CAIRO: Tension continues to rise between Egypt and the international community over the recent crackdown by Cairo on local NGO workers. On Tuesday, Egypt's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Faiza Abu Naga said that a number of unregistered civil society organizations in the country had received funds from abroad amounting to approximately $175 million between March and June last year. Abul-Naga said during a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee of Human Rights of the People's Assembly, on Tuesday, which was discussing the proposals made by some civil society organizations to amend the NGO law of 2002, that “there are other funder transfers from Arab countries that were monitored by the Egyptian Government. “The Egyptian government does not take steps against the work of civil society organizations, but it welcomes its role within the guidelines specified by the law,” she said, pointing out that Egypt now has 23,000 civil society organizations. She said that during 2011 alone, 4500 Organizations and associations have been registered, “including 80 foreign organizations, 23 of which are American, and all fulfilled its legal status and do not face any problems.” Abul-Naga, who has received the ire of activists in the country over the recent crackdown on NGOs, stressed that the ministry “is not concerned with civil society organizations as it is concerned only with official foreign funds and aid to Egypt, especially from the US, as a part of the Economic Aid agreement signed with Egypt in 1978 after signing the Camp David Peace Treaty with Israel.” She added that this funding was agreed upon between the two governments, but in 2004, former US president George W. Bush took a “unilateral decision that directs part of the aid to Egypt to programs of human rights and support of democracy directly, without the consent of the Egyptian government,” which she says has objected to this program “because it is a clear violation of the official agreement.” She argued that “no country in the world would allow other states to fund organizations on its territory under the pretext of supporting democracy, good governance and human rights.” She continued that Egypt “has the right to protect its national security and maintain its sovereignty.” She pointed out that America itself prohibits “any foreign financing, and associations from citizens, governments or political parties of foreign countries, and we do not target anyone in particular that the whole world puts severe restrictions on the transfer of funds and this is what the US did after the events of 9/11.” However, the US Embassy in Cairo, in a tweet directed to Bikyamasr.com's Editor-in-chief, stated that the European Union has a number of funding programs inside the US for civil society. Egypt-US relations have become increasingly tense after Egypt's decision to refer 43 civil society workers to criminal court on charges of violating laws regulating the operation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Egypt, including US, European and Egyptian NGO workers, as well as the son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Military and judicial authorities raided a number of NGO offices in December, including US, European and Egyptian organizations. The United States has threatened to cut all aid to Egypt if the row is not resolved quickly. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/rOzzR Tags: Abu Naga, featured, Funding, NGO Section: Business, Egypt, Latest News
