The Bayan Centre for Studies and Planning held a consultative session entitled: “Civil Society Organizations in Iraq: A Reading of Challenges and a Vision for Problem Solving,” in the presence of the Director of the NGO Department of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Ashraf Al-Dahan.
The session addressed recent problems of organizations, mainly administrative complexities in registration, legal adjustment and funding, and delayed completion of transactions.
Organizations also referred to the restricted handling of women’s empowerment issues in accordance with the national strategies and international conventions to which Iraq committed itself, as well as the financial challenges faced by the organizations due to their dependence on foreign grants.
The Director of the NGO Service referred to the Department’s programs to automate its work and reduce the bureaucracy that delays the completion of transactions, as well as the Government’s program to support organizations financially through a dedicated fund in the process of formation and follow-up.
Al-Dahan also noted the Government’s program of relying on the reports of civil society organizations on many issues of concern to citizens, calling on the organizations to continue working in accordance with the law.
