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The Legal Framework

Diagram of The Regulatory Bridge
Legal Framework Regulation Government/Sector Dialogue Sector Capacity

We work towards an enabling legal environment, which supports effective regulation and protects the operating space of NGOs.


The legal framework for NGOs includes all established laws, decrees and government regulations that impact upon NGOs. This will include legislation which sets out the rights and responsibilities of NGOs, laws relating to the sectors within which NGOs are active, such as health and education, and any other laws which impact upon an NGO. This may includes laws on taxation, immigration, human rights and a country’s constitution. Legislators need to ensure that these laws are compatible in order for the legal framework to make effective regulation possible.

An ‘enabling’ legal environment does three things: it provides a clear space for NGOs to freely pursue their lawful activities; it outlines the rights, responsibilities and minimum standards for individual NGOs and the sector; and establishes the circumstances in which legal powers can be used by the authorities to prevent or counter unlawful activities. 

NGOs reflect and respond to the needs of modern society, it is therefore important that NGO laws are reviewed and updated to keep up with changes in society, and that the NGO sector itself is consulted on the development of this legal framework.