BCHR:In the Context of “Al-Bandar Scandal”: New measures to place NGO’s Under governmental control

Bahrain, October 10, 2006

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights is following with great concern continued measures by the Bahraini government to speedily and systematically tighten its control over local NGOs.

Today the Minister of Social Development will launch a center for
“supporting NGOs” that will be run under the auspices of the Ministry [1].

The stated objectives of this center are to provide training,
resources and expertise for NGOs (totaling more than 400 societies).

Bahrain, October 10, 2006

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights is following with great concern continued measures by the Bahraini government to speedily and systematically tighten its control over local NGOs.

Today the Minister of Social Development will launch a center for
“supporting NGOs” that will be run under the auspices of the Ministry [1].

The stated objectives of this center are to provide training,
resources and expertise for NGOs (totaling more than 400 societies).

However, the BCHR is concerned that the Ministry’s absolute management and supervision of this Center will allow it to fully control social and civil societies.

The unmitigated role of this Center will be in line with Society Act no. 21 of 1989 that, by large, is strangling the work of these societies.

It also grants the Ministry of Social Affairs significant authority that includes power over societies’ registration and closure as well as direct intervention in internal affairs of the aforementioned societies.

In addition, the Ministry will also limit and constrain societies’ freedom to conduct overseas activities and obtain financial resources without prior agreement.

Because of this, most societies that have legally registered suffer from organizational difficulties and inadequate financing.

For the aforementioned reasons, societies will be under the power of and at the mercy of the Center which is completely controlled by the Ministry, and dependent on financial resources derived from public funds and the private sector.

A UNDP spokesperson in Bahrain (which assisted the Social Development Ministry in establishing the Center) has maintained that it will be run “in accordance with International Standards”.

However the UNDP did not reveal the methods of evaluating and
monitoring the center in relation to:

  • full compliance and adherence to International Standards,
  • guaranteeing the neutrality and impartiality of the Center and that it will not be used by the Government as a tool to dominate and manipulate civil society organizations
  • misuse of the UN’s name and accreditation should this Center adopt the UNDP name in order to gain legitimacy in spite of working against UN criterion and objectives.

The government initiative to establish this Center followed the formation of the Political Development Institute (PDI).

The PDI’s prime objective was to wield power over political societies and members of the Consultative and Representatives Councils under the pretext of “building constructive skills, abilities and Abilities and Training Institute by appointing its members (all of whom are partisan to the Government) and also by connecting it with the government-appointed members of the (non-elected) Consultative Council.

On the other hand the government has prohibited other organizations with a similar role to the PDI from proceeding, including expelling the American National Democratic Institute (NDI) and obstructing a private institute intended to operate with the same role.

The “NGO Support Center” is launched in coincidence with and in connection to the Bandargate Scandal.

In the Al-Bandargate incident a British consultant employee at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs compiled documentary evidence revealing (among other things) a sectarian plan and a secret government web working to penetrate civil and social societies in order to control them.

The plan includes a role for the Political Development Institute – to wield power over independent societies that are fully non-governmental or else to create alternative ones.

The Al Bandargate documents describe the chairperson of the Bahrain Jurists Society – who is a leading member of the Political Development Institute – as playing an essential role in this plan and web.

Furthermore, the Minister of Social Development is currently in charge of societies’ affairs has alleged connections with the Muslim Brotherhood, whose senior members are implicated in this web. The report’s author has raised serious questions over and this group’s role in the underground government web, and in Bahrain.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights urges:

  • a guarantee of independence for institutes that are financed with public funds in order to avoid governmental control over political and civil societies. This can only be obtained if the management of concerned institutes are appointed by societies themselves or by elected parliament members.
  • the Government to acknowledge the right of private and independent institutions to provide consultative and training support to political and civil society organizations.
  • the UNDP to undertake the supreme responsibility for monitoring and evaluating any governmental exploitation of societies, and to avoid granting legitimacy and support to institutions which do not act within International standards.
  • Political and Civil Societies to promptly campaign for their right to receive support and training. However, this support should not be tied to conditions which allow for Governmental manipulation and control.