” According to Ali, though, the 2002 NGO law is vague enough to allow the government to manipulate in any way it sees fit. “As things stand, we end up waiting months on end to get approval from the ministry to approach donors or start investing money,” he said. Abdel-Halim countered by saying that the government couldn’t be expected to allow foreign entities to fund Egyptian groups unchecked. “We need to establish what the entity’s agenda is, and whether it’s legal,” she said. Despite the restraints faced by Egyptian human rights activists, said the country had a “vibrant civil society.” “The rights movement has been active for 20 years in Egypt, and the fact that the government is going against the tide will not put a stop to our efforts,” he said. “On the contrary, this gives us all the more incentive.”