Nationalization of Public Associations

On 30 July 2003 President signed order No. 335 “About Republican State-pubic associations”. This act legalizes pseudo public associations that are controlled by the State and maintain the State policy in the non-State sector.

The aim of this order is declared as “increasing of effectiveness of SOME non-commercial organizations that execute tasks of State importance.” So, the order legalizes the division between the pro-State organizations (official trade unions, Belarusian Republican Youth Union, pioneers, Belarusian Union of Journalists, some sportive organizations, etc.) and the ones the activity of which is not accepted and not supported by the State. Most probably, we should include there all the democratic organizations commonly called “the third sector”. The situation is unique: we are the first country to have State NGOs. The order mentions that establishment of such NGOs will be conducted as reorganization of the already existing public associations by decision of their founders and in the conditions, specified by the Government.

The Belarusian Government was charged to elaborate the law about State NGOs till 1 January 2004, provide amendments to other legislative acts in accordance with the order and take measures for implementation of the latter, which can be quicker establishment of the pseudo NGOs on the ground of already existing organizations.

Yury Chavusaw,
Executive Bureau of the Assembly of NGOs