| ADF Statement on Restrictive NGO Laws |
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On September 19, 2006, ADF Management Committee issued a Statement in support of Proposed Resolution of the Community of Democracy on Restrictive NGO Laws. This statement was shared at a meeting of the International Steering Committee of the Community of Democracies' Non-governmental Process, which took place in New York on September 19, 2006, considing with a UN Democracy Caucus meeting. Statement of the African Democracy Forum Management Committee in support of Proposed Resolution of the Community of Democracy on Restrictive NGO Laws The Management Committee of the African Democracy Forum (ADF), a regional network of democrats in Africa, supports the draft resolution submitted by the International Steering Committee for the Community of Democracies (CD) Nongovernmental Process, and hereby urges the CD to re-commit themselves to the principles of the Warsaw Declaration, affirming the respect for rights of people to associate and assemble and ensuring an environment conducive to democratic development. Over the last several months, we have received messages and reports from our friends and colleagues from within and outside Africa, describing the increasingly limited environments, in which they conduct activities to promote democratic values and protect human rights. As members of the ADF Management Committee, we express our concern over the emerging phenomenon of restrictive NGO laws in various countries on civil society’s activities that promote greater civil rights and strengthening democratic institutions. We would like to draw attention of the CD member states to the following democratic principles in the Warsaw Declaration:
The important role of civil society in a democracy is recognized and promised by the CD member states. Furthermore, The Declaration states that the CD member states will “promote civil society, including women’s organizations, non-governmental organizations, labor and business associations, and independent media in their exercise of their democratic rights. Informed participation by all elements of society, men and women, in a country’s economic and political life, including by persons belonging to minority groups, is fundamental to a vibrant and durable democracy.” While recognizing the importance of the “respect for sovereignty and the principle of non-interference in internal affairs,” the Declaration also indicates that the CD member states intend “to create an external environment conducive to democratic development.” We, members of the ADF Management Committee, urge the CD member states to re-affirm their commitment to those democratic principles and values and encourage non-CD member states to respect those principles. We sincerely hope that at the CD Ministerial meeting in Bamako in 2007 all the member states will adopt the draft resolution by the ISC of the CD Nongovernmental Process, which seeks to promote that the “efforts to repress democracy promotion activities should cease and that any existing legal restrictions toward that end be repealed”. In conclusion, we hope that they will affirm “the rights of nongovernmental organizations to promote democracy in support of the rights defined in the Warsaw Declaration.” September 19, 2006 Hannah Forster Chair, Management Committee of the African Democracy Forum For information about the Community of Democracies, go to: http://www.santiago2005.org/ and http://www.ccd21.org/conferences.htm. |
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