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PRESS RELEASES 2000
Jerusalem, April
27, 2000
Ministry of Interior and the registration of NGOs
The Ministry of Interior of the Palestinian Authority (PA)
has in the last couple of days released several misleading
announcements in Palestinian newspapers, regarding the
registration of non-governmental organsations (NGOs).
The first one of these announcements was published in al-Ayyam
on April 24th 2000. In it the ministry reminds Palestinian
NGOs that according to the new NGO law #1/2000 NGOs have to
register with the ministry within a period of nine months,
and that they may not conduct NGO activity until they are
registered.
While the “registration” deadline is based on Palestinian
law, the restriction on activists is not. Article 42 states:
“All organisations and institutions that existed before
issuing this law are considered registered officially, but
they have to rearrange their matters according to the
articles of this law within a period of nine months from the
date of issuing this law, otherwise, they will be considered
illegal.” Therefore, during this period the Ministry of
Interior has no legal basis for interference in existing
NGOs activities.
In disregarding of the new NGO law, on April 19, the
Ministry of Interior ordered Colonel Rashid abu Shabaak,
Deputy Chairman of the Preventive Security Service in Gaza,
to close the Civic Forum Institute in Gaza. The Director of
the Civic Forum Institute, Salah-Eddin al-Madhoun, was
interrogated and forced to sign a paper acknowledging that
the organisation did not have a permit to operate. The
Preventive Security Service argues that the organisation is
not registered in accordance with Palestinian law, and is
thus illegal. In fact this NGO has existed since 1998, is
well within its nine month time limit, and has indeed
started the process of rearranging the organisational
structure to suit the new law.
Another anouncment was published in al-Quds April 25th 2000.
In it the Ministry reiterates its interpretation of the NGO
registration requirements. It states that the Ministry of
Interior “trusts that all parties respect the Palestinian
laws and regulations, that direct the work of all, and give
the impression to lay the foundations for the modern society
that we all seek.” Ironically, by closing NGO offices before
the time period that the law stipulates, and by demanding
immediate registration of already existing organisations,
the Ministry of Interior finds itself in breach of
Palestinian law.
Although PHRMG supports the registration process of NGOs
under the Palestinian Ministry of NGO Affairs, we stand in
protest to illegal closures of NGOs by the Ministry of
Interior. Furthermore, with regard to NGO matters, we call
for a clear division of powers between the Ministry of NGO
Affairs and the Ministry of Interior.
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