Representatives of the Civil Society Coordination Committee met with His Excellency the Minister of Social Development to amend the Civil Society Law.

Representatives of the Civil Society Coordination Committee for Amending the Civil Society Law met with His Excellency the Minister of Social Development on Tuesday morning, December 31, 2024, to present the committee’s proposed views on amending articles of the current Civil Society Law No. 21 of 1989, Which has been in effect for 35 years, and replacing it with articles that strengthen the principle of true community partnership with civil society institutions, and address the many obstacles that have caused increased restrictions on civil work and led to a decline in volunteers.

The proposed amendments to the law address several aspects, the first of which is the issuance of a special law for civil society organizations separate from the law governing sports clubs, federations, youth centers, and other entities. The other aspects include the financial budgets of institutions and the need to support them fairly, as well as reducing broad administrative powers and ministerial decisions that weaken/nullify the roles and sovereignty of general assemblies.

The delegation also explained to His Excellency the Minister how some previous amendments to the law had affected the civil institutional movement, such as Article (43), and the expectations regarding the impact of the current draft amendment regarding the gradual gradation of penalties up to dismissal from the Board of Directors by a ministerial decision on the effectiveness of associations and the decline of volunteers.

His Excellency the Minister listened to the delegation's views and expressed his desire to support constructive efforts to develop the work of civil society institutions, amid general agreement on the need to continue dialogue in the coming period and to activate communication with the committee.

The meeting was attended by the following members of the Coordination Committee: Mr. Sayed Sharaf Mohsen Al-Mousawi from the Bahrain Transparency Society, Mr. Mohammed Hassan Al-Aradi from the Bahraini Civil Initiatives Society, Lawyer Mohammed Hussein Fateel from the Bahraini Lawyers Society, Dr. Saeed Abbas Al-Samak from Al-Hikma Society for Retirees, Dr. Maryam Mohammed Al-Shatti from the Bahrain Women Union, Ms. Farida Ghulam Ismail from the Bahraini Girl's Renaissance Society, Ms. Fatima Rabia Hussein from the Awal Women's Society, and Mr. Abdullah Al-Hajji from the Bahraini Social Workers Society.