Iraqi Streets شوارع عراقية

BY NCCI WEBSIT

Iraqi al-Amal is a non-political, non-sectarian and non profit association of volunteers actively engaged in projects for the benefit and well being of the Iraqi population regardless of race, gender and political or religious affiliation.

Last week the Iraqi parliament passed a new law governing the work of NGOs and civil society. It was the third draft of the law and underwent a process of improvement after the first draft was rejected by NGOs and specialists on the laws that govern their work. NCCI caught up with Jamal while he was in Jordan last week to discuss it.

NCCI: Many involved in humanitarian action in Iraq are saying this draft is a considerable improvement on the first two but how exactly is it better?

Jamal: When NGOs register now they will be given certification for an unlimited period. Previously registration was only valid for a limited period of a year or two years which necessitated a costly and laborious process of re-registering. This will free NGOs to concentrate on other projects, allow them to have long-term agreements with international organizations and development agencies and allow them to run long-term projects. Foreigners now have the right to be part of NGOs and internationals with residency in Iraq can form them themselves. Youths under 18 years of age now have the right to belong to organizations and attend meetings, though they cannot vote. NGOs can establish branches, both inside and outside Iraq, without the prior agreement of the directorate. They have the right to own, buy and rent property. They have the right to be part of networks. The NGO directorate cannot reject applications for registration for reasons not described in this particular item of legislation and the closure of an NGO is now an issue courts decide on, not the government. Small NGOs with a budget of less than 75 million IQD will not have to provide audits. Most importantly, NGOs now have the right to accept international grants and funding without prior agreement from the government.

NCCI: How will the law enable the development of humanitarian action and civil society in Iraq?

Jamal: The law gives NGOs freedom and independence. It allows them to have relationships with internationals, donors, the government, the private sector and the local community.

NCCI: How was Iraqi al-Amal association involved in the process of developing the draft and securing its ratification?

Jamal: Al-amal association believes in a fair law for NGOs forming a base for sustainable humanitarian interventions and activity. Our association attempted to gain knowledge of regional and international best practice in order to contribute to the legislation and used the contacts it has within NGOs, civil society organisations, parliament and government to secure its passage.

NCCI: Which other Iraqi actors were involved?

Ala al-Talabani (head of the civil society committee in the Iraqi parliament) was vital to the advocacy process, listening to the concerns of NGOs and making sure these were addressed. Sami Shaafi from Dar al-Salam invested a lot of time and effort with the media and the Iraqi parliament and Mrs. Tamim al-Azzawi, head of the integrity commission, was also important.

NCCI: How about international participation in the process?

The Heinrich Bell foundation initially taught us about the relevant legal concepts and legal language during a workshop in Beirut in 2004. The Lebanese MP Ghassan al-Akhader made an important contribution too, as did the international centre for not-for-profit law (INCL) the Arab NGO network for development (ANND) and UNOPS.

NCCI: How does the legislation compare to other NGO laws in the region?

It is the best in any country in the region except Lebanon.

NCCI: What are your predictions for humanitarian work in Iraq in 2010?

There is always room for improvement, we have to build strong and sustainable organisations. It is not just the concern of Iraqis, we need the international community to be involved.

NCCI : What was the role played by the media in securing the passage of the law?

It was important to have media support, they (especially al-Sabah, the official government newspaper) helped by publishing high-profile articles and interviews which illustrated that the un-amended version of the law was a danger to democracy. We also used satellite channels (especially al-Hurra) to good effect by using them to point out the positive side of NGO work.

NCCI: Any final comments?

The job is not finished yet. We have to lobby for acceptance at the level of the presidential council and with the current presidential council we have a good chance of getting the bill ratified.

Jamal al-Jawahiri is part of Iraqi al-Amal association